Vol. 8, No. 5 
Page 2 
35.3 percent established within this range in 1964. Because the average distance 
from nests to road edges on plots with fences was essentially the same in 1963 and 
1964 (11.7 and 12.0 feet, respectively), this difference between the 2 years can 
apparently be largely accounted for by the change in the average distance from road 
edge to nest on the plots without fences, from 10.2 feet in 1963 to 7-2 feet in 
1964 (Table 1). 
From the standpoint of mowing a 1-yard strip along seeded plots, data show 
that 1 of 44 nests (2 percent) would have been located in the 1-yard strip in 1963, 
and that 5 of 88 nests (6 percent) fell within this strip in 1964. Data from 
additional years are needed before definitive statements can be made concerning 
the percent of established nests which would normally be lost by mowing a 1-yard 
strip along the edge of a seeded roadside. Possible effects of mowing along the 
road edges on the nesting of pheasant hens in the unmowed remainder of the seeded 
roadsides were not evaluated. 
Table 1. Mean distances of pheasant nests from road edge, field edge, and fence 
(when present), and mean widths of seeded and managed control roadside plots, 
Sibley Study Area. 
1963 1964 
Type 
of 
Plot 
Mean 
Width 
of 
Plots 
(Feet) 
Mean Distance of 
Nests from-- 
Mean 
Width 
of 
Plots 
(Feet) 
Mean Dis 
Nests 
tance of 
from-- 
Road 
Edge 
(Feet) 
Field 
Edge 
(Feet) 
Fence 
(Feet) 
Road 
Edge 
(Feet) 
Field 
Edge 
(Feet) 
Fence 
(Feet) 
Seeded 
Plots without 
Fences 
16.3 
10.2 
9-6 
. 
13.4 
7-2 
9-9 
• 
Plots with 
Fences 
18.1 
11.7 
11.4 
8.4 
17.5 
12.0 
10.2 
7-8 
Managed Control 
Plots without 
Fences 
16.1 
9-3 
10.5 
— , 
15.5 
13-2 
6.6 
— 
Plots with 
Fences 
17.8 
14.7 
9-3 
6.9 
17.9 
15.0 
8.7 
5-1 
3- Factors Inf1uencinq Distribut ion and Abundance of Pheasants W. L. Anderson 
During May I 965 , the population of breeding pheasants on the Neoga Release 
Area was estimated to contain 67 birds (28 cocks and 39 hens). This estimate was 
obtained by multiplying the number of cocks located by observation and audio- 
triangulation (28) by the average of the maximum number of hens observed in harems 
