Vol. 4, No. 10 
Page 2 
Table 2. —Percentage of hatched nests by cover types on the Sibley study 
area, 1957-61. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected 10-acre plots 
comprising a 4.3 per cent sample of the 23,200-acre area. 
Cover Types 
Percentage of Hatched Nests Contributed 
by Each Cover Type 
1957 
1958 
1959 
1960 
1961 
5-Year 
Average 
Row Crops 
0.0(0)* 
0.0(0) 
0.0(0) 
0.0(0) 
0.0(0) 
0.0(0) 
Small Grains 
26.2(11) 
8.9(7) 
39.3(22) 
14.1(12) 
14.5(16) 
18.3(68) 
Hayfields (tame) 
45.2(19) 
73.4(58) 
37.5(21) 
63.3(54) 
62.7(69) 
59.4(221) 
Pa stures 
11.9(5) 
10.1(8) 
10.7(6) 
5.9(5) 
7.3(8) 
8.6(32) 
(tame and wild) 
Strip-Cover 
14.3(6) 
6.3(5) 
12.5(7) 
12.9(11) 
15.5(17) 
12.4(46) 
Non-Agricultural 
2.4(1) 
1.3(1) 
0.0(0) 
3.5(3) 
0.0(0) 
1.3(5) 
Total 
100.0(42) 
100.0(79) 
100.0(56) 
100.0(85) 
100.0(110) 
100.0(372) 
* Sample sizes (number of hatched nests found on sample plot acreages) in parentheses 
2. Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat 
Project inactive in October. 
3. Extension of Pheasant Range J. A. Ellis, W. L. Anderson, J. A. Harper 
The night-lighting of pheasants on the Nooga area during September and early 
October, 1961, resulted in the capture of 76 previously unmarked birds. Each of 
the captured pheasants was marked with a numbered plastic back-tag to permit 
individual identification in the field. 
One-hundred and forty-six pheasants were flushed and identified as to sex 
during 28.0 hours of actual night-lighting. Eighty-nine (including recaptures) or 
60.8 per cent of the observed pheasants were captured. Eleven and three-tenths 
minutes of night-lighting were required to locate one bird and 18.8 minutes to 
capture one. In 1960, each observation and capture of a pheasant required 3.9 
minutes and 10.8 minutes, respectively. It is apparent that the pre-hunt population 
is lower this year than in 1960. 
The sex ratio among all pheasants observed showed cocks comprised 39.7 per cent 
of the pre-hunt population. Age ratios were 20.0 juveniles of both sexes per adult 
cock and 2.92 juveniles of both sexes per adult hen. These age ratios indicate 
that productivity on the area in 1961, though not excessive, was adequate to 
maintain the present population. 
Gravel removed from soil samples collected in the Neoga and Sibley study areas 
was tested to determine the percentage of calcite (calcium carbonate) and dolomite 
(magnesium carbonate with varying amounts of calcium carbonate) present. The 
results are shown in table 3. 
