Vol. 23, Mo. 10 
Page 3 
In Marion County, of k nests located, 3 hatches were found in 15 acres of 
red clover on the Butler Sanctuary and 1 nest on private land was abandoned, 
probably due to human disturbance. 
The density of prairie chicken nests in I960 dropped 25% compared with 1979 
despite a population of chickens at Bogota in the spring of I960 that was 35% 
higher than the previous spring (MV/RL 23(^0 :2-3) - We are unable to explain this 
decline. The density of chicken nests ( 0.6 nest/*i ha) was only 51% of the long¬ 
term mean, whereas the population level was 93% of the long-term mean. 
Nest densities for 2 species, the pheasant and red-winged blackbird, were 
207% and 53%, respectively, of their long-term means. However, 9 species of 
birds, including the bobwhite quail, mourning dove, meadowlark, upland sandpiper, 
grasshopper sparrow, dickcissel, field sparrow, short-billed marsh wren, and 
goldfinch, plus the cottontail, showed lower nest densities than the prairie 
chicken. The percentage of the long-term mean for nest densities of each species 
was lower than was the case for the prairie chicken. 
Thus, the 1980 nest search did not reveal a recovery of native bird and 
mammal populations on the sanctuaries following the mild winter of 1979-30. The 
prairie chicken continues to do relatively well compared with other species that 
nest on the sanctuaries. 
Ecology and Management of White-tailed Deer - W- 87 -R C. H. Nixon, 
L. P. Hansen, 
J. E. Chelsvig 
Spring movements of radio-monitored deer were described in the last report 
(MV/ FL 23(9):3) and some weather characteristics for the possible movement dates 
were examined. This report will focus on 1 deer from that same group that has 
made long-distance fall movements. 
Deer 238, an adult female, was the first animal fitted with a radio collar 
during this study and has provided a large amount of data concerning movements 
and habitat use. This deer occupied her winter range, described last May 
(MV/RL 23(5)5*0, until 25 or 26 April. She then moved to her summer range, 
approximately 12 miles southeast of A1lerton Park, where she stayed until 27 or 
20 September. On 29 September she was radio-located and observed on the 
southern part of her former winter range with both of her I 98 O fawns. All 
movements and various weather factors are described in Table 3* 
Deer 233's return in the fall to her winter range was expected, but the 
timing and navigation mechanisms are still unclear. Weather does not seem to 
be strongly related to the timing of this first fall movement, though both the 
fall and 3pring movements occurred on relatively clear nights near the time of 
full moon. Moonlight would aid navigation by landmarks, but about 75% of the 
crops were still in the fields blocking the deer's view of the topography. From 
these observations one can speculate that deer can orient to the moon to maintain 
direction while traveling; lunar orientation has been demonstrated in other 
species. 
