MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Illinois Federal Aid Project W-66-R 
Department of Conservation and Natural History Survey, Cooperating 
Glen C. Sanderson and Helen C. Schultz, Editors 
Urbana, 111inois 
June, I 976 
Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat 
Vol. 19, No. 6 
R. E. Warner 
Roadside counts of pheasants in spring are included in the annual censusina 
For'lqK^roZ Sib ' ey S ' UdV ^ <SSA) ^ F ° rd C ° Unty Mana 9 ®ment Unit (FCMU). 
eel ? d d counts were conducted during the last week of April for the 
SSA and during early May for the FCMU. Results of the roadside counts were 
converted to a density (pheasants per section) estimate (Table I). Inherent in 
these density figures is an assumed mortality of 15 percent for both sexes 
wi'nter 6 '" throa ? h Apyi '- Calculations of density estimates utilize information on 
winter sex ratios (3.6 hens per cock, January 1976 on the SSA and FCMU) and a 
b?rd ' Ct 7 de I' V ? d fr ° m yearS " hen aeriaI census work ha = documented actual 
bird densities for the SSA and FCMU in December. 
„„ r F ™ ,he Spr i n9 [ oadside counts in '976. density estimates indicate an 86 
. ‘I"®! ‘ n pheasant numbers over 1975 for the SSA and 27 percent increase 
in pheasant numbers for the FCMU (derived from Table I). These density figures 
and FfMU 6 ^ fotA 9 T ter survivin 9 population of pheasants exists on the SSA 
and FCMU in May 1 976 than a year ago. 
per sectionin'^ l that tMs spri "9 there are more pheasant 
con„ K In X 1 m the FCMU - Howeyer . cock call counts currently being 
Hale this find-n StU V arSa ? d ° "° C ' at the present po ' nt °f completion, substan- 
densit e thin he SM V ' V dkate that the FCMU haS 9reater pheasar>t 
Next month, after completion of audio 
counts will be compared for the SSA, FCMU, 
future roadside seeding. 
censusing, the results of the call 
and the three townships proposed for 
Table 1. Estimated numbers of pheasants per section, 
from visual roadside counts on the SSA and FCMU. 
May 1967“76, derived 
1967 
28 
1968 
33 
1969 
36 
1970 
33 
1971 
51 
1972 
42 
1973 
47 
1974 
56 
1975 
28 
19 
27 
26 
14 
51 
77 
88 
85 
37 
NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY 
JUL 9 1976 
LIBRARY 
