Vo 1. 22, No. 5 
Page 2 
„ f °" ,y ! nd ?PS d * nt r ar i abl f of significance In the model was the numbe, 
ellained 2 » of lhl & ( var ' ab,e . 1 > • The Pre-storm ( 1976 ) population of cocks 
explained 22 / c of the variation in the magnitude of pheasant declines that 
occurred on the subunits from 1976 to 1978 (r = . 47 ; p<.OI); mortality rates 
of pheasants over the period were greatest for areas with relatively high 
densities of pheasants. y 9 
_ i The A UrV ' Val r f t6S ° f P heasants during severe winter weather were not 
y } e substantial differences in woody cover on the areas (MWRL 
22(4).1). This lack of correlation between survival rates and woody cover mav 
in part, be explained by pheasant behavior-a factor not considered y in the Y * 
regression model. Daily movement patterns of pheasants in east-central Illinois 
are typically from woody vegetation during the day to roosts at night in low 
weather? US ° f ^ ° r ,tubble fie,ds ’ eve " dar ’"9 tha edv^wlnur 
V) 
Ecology and Managemen t of Squirrels 
- 3 - C. M. Nixon, 
L. P. Hansen 
ma!n,»fn men J i0ned p '‘ eviously > squirrels generally build more leaf nests than they 
” S ° m ® authors suggest that fox squirrels abandon a nest after a short 
period of use because of the accumulation of parasites and detritus. It Is also 
: ites offer ntt,e pr ° tecti ° n -it^tii,, a,5 ° 
character sties Tf Lf t : r '° ratlo [' ° f tha I" this newsletter we examine 
cnaracteristics of leaf nests as they relate to usability. 
slgnificantw ea hiohe^| th f r b U9hOUt T® year tended to be sli 9 h t'Y, although 
significantly, higher in the tree than unusuable leaf nests (X = 42 q Lr\ L 
feet, respectively). Also, significantly TOr e of the usableTeaf n^ts counted 
dbh (!2 ?n+"^ an h °\ c ° dominant trees than in suppressed trees. Trees of larger 
ne _.f t-h 20 inches )> however, did not contain proportionately more usable leaf 
^rtaVn^s^r^ ^ (6 "'° ,nch «>- ap P~rs, ^forl Jha! 
are maintained longer ” COd ° m ' nant trees are TOra durable or at least , 
, nH A a . ]S ° eva ] uated the influence of vines on the usability of leaf nests 
in vines l?*' ^ ^ " eStS than expected "•« 
durability of leaf nesls built In' vines? V '" e arOU " d ’ W '" d aCti °" redUceS the 
Re sponses of Prai rie Chickens to Habitat Manipulation 
R. L. Westemeier, 
D. R. Vance 
chicken rorkfTf ° f 1978 and ' 979 > 80% and m °’ respectively, of the prairie 
specifically the «?° ta T concentrated 23 % of the sanctulry acreage- 
the C hen C popuIatton^observec^durtna^bo' d T Mc ® raw a " ib - Similarly In ,978® 63% of 
: n h £ A r? s = --rrcfin s 
nest success dropped to the 
