Vol. 5, No* 3 
Page 2 
2. Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat D. E. Newman 
This project is designed to investigate the feasibility of establishing and 
maintaining cover on roadside areas for the purpose of creating favorable habitat 
areas for nesting pheasants. Since the late 1930's, pheasants have been most 
abundant in the intensively cultivated cash-grain belt of east-central Illinois. 
However, within the past 5 years, land-use practices have become greatly intensified 
in this area. This changing land-use has been toward significantly greater acreages 
of row crops (corn and soybeans) and lesser acreages of small grains and tame hay. 
This trend has evolved from the fact that commercial fertilizers have eliminated 
the need for forage crops, used as green-manure crops to maintain soil tilth and 
fertility, and have allowed row crops to be grown in continuous culture. Previous 
research has demonstrated that the majority of the annual hatch of pheasants is 
produced in hayfields in east-central Illinois. This research has further demon¬ 
strated the adverse influence changing land-use has exerted on the pheasant popu¬ 
lations in the past few years, particularly in 1959, 1960, and 1961. 
Roadside cover has not ranked exceptionally high with respect to the annual 
production of pheasants in past years; generally about 7 to 10 per cent of the 
annual hatch of chicks can be attributed to roadside nests. However, it is our 
belief that roadsides, if properly planted and managed solely for nesting, could 
provide favorable nesting cover to partially compensate for the declining nesting 
habitat in the form of small grains and tame hay. 
Roadsides adjacent to both private and estate lands within the Sibley study 
area were examined this month to locate the most feasible sites for establishing 
plots of roadside cover. Contacts with county highway superintendents and township 
road commissioners were made to inform them of the objectives of this research and 
to obtain their approval for undertaking this work on the roadsides. Farmers on 
the Sibley area have shown enthusiastic approval and cooperation with respect to 
this project. 
3. Extension of Pheasant Range J. A. Ellis, J. A. Harper, VJ. L. Anderson 
The weights of pheasants from the Neoga study area compare favorably with 
weights of pheasants from areas where self-maintaining pheasant populations have 
been established. The weights of pheasants from Neoga in 1961 were compared with 
weights of pheasants from established ranges in South Dakota in 1946. To make 
this comparison, body weights were obtained from 144 pheasants (60 cocks and 84 hens) 
captured on the Neoga area between September 18 and November 18, 1961 and from 27 
cocks shot by hunters during the 1961 hunting season. A total of 177 weights (86 
cocks and 91 hens) were obtained, including those of juvenile birds recaptured at 
different ages. 
Juvenile pheasants from the Neoga area weighed slightly more than juveniles 
from South Dakota. For example, juvenile cocks and hens (14 weeks or more in age) 
from the Neoga area averaged 1,271 + 32 and 922 + 14 grams in weight, respectively; 
in South Dakota juvenile cocks and hens of similar age averaged 1,192 and 880 grams, 
respectively. 
