of 12 and 3 juveniles: adult female, respectively. A 17-year average of hunter 

 harvests at the Fort Peck Dam check station shows an annual harvest of 0.3 birdsA 

 hunter and 617 juveniles/100 adult females (Trueblood 1973). % 



Ring-necked Pheasant . Data were recorded for 801 ring-necked pheasant ob- 

 servations during this study (Table 16). The average group size was four and the 

 largest was 75. 



Pheasants were numerous in the Missouri River bottoms and along Prairie Elk 

 Creek and Horse Creek. They were also found throughout the reconnaissance area 

 whenever suitable habitat occurred. Pheasants were relatively scarce in the pro- 

 posed mining area during all seasons; however, they were found year-round near 

 the Waller and Dreyer Ranches and along drainage bottoms in the mine study area. 



Optimum pheasant habitat has been found to occur where undisturbed residual 

 vegetation grows adjacient to grain fields (Jansen et al 1971, Weigand and 

 Janson 1976). Residual grass, weeds, and shrubs provide shelter and nesting 

 cover, while grain fields provide food. 



Seasonal habitat use by pheasants observed in this study is shown in figure 

 7. (See also Appendix K). Cultivated land and roads and highways provided the 

 majority of observations yearlong. However, pheasants are wery observable when 

 picking up grit and waste grain from road embankments, and the importance of 

 these areas is likely overestimated in this figure. Shrubs or trees in prox- 

 imity to grainfields are essential yearlong. 



Stubble fields provided the greatest number of observations (38%) during 

 winter 1976-1977, as well as the greatest number of feeding observations. Low | 

 coulee shrub and trees and farmsteaeVs accounted for ^9% of the observations, and 

 road embankments for 17%. Flat topography including floodplains and creek bot- 

 toms was preferred. 



During the spring, pheasants were most frequently observed along gravel 

 roads and highway embankments (Figure 7). Researchers have shown grit to be a 

 primary source of calcium which is important for egg-laying and the growth of 

 young pheasants (Weigand & Janson 1976). The remaining observations were dis- 

 tributed among a variety of habitats. A preference was indicated for flat top- 

 ography and creek bottoms. Again pheasants were observed most frequently along 

 gravel roads (46%). Observations also indicated that pheasants sought shadier 

 habitats during the day, especially low coulee shrub, sagebrush, and western 

 bulrush marshes. Cultivated fields accounted for 13% of the observations. This 

 habitat use was reflected in topography use, with flat areas and coulee bottoms 



being preferred. Over half the pheasants were seen in stubble fields during 

 fall where the majority of feeding was observed. Road embankments and box elder 

 groves were also important. Rolling terrain was the dominant (70%) topography 

 used. A wide variety of habitats were used during the winter of 1977-78. How- 

 ever, shrubby habitats and trees accounted for 43% of all observations (figure 

 7). Topography use reflected this with 36% of the observations occurring in 

 creek bottoms where shelter was provided. Western bulrush-cattail marshes 

 along the Missouri River floodplain provided locally important wintering habitat. 



The reconnaissance area provides good pheasant habitat along the creek and 

 river bottoms adjacent to cultivated land. The proposed mining area does not 



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