Vol. 23, Wo. 9 
Page 5 
Deer 27^ is the only fawn female carrying a transmitter. She left the park 
much later than the others--during the first week of June at the peak of fawning. 
Perhaps her movement on 9 June was stimulated by pre-fawning aggressive behavior 
by the adult female that was often seen with deer 276. This initial movement 
was along the Sangamon River through part of her winter range. 
The remaining movements of deer 276 showed no relationship to temperature 
or river systems, but all of her movements, except the 1st one, were against the 
wind. We do not know if this phenomenon indicates an influence of the wind on 
the time and direction of her travel. Perhaps she was able to smell the 
forested areas along the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River when the wind was from 
the east and this scent influenced her movement. The dates she moved, with 1 
exception, were the only days on which the wind was easterly. 
Cooperative Waterfowl Research - W-38-R F. C. Bellrose, 
S. P. Havera 
A knowledge of the preferred foods of waterfowl in various habitats is 
necessary for the management of waterfowl food resources. The last extensive 
food-habits study in Illinois was based on waterfowl gizzards collected in 1938 
through 19*»0. Since that time, pollution and sedimentation have altered the 
food resources of our streams and rivers. Farming practices, such as efficient 
combines and fall plowing, have drastically reduced the availability of waste 
grain. Because the welfare of waterfowl is intrinsically tied to food supply 
and its quality, it is important to determine the current food habits of water- 
fowl in Illinois and the availability of these foods. 
One objective of our waterfowl study is to examine gizzards for food items 
in order to compare current food habits with previous studies to evaluate diet 
differences resulting from habitat changes. V/e began collecting gizzards from 
a variety of waterfowl at selected areas during the fall of 1970. During the 
hunting season of 1979, approximately 3,^00 mallard gizzards were collected in 
conjunction with a lead-shot-ingestion study by the Department of Conservation. 
The majority of these mallard gizzards were collected from the Illinois River 
Valley with a fair representation from the Mississippi River area as well as from 
lakes and reservoirs in central and southern Illinois. Additional gizzards from 
mallards, the principal duck harvested in Illinois, will be collected durino the 
fall of 1930. 
Knowledge of the current food items used by waterfowl and acquisition of 
more information on enhancing the availability of major food species should 
better enable us to manage waterfowl lands. 
