Vo 1. 6, No. 1 1 
Page 2 
3. Factors Inf 1uencinq the Pistribut ion and Abundance of Pheasants 
*> W. L. Anderson, S. L. Wunderle 
One hundred sixty-eight pheasants were observed during 41.5 hours of 
nightlighting on the Neoga Study Area, Jul y-September, 1963; H5 (68.4 per¬ 
cent) of the 168 pheasants were captured. Each observation and each capture 
of a pheasant required 14.8 and 21.6 minutes of n ight1ight i ng, respectively. 
In the 1ate-summer period of 1962, 246 pheasants were observed, 133 of 
which were captured during 29-3 hours of night1ighting at Neoga; each obser¬ 
vation and each capture of a bird required 7*1 and 13-2 minutes, respectively 
Thus, the time required to observe or capture a pheasant during late summer, 
1963, was almost double the time expended during the comparable period in 
1962. 
Of the 115 pheasants captured on the Neoga Area during the late summer of 
1963 , 22 (6 cocks, 16 hens) were adults and 93 (31 cocks, 42 hens, 20 too 
young to be sexed) were juveniles. Sex ratios among the captured birds, ex¬ 
pressed in percentage of cocks, were 27 for adults and 44 for juveniles. 
Juveniles of both sexes were captured at a ratio of 5*8 young per adult hen 
(93 juveniles, 16 adult hens). The age ratio among captured cocks was 5*2 
young per adult cock (31 juveniles, 6 adults), and among hens was 2.6 young 
per adult hen (42 juveniles, 16 adults). All unmarked pheasants (26 of the 
115 had been previously marked) were marked with backtags and leg bands, with 
leg bands only, or with metal wing tags only, 
k 4. Responses of Bobwhite s and Pra? rie Chickens to Habitat Manipulation 
J. A. Ellis, R. J. Ellis 
A prehunt census of the quail populations on the Bogota Study Area and 
on two state public hunting areas (Wayne County and Marion County) was con¬ 
ducted during the first 2 weeks of November. Twenty-two coveys containing 
349 birds were located on the Marion County area. Twenty coveys totaling 305 
birds were observed on the Bogota Area. Seventeen coveys numbering 287 birds 
were flushed on the W;jyne County area. 
Quail densities expressed in terms of birds per 100 acres were greatest 
on the Wayne County area ( 38.8 quail per 100 acres). Quail densities were 
23.2 and 3*0 birds per 100 acres on the Marion and Bogota areas, respectively 
5. Rabbit Mana gement Wm. R. Edwards, D. A. Casteel 
Preseason trapping during early November, 1963, on the 4-H and Sanctuary 
Study Areas at Robert Allerton Park resulted in the tagging, color-marking, 
and release of 70 and 58 cottontails on the two areas, respectively. On 
November 23, 1963, a group of students from the University of Illinois co¬ 
operated with project personnel in the annual fall census. The purpose of 
this census was to obtain an estimate of the ratio of marked to unmarked 
rabbits flushed during a series of coordinated drives covering the study 
areas. During the census, workers tallied 126 rabbits on the 4-H A rea > 67 
of which had been color-marked; while on the Sanctuary Area 36 rabbits were 
1 seen, all but 10 of which had been color-marked. 
