Some of things I learn along the way doing these posts amazes me. In 1929, C.R. Robinson of the Lassen National Forest released his report on a rodent survey. Robinson stated most of the damage is being done by the Oregon ground squirrel. Robinson found that the damage to the forage crop in the mountain meadows often amounted to fifty percent. It was that figure that grabbed my attention. I thought given the era, there might have been some bias, but not so.
In a 1993 report by the Oregon State University Extension Service reported “that the ground squirrels are a major wildlife pest in central and eastern Oregon. They consume a substantial amount of forage and field crops.” In one instance they cited, “in northern California another study reported that, during the growing season, 123 Belding’s ground squirrels per acre consumed 1,790 pounds of alfalfa per acre.”