Prairie Chickens 



185 



prohibition is no remedy, because once in a while there is an economic justifica- 

 tion, such as the desire to clear away the old growth preparatory to a hay crop. 

 In such event the question is not whether to burn, but when and how much. 



TABLE 36. Per cent of mortality in prairie chicken, Wisconsin 



The really effective remedy for marsh burning is to give every farmer either 

 a personal or a financial interest in his chicken crop. 



The other loss from accident is flying into overhead wires. The pinnated 

 grouse is more prone to do this than any other game bird. Reports of consider- 

 able losses from wires were encountered in each State containing chickens, and 

 the literature is full of instances. In Indiana one farmer even found dead birds 

 which had flown into an ordinary barbed wire fence. The present trend toward 

 replacing individual telephone wires with cables is a desirable one. Owners of 

 chicken marshes who value their bird crop should if possible stipulate cabling of 

 wires in ceding rights-of-way across their lands. 



Species Ratios for pinnated and sharptail are given in Table (e) of the Ap- 

 pendix. 



CHICKEN MANAGEMENT 



Seasons on Chickens. Chart 11 tells a story of tragic interest to those 

 who have eyes to see; a story which reflects not only the complex biology of the 



