“T'PTHl Y WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Vol, 1, Ho. 6 
Page l» 
.1 .r.o. vera^e age of broods observed at V'eoga was li.l nooks for all broods 
d l .7 veoks for those recorded in Juno. Rainfall at Ncoga during the month 
f ..69 inches. Hay mowirg \*as delayed, and only 60 per cent of the hay was 
•p for thr first time by the end of the menth. Five hens mere reported 
fci.Jed during the haying operations. 
The distribution of pheasants in Illinois, based on rural mail 
carrier courts, was summarise i during the month. Since February, 1957, fire 
c ;nt% each lasting 5 days, have b«er made. A total of 97,079 bird# mas seen 
by tne carriers while driving 1,097,759 niles (6.8 pheasanta/100 miles). 
Certain biases in the sex ratios and total counts were noted. These 
ire'*.* from the differential conspicuousne35 of the sexes, the occurrence of 
anew, seasonal changes In behavior of the birds, seasonal changes in the height 
ard density of vegetation an i * lack of time for carriers to look closely for 
hens and chicks while delivering mail. Nevertheless, tho major features of 
pheasant distribution and so at trends in tho pheasant population of the state 
t-m rgc from the rural mail courier counts. 
It is now generally agreed that standing com during the 1957 hunting 
30 9 300 caused a lowr harvest of cocks than in 1956. Sex ratios obtained by 
the rural nail carriers after the two hunting seasons reflected an increase la 
poreoutage of cocks in the state population in the winter of 1957-58* 
Tear-to- year conditions for observing pheasants are least biased in 
F r 1 1 anJ M’gust due to the uniformity of the conditions (i.e. absence of enow), 
.though aex ratic3 and estimates of brood site are distorted in April and 
Augu it, manges in total number of birds observed are probably reliable. The 
nail earners observed very little change in the total breeding populations 
present in April, 1957 end April, 1958, although there may have been an inoreaee 
in the number of cocks and a decline in the number of bene. 
The rate at which pheasants were seen wae highest in Ford and 
Livdrgirton counties and higher than aver ige in the adjacent area bordered by 
mar r' .all County on the west, Iroquois on tho east, Champaign to the south, and 
He Horry to the north. Around this area pheasants were seen at a lower rate, and 
their 'xeurmnee became spotty to the south and west. Seme geographically iso¬ 
lated observations of pheasants arc thought to be of released birds. Beeauee 
these observations will bias conclusions concerning soil relationships of 
pheasants, records of the tlSK f place, ana numbers of birds in releases for 
1957 and 1958 are needed. 
