MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Department of Conservation and Natural History Survey, Cooperating NATURAL HISTORY 
Glen C. Sanderson and Helen C. Schultz, Editors R 4 j 
RARY 
Urbana, Illinois 
January, I 976 
Vol. 19 , No. 1 
Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat 
R. E. Warner 
. L ast ™"th's resea ^ ch (MWRL 18(12): 1 ) disclosed that a computer program 
has been designed to calculate, by township, the percentage of acreages in row 
crops, hay, harvested sma11 grains, and other farmland. In order to select town- 
JlZ f or f “ ture s ® ed,n S s > minimal and maximal standards of acceptability were 
determined for each cover type. These parameters were derived from land-use 
Orchard^" 2® C< ^ nt y Management Unit (FCMU) and on the surrounding Peach 
Orchard Township area, Ford County, in 1 973 and 1974. y 
Field studies on the FCMU revealed extensive use of seeded roadsides by 
Dattern«; P f 6aSan ^ S *" * 9 ? 3 a " d ,9?4 * Thus ' a ^eptable parameters of land-use 
to he ectin ? ,ocatlons for future block seedings that are most likely 
f Ve '? e, ] hanc 1 n 9 local pheasant populations are presently being 
ascertained from land use on the FCMU in 1973 and I 974 . Y 9 
Harv»Irt r rrh^ Wn5hiP r have . been se * ecte d for locations of future block seedings- 
County) ^r*od n andT tV l’- Pr r irie Gr6en < lro< ' uois County), and Anchor (McLean 
ty). Harwood and Prairie Green townships were selected because land-use 
Dheasanf 5 T ^"dards determined from the FCMU and because relatiye 
order m wer ® h ' 9h j Table ')• However, Anchor Township was selected in 
row croD farndnn SCt ° f 3 block see ding on local pheasant numbers where 
number? H i, ? extensive than in areas presently monitored for pheasant 
numbers. Also, Anchor Township's close proximity to the Sibley Study Area (SSAI 
will al ow the utilization of the SSA as a control area. Land-u« p?acti«s for 
each selected township are shown in Table I. practices for 
Table 1 . Land 
data for 1972 . 
use for selected 
townships. 
calculated 
from crop 
reporting 
service 
Township 
County 
Percent of Acreage 
Pheasant 
lndex£ 
Row 
Crops 
Harvested 
Hay 
Hay + 
Pasture + 
Small Smal1 
Grains Grains 
Other 
Farmland 
Sul 1 i van^- 
h 
Ford 
76 . 1 
2.07 
0.88 
7.11 
16.8 
40.46 
Peach Orchard— 
d 
Ford 
76.6 
2.63 
2.02 
6.48 
16.9 
48.68 
Anchor- 
H 
McLean 
84.8 
1.17 
0.93 
3.10 
12.1 
16.30 
Harwood— 
Champaign 
73-5 
1.29 
3.05 
6.59 
19.9 
31.32 
P ra i r i e G reerr= 
1 roquo i s 
77.9 
I .69 
5.56 
9.50 
12.6 
41.85 
