Managing Land for Squirrels

Many people manage land for deer, but they don't manage it for what I have heard to be the "big game of the small game," the thing you most likely wouldn't manage land for, the squirrel.

Now you may have some nice squirrel habitat already, but here are some points that you need to make a prime squirrel hunting area.  Squirrels need three basic things, food, nesting, and water.

• Forest managing (food)- A variety of oaks, hickories, elm, walnut, beech and other fruit and nut bearing trees.  You can also grow the nut and fruit bearing trees you need if needed.  Growing corn at the woodland edges will help with the food supply especially if the nut or fruit trees have decreased in their production.    Providing oaks and corn for squirrels can also provide food for White-tails, and other animals, so, your not just helping squirrels, your helping deer and other animals too!  Planting natural shrubs and saplings for ground cover will also be great.  
• Nesting sites-Provide three to five den trees per acre.  A squirrel den is a hole in the tree that they use as their home.  They also build nests up in trees.  But they prefer tree dens.  If you don't have very many den trees you can make den boxes and put them up in trees about ten to thirty feet up in the tree.
• Water-A creek or river or other body of water is a good place for squirrels to come and drink. If you have no water readily available you can dig a small pond or make a couple watering sites.            

These small steps can lead to many more squirrels on your property and can lead to memory making hunts.