Vo 1. 7) No. 3 
Page 4 
Vihen better than average survival of young from these first litters occurs, 
we can expect a better than average peak of juvenile breeding about June 13- 
These juvenile females will produce young in mid-July and many of them will give 
birth to second litters in mid-August; a few may have third litters in September. 
Because of the 28-day reproductive cycle of the cottontail, additional litters 
will be dropped by adult does about the first of each month from now through Aug¬ 
ust. Juvenile females from second litters due in early May can be expected to 
produce litters in August. 
There is some indication that does in counties in southern Illinois have 
already produced their first litters. It will be interesting to see how well 
these early born young survived the heavy rains and cold weather of late March. 
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