Vol. 25, No. 2 
Page 3 
Some 32 sections of sanctuaries near Bogota have been systematically 
surveyed each year since 1963 for both prairie chickens and pheasants (MWRL 
24(4):2-3 and 24(6):2-3). The estimates for pheasants were conservative through 
1980, but standard cpethods for censusing pheasants were employed in 1 98 1. On 
the 1.6 mi (4.1 kin) of sanctuaries, pheasants gradually increased from none in 
1963~68 to 32 crowing cocks in 1981. On the 30.4 mn (77.8 km^) of nearby private 
land, pheasants increased from essentially none in 1963“68 to 16 cocks in 1 98 1. 
Densities of pheasants in 1 98 1 were 20 cocks per mi^ (2.6 km^) on sanctuaries 
compared with only 0.5 cock per mi^ on nearby private land. Data provided by 
R. E. Warner from reports by rural mail carriers also indicate low numbers of 
pheasants in Jasper County generally. Pheasants observed per 100 miles by mail 
carriers were 1.0, 0.1, 0.0+, 0.0+, and 0.1 in April 1958, 1 963 , 1 968 , 1973, 
and 1978, respectively, in Jasper County. In Smallwood Township, where the 
Jasper County prairie chicken sanctuaries are located, the mail carriers 
reported, respectively, 1.4, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, and (surprisingly) 0.0 pheasants 
per 100 miles for the same years. 
Thus, the pheasants at Bogota appear to be a local population that is 
strongly dependent upon sanctuary habitat. Nightlighting would probably be most 
feasible on those sanctuary fields used for nightroosting by pheasants and little 
used by prairie chickens. In 2 or 3 good nights, 2 men in 1 night1ighting rig 
might capture a sufficient number of pheasants to achieve a satisfactory level 
of control. Nightlighting should be tried in combination with various forms of 
habitat manipulation (MWRL 24(12):2-3 and 25(1):3“4) to control pheasants on the 
sanctuaries at Bogota. 
Errata 
The first 2 -sentences in last month's newsletter should have read: 
Since 1965, 53 prairie chicken nests were found in pral rie grass on the 
sanctuaries at Bogota in a cumulative total of 277 ha~T685 acresTT The dominant 
prairie grasses were switchgrass, Indiangrass, and big bluestem. 
Ecology and Management of White-tailed Deer - W- 87 -R C.M. Nixon, L.P. Hansen, 
J.E. Chelsvig, P.A, r . Brewer 
Areas of winter deer concentration were identified by aerial survey 14 
January 1982 in Ford County (MWRL 25(1):4) and in Champaign County. Agriculture 
is the primary land use in Champaign County; forest covers only 1.17% (7,507 
acres) of the total area (Illinois Dept, of Conservation data). Champaign 
County however, has much more forest cover than Ford County (1,740 acres), so it 
is not surprising that more concentrations of deer were found in Champaign County. 
Areas that contained 10 or more deer were considered winter concentrations. 
Concentration areas were located as follows: 2 mi (3.2 km) NE Mahomet, 
3 mi (A.8 km) NE Fisher, 6 mi ( 9.6 km) N Penfield, 3 mi (4.8 km) NW Homer (Homer 
Lake Park), and 3 mi (4.8 km) W Homer. The Mahomet and Fisher areas each held 
