the hunting of prairie chickens in Kansas since 1903 are summarized 

 as follows; 



1903 — season closed in some western counties and two eastern counties for 

 the first time, 



1913 — season closed throughout the State for the first time, 



1921 — season reopened September 20 to September 30, daily limit of five, 



1925 — season closed, 



1931 — season reopened for two days, 



1935 — season closed, 



1941 — season reopened, one day, in six eastern counties, 



1942 — season opened, one day, in eight eastern counties, 



1943 — season opened, two days, in eight eastern counties, daily limit three, 

 possession six, 



1944 — season closed, 



1950 — season reopened, one day, in fifteen eastern counties, limit two, 



1951 — season opened one day, in sixteen eastern coimties, limit two, 



1952 — season opened one day, in eighteen eastern counties, limit two. 



In 1943, few hunters succeeded in taking their hmit, and many 

 were completely unsuccessful. It may be inferred from this that 

 a marked decrease in numbers of prairie chickens occurred in the 

 period 1941-1943. At the beginning of this investigation, in 1949, 

 the greater prairie chicken was again abundant, indicating a marked 

 rise in numbers from 1943 to 1949. A conservative estimate is that 

 there were 50,000 greater prairie chickens in Kansas in 1949. 



Information concerning population changes of the greater prairie 

 chicken was obtained in this study by repeated censuses of the 

 Welda Area, particularly of one flock, and by interviewing hunters 

 in the open seasons. Repeated counts of males using flock range A 

 (see Figure 5) were made each fall and spring, and less frequent 

 counts of the birds using flock range C were made. In each open 

 season, birds were examined in the field to learn the sex and age 

 of greater prairie chickens bagged, and hunters were interviewed 

 to learn the number of birds killed and the length of time spent 

 in hunting. In 1950, four investigators accompanied state game 

 protectors and examined greater prairie chickens killed in six coun- 

 ties. In addition the writer concentrated his efforts in this respect 

 in the Welda Area. In 1951, four two-man teams worked inde- 

 pendently of the state game protectors in four counties characteristic 

 of different types of habitat of the greater prairie chicken. In 

 1952, three two-man teams and two individuals working alone 

 gathered similar data in six counties. 



All greater prairie chickens examined were classified as young of 

 the year, or as adults, by noting the condition of the two outer 

 primaries ( see Ammann, 1944 ) . Sex was ascertained by examining 



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