Pheasants and Hungarians 105 



East central Wisconsin, for instance, presents an almost clear case for 

 pheasants. The swamps are too small or too few for prairie chickens; quail are 

 excluded by reason of the "quail-less area" along Lake Michigan; there is not 

 enough timber for ruffed grouse or other forest species. The environmental 

 changes necessary to produce quail are unknown, and those necessary to produce 

 prairie chickens or ruffed grouse are prohibitive in cost. It is hard to see any 

 good argument against planting pheasants, provided the plantings are successful. 



Again, in northwestern Iowa, prairie chickens have been excluded by the 

 nearly universal drainage of swamps and plowing up of grass cover. There never 

 was enough brush for any quantity of quail, or enough timber for ruffed grouse. 

 Northwestern Iowa and eastern Wisconsin seem to represent the "end case," 

 where there is a clear and conclusive justification for pheasants. 



On the other hand, the sand plains of central Wisconsin present excellent 

 chances for prairie chicken management, together with an ample seed stock of 

 both species of chickens. The more heavily wooded sections contain ruffed 

 grouse and deer. Agriculture is declining, and it is very doubtful whether there 

 is enough grain for a shootable population of pheasants. No other part of Wis- 

 consin is equally suitable for perpetuating prairie chickens on a large scale. Land 

 values are low enough to permit state ownership of key areas. Unless it should 

 be later demonstrated that there is no interference with prairie chickens by 

 pheasants, it would seem very doubtful public policy to plant pheasants in this 

 sand plains region. This may be considered as the end case where establishment 

 of exotics is possible but undesirable. 



The entire riverbreak type is being or has been planted to pheasants in spite 

 of the clear opportunity to produce an abundance of quail, and the probable in- 

 terference with quail by any heavy pheasant populations. This case, however, is 

 academic, because there is not the slightest evidence that pheasants are capable of 

 becoming established. The only issue is one of waste of money. 



Between the two end cases lie many gradations, where the introduction of 

 exotics is more or less undesirable. This survey does not possess the informa- 

 tion for judging where to draw the line, and it may be doubted whether that 

 information as yet exists. The problem of exotics, in short, resolves itself largely 

 into a problem of research. Fortunately there is no part of the north central 

 region where pheasants cannot be controlled, or even eliminated, at will, by the 

 proper manipulation of hunting seasons. Such manipulation constitutes the main 

 safeguard for the future, pending the accumulation of more detailed local in- 

 formation on inter-species relationships. 



RESULTS OF PLANTS 



Explanation of Maps. Maps 10 and 11 are an attempt to present 

 graphically the history and results of exotic plantings. 



Due to the scarcity of records, the historical information is fragmentary, but 

 the hatched areas are believed to represent a complete picture of establishments 



