Vol. 23, No, 7 
Page 3 
Responses of Prairie Chickens to Habitat Manipu1 ation - W-66-R R, L, Westemeier 
One approach to evaluating the responses of prairie chickens to habitat 
manipulation is to consider the number of cocks present on or within 0.8 km 
(0.5 mile) of managed habitat. Although land acquisition for sanctuaries began 
in 1962 and l 967 in Jasper and Marion counties, respectively, amounts of nest 
cover were not substantial until 1967 ' n Jasper County and 1971 in Marion County. 
The density_of cocks on or near the Jasper County sanctuaries averaged 
105.6 per 1.6 km 2 (1 mi 2 ) of nest cover over the 14-year period of 1967 to 1980 . 
Population density reached the phenomenal level of 136 cocks on the largest 
tract of 94 ha (232 acres, Yeatter-Field-McGraw unit) in the spring of 1972, or 
a density of 375 cocks per 1.6 km 2 . In Marion County, densities have averaged 
66.6 cocks per 1.6 km 2 of nest cover on sanctuaries since 1 97 1 (10 years). 
Because there is little nest cover for chickens on nearby private farmland, 
these data largely reflect the productivity of the nest habitat on the sanctuaries. 
Kirsch ( 1974 ) suggested a goal of 100 cocks per 1.6 km of managed habitat 
that was based largely on responses by prairie chickens in Illinois. This goal 
still appears realistic; densities for 14 years in Jasper County and 10 years in 
Marion County, by 1980, averaged 93*5 cocks per 1.6 km of nest cover on 
sanctuaries in Illinois. Although the Illinois data include 2 years of "abnormal" 
population highs, they also include 2 years of low density. Also, several 
sanctuaries are little used by chickens (MWRL 23(6):2-3)• 
The estimated 33*+ prairie chickens in Illinois in the spring of 1 98 O 
(MWRL 23(4):2-3) are few compared with the national population of some 500,000 
greater prairie chickens. However, from the standpoint of density, Illinois' 
remnant prairie chickens are doing quite well. 
Effective 16 July 1980 the Project Leader was employed by the Illinois 
Natural History Survey on funds appropriated to that agency for prairie chicken 
research. The P-R prairie chicken research project will continue, at least 
through FY 81, but will be amended to reflect the reduced budget. Effective 
1 September 1980, Mr. John E. Buhnerkempe will join this project as Assistant 
Supportive Scientist on Natural History Survey funds. Mr. Buhnerkempe received 
his M.S. degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1979* He worked on this 
project during the summers of 1975-79 3nd again for about 6 weeks in the summer 
of 1980. He also conducted his thesis research on the prairie chicken sanctuaries. 
Ecoloqy and Management of White-tailed Deer - W-87-R C. M. Nixon, 
L. P. Hansen, 
J. E. Chelsvig 
The winter and spring ranges of a yearling, female, white-tailed deer were 
determined by radiotelemetry. The winter range, described last month (MWRL 23(8):3)> 
was on private land east of, and adjacent to, Allerton Park, Piatt County, Illinois. 
The spring range was a much smaller area within the Park and coincided with part 
*Kirsch, L. M. 1974. Habitat management considerations for prairie chickens. 
Wildl. Soc. Bull. 2:124-129. 
