these mide, but it was fered ie that 2 higher percentage of their own clutches 
were sleneubaeel by other birds No special ' study of other predators was carried 
on,:but the suggestion is. apa that. the provision of abundant cover is the best 
method of CIEE with the puedator problem, | 
_NISOBLLANEOUS coMMaNT 
Introduction of Mexican quail.,-~Large numbers of Mexican quail have been 
transplanted to areas in Oklahoma: that have been ‘so devleted of food and cover 
that the native bobwhite has been extirpated there. This obviously futile 
activity has been closely paralleled by trapping and release of both native quail 
and prairie chickens within.the State, Such plantings are a deplorable waste 
of valuable material, especially in the case ‘of a species existing in such 
restricted range and numbers as the lesser prairie chicken. The changes required 
to make a depleted environment capable of year-round support of transplanted 
geme birds go far beyond the usual brief artificial feeding or even the wusual 
planting of small feed patches. Rather the process of bringing a seriously 
damaged environment up to a satisfactory standard as to food and cover facilities 
may be the work of years. Such work, however, should be done, and thoroughly 
done, before precious stocks of living game Aaa are transplented. Not only 
eeonoric. but also humane, considerations dictate tiorough preparation before 
oduct ion. as the only correct procedure, 
Misconceptions of hunters,--Hunters seem prone to overestimate both the 
numbers and the recuperative capacity of upland geme birds. For example, the 
prairie chicken population of the Davison Ranch was popularly estimated at 
10,000 to 100,000 birds, with the estimate of 25,000 being generally held 
conservative. Through counting by methods developed during the investigation 
and regarded as not subject to more than 5 percent of error, it was determined 
that 3,000 is a liberal outside figure for the prairie chicken population, 
Yet the grossly erroneous estimetes cited were used as the basis for 
trapping operations to get birds for restocking purposes, and similar wild 
guesses are often the basis for regulation of bag limits and open seasons. 
They naturally result in excessive Sea and disappointing experience in the 
way of Bee nence of game stocks, and in many a false step in game administra- 
tion, 
Estimates as to annual increase also are startlingly wide of the mark, 
In the case of the lesser prairie chicken it was assumed that the sexes are 
equally divided, so that all would be paired, when in fact there is a preponder— 
ance of males, It was further assumed that each hen would reise a brood of 15, 
resulting in 1,500 birds the first year from 100 pairs, 11,250 the second, and 
84,375 the uid - annual increases of 750 percent. Such imaginings are, of 
course, grotesque, as even under management en actual increase of 100 percent 
is exceptionally good, and 50 percent is not disaopointing. Those indulging in 
such speculations should reflect that under natural conditions and in the long 
run there is no increase, A pair is succeeded by a pair in a generation of the 
Species concerned, not in a year. If prairie chickens live 5 years, on the 
average, the birds need to rear to breeding age only two birds to a pair in 
five years to maintain their numbers. Hunting to date in this country has 
consisted largely in man taking a moderate share of the annual generation 
before natural elimination is completed, in which case survival may not be 
materially affected, When the share became too lerge, populations went down, 
=e 
