country, for both are aware of an undue concentration of hunters. 

 There is no way of predicting the net result of such a measure, 

 but it could be expected that hunting pressure would be reduced 

 for both species at least when the seasons were concurrent. A 

 disadvantage for the manager would be the lesser number of en- 

 forcement personnel in any given area than there is now with the 

 two seasons separated in time. 



SuflBcient protection probably could be given prairie chickens, 

 with no limitation placed on the number of hunters, if a system of 

 refuges were provided. It was pointed out in the section concern- 

 ing population changes that small areas closed to hunting by land- 

 owners were eflFective in reducing the kill in 1951. It was observed, 

 especially in 1951, that more areas were closed to hunting by land- 

 owners in areas where the numbers of the greater prairie chicken 

 were small in Anderson County. In such areas, unsolicited posting 

 of land probably will provide suflBcient refuge areas. In areas of 

 high population of prairie chickens, where farmers may desire a 

 reduction in numbers, few refuges of this nature are likely to be 

 provided. Yet, such areas have the greatest concentration of 

 hunters, and are in the greatest need of refuges. Active promotion 

 of a private refuge system in areas with high populations of prairie 

 chickens, with the aim of providing a minimum of four square 

 miles of refuge per township, should provide suflBcient protection. 

 Each refuge preferably should be one square mile or less in area. 



In places where fires in the spring commonly remove nesting 

 cover over large areas, refuge or management areas are needed 

 to provide suitable nesting cover. Much could be done in this 

 respect by encouraging ranchers not to burn their grasslands, and 

 by oflFering assistance in the protection of their lands against fire. 

 Many small areas, perhaps a total of 40 acres per square mile, 

 would function better than a few large areas, since prairie chickens 

 do not range far. Serious consideration should be given to the 

 acquisition and management of refuge areas in the Bluestem Hills 

 and Blackjack Prairie, where extensive burning is most common, 

 and where land values are relatively low. State-owned refuges 

 could serve as nesting and winter feeding areas, as demonstrations 

 of proper grazing practices, and could be at least partly self sus- 

 taining by the lease of grazing rights. Special permits, similar to 

 those used for quail hunting, could provide the funds necessary. 



Range and Pasture Management 



Prairie chickens are essentially birds of the grasslands. For- 

 tunately, the practices recommended for the most profitable long- 



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