Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Endangered ground squirrels!

I was just informed that the Idaho F & G put grounds squirrels on the endangered, protected list and we can no longer shoot them here. There's a few around McCall that can still be shot but that's all. I just can't imagine that, there's tousands of them out there. Must be some anti's running F & G here in Idaho. Our club, Idaho Varmint Hunters, had a whistle pig tournament scheduled for April 14th. As of today it is cancelled.

Can you post a link or where did this information come from?

Not to doubt your word, but I'm a bit skeptical that all ground squirrels in Idaho are protected.

I know we have a species of ground squirrel called the Golden Mantled squirrel that is protected and has been so for a number of years.

The president of our club has been on the phone with F & G today and he posted to all members on our forum. The F & G has been thinking about for a while. www.idahovarmint hunters.com/forum. Also Idaho Varmint Hunters on facebook. And you can always call F & G.

The president of our club has been on the phone with F & G today and he posted to all members on our forum. The F & G has been thinking about for a while. www.idahovarminthunters.com/forum. Also Idaho Varmint Hunters on facebook. And you can always call F & G.

sorry for the double post

BRoper: I am stunned!
I do some Ground Squirreling in Idaho from time to time and am shocked that there could be a "shortage" of them!
Its not April Fools Day is it?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

According to what the 2012-2013 IFG regs. say, an area from roughly Weiser to New Meadows is closed to shooting the "northern Idaho ground squirrel".
Also, the "southern Idaho" gs under consideration for protection from Weiser to Parma, roughly.
I found this under the furbearer page.
Hope this is what you are referring to and not a total ban.
We'll see.

They would be endangered if I showed up....

I just recieved some more info. Our club president and secretary have been in touch with state representatives. They said they would contact F & G next week and find exactly what is going on and why. In the meantime thay said we all should call F & G and register a complaint.

Poobah, I've heard about your rodent extermination prowess..........but then you fish, therefore you li.........I mean rule.

Thats exactly the way I read it also.

Personally it sounds like a case of wires getting crossed because according to the 2012-13 regs, the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel CANNOT be shot are in the area around McCall. For someone at the F&G to say the only place ground squirrels can be shot is near McCall is exactly the opposite of what the regs say.

This decision was just made, after the regs were printed and put out. The F & G has been thinking a bout foor awhile. Our club sec. says he thinks the F & G director made the decision. I don't really think he can just make a decision anytime he wants too. I'm going to call F & G and the gonernors office on Monday. If I found out anything I'll post it. Probably get a run around but I want to let them know how I feel anyway.

Northern Idaho ground squirrel population grows
By Rocky Barker � rbarkeridahostatesman.com
Posted: 4:51pm on Oct 12, 2011; Modified: 4:53pm on Oct 12, 2011

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the northern Idaho ground squirrel is doing better than when it was listed as a threatened species, but it should remain on the list.
The squirrel, one of the rarest mammals in the United States, has been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 2000. The assessment came after a required five-year review.
The northern Idaho ground squirrel occurs only in Idaho's Adams and Valley counties. About 1,600 squirrels are known to occur on private and public lands, including U.S. Forest Service and Idaho State lands. The northern Idaho ground squirrel lives in dry meadows, surrounded by ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests.
It is protected because of a loss of native meadow habitat from forest encroachment, shooting, poisoning, predation and competition from other ground squirrels, such as the Columbian ground squirrel.


Read more: http://tlc.idahostatesman.com/2011/10/12/1837296/northern-idaho-ground-squirrel.html

WOW - Sounds like the efforts to save the black footed ferret on Charles M. Russel NWR. They figured the guys shooting prairie dogs might accidentally kill a ferret so you couldn't kill a prairie dog for a long ways around their ridiculous little ferret zone. The ESA is a total joke - nothing but a tool used by nut job envoronmentalists to stop consumptive use of resources. Cost my gun club tens of thousands in grant money because we have piping plovers that nest on the alkali slough on one end of our property - failed to pass the "environmental assessment" phase of the grant. Nevermind that they are still there and not bothered at all. Sorry for the off subject rant, I just hate to see these things happening. Next thing you know they'll have to close roads to avoid disturbing those same squirrels. Never ends once they are on the ESL.

You're not talking about the million dollar ferrets served up on a silver platter to the coyotes ( also protected on the CMR...at least most of the time...) are you?

Those would be the ones. The USFWS guys are a special breed.

All I know is that the pres. of our club called F & G in Boise and asked if we could shoot ground squirrels in an area from Emmett to Parma to Boise, kinda sorta a triangle shaped area, and they told him no. They told him that only up by McCall, those are the bigger columbian ground squirrels. One of our state represntatives is going to look into it Monday. He says they can't do that with out it going be fore the legislature. Anyway, I'm not going to shoot them until I find out for sure. I've talked tp F & G here before and they are very evasive, hard to get a definate yes or no out of them.

Some Oregon patrol guys want to cite folks for shooting ground squirrels without a license so I had a letters back and forth project with them and finally got a letter from the Dept head stating in no uncertain terms that a license is NOT needed and I take it with me in case I am ever again disturbed by an overzealous warden.

I would suggest that you do the same so as to have a written record of correspondence and statements.

Very good idea.

I just talked to Idaho F & G about 15 minutes ago. They have been in meetings all day and still are. They are trying to decide which ground squirrels and where they should be listed. They said as soon as they had something definate they would notify our club, Idaho Varmint Hunters. We stirred up a real hornets nest, they have been getting calls all day, even from as far as California. If any one on this forum called, I'd like to say thank you. If any one wants to call the number is 208-334-3700, ask for Debbie.