Vol . 8, No. 2 
Page 2 
G. B. Joselyn 
2 . 
Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat 
An expansion of the data dealing with locations of pheasant nests along road¬ 
sides (Monthly Wildlife Research Letter, January, 1965) provides a comparison o F 
pheasant nest densities on seeded and on managed control plots with and without 
fencerows in 1963 and 1964 (Table 2). In 1 96 3, plots with fences made up 63-2 per¬ 
cent of the total seeded plot acreage and contained 65-9 percent of the nests. In 
1964, 75*2 percent of the total seeded plot acreage was made up of plots with fences, 
but these plots contained only 58.8 percent of the nests. There were 3-0 nests per 
acre on the area with fences in 1963 > and 2.6 nests per acre on the area without 
fences. Nest densities in 1964 were 3-0 and 6.4 nests per acre, respectively. 
In 1963, 49.4 percent of the total managed control plot acreage was made up 
of plots with fences, and 61.0 percent of the nests occurred there (3-4 nests per 
acre). In 1964, 68.1 percent of the nests occurred on plots with fences (2.1 nests 
per acre); these plots made up 61.0 percent of the total managed control plot acre¬ 
age. Nest densities on the area without fences were 2.1 nests per acre in 1 96 3 
and 2.4 nests per acre in 1964. 
Chi-square criteria were utilized to determine whether significant differences 
in nest establishment existed in either 1963 or 1964 between plots with and plots 
without fences. The 1964 data for seeded plots show that establishment of nests 
on the portion of the seeded plot area without fences was significantly higher than 
expected, and that nest densities on the portion with fences was significantly 
lower than expected (X^q 5 = 8.92). Seeded plots with fences had a greater average 
width (18.1 feet) than those without fences (16.3 feet). Fencing, width of plots, 
and type and density of cover will all bear close scrutiny in the future, since 
they may furnish vital information regarding optimum roadside conditions for pheasant 
nesting. 
Table 2. Pheasant nesting in relation to fences on seeded and on managed control 
roadside plots, Sibley Study Area. 
Type of Plot 
Acres 
Nests 
>963 
1964 
>963 
1964 
Seeded 
With Fences 
9-7 
>3.4 
29 
40 
Without Fences 
5.7 
4.4 
15 
28 
Total Acreage 
15.4 
17.8 
44 
68 
Managed Control 
With Fences 
7.4 
12.6 
25 
26 
Without Fences 
7.6 
5.0 
J_6 
J_2 
Total Acreage 
15.0 
17.6 
41 
OO 
CO 
Nests per Percent of Percent of 
Acre Area Nests 
963 
1964 
>963 
1964 
>963 
1964 
3.0 
3.0 
63.2 
75.2 
65.9 
58.8 
2.6 
6.4 
36.8 
24.8 
34.1 
41 .2 
2.9 
3.8 
100.0 
100.0 
100.0 
100.0 
3.4 
2.1 
49.4 
61 .0 
61 .0 
68.1 
2.1 
2.4 
50.6 
39-0 
39-0 
31 .9 
2.7 
2.2 
100.0 
100.0 
100.0 
100.0 
