Vol. 8, No. 5 
Page 3 
of individual cocks (1.4). This estimate indicated that the population was 63 
percent larger in May 1965 than during the same period in 1984, and that 62 percent 
of the 63 hens on the area during October 1964 survived to the following May. in 
the 4 previous years, October to May survival among hens at Neoga averaged only 28 
percent (Table 2). 
Admittedly, pheasants on the area are presently at a critically low level of 
abundance. Nevertheless, the recent findings are encouraging. It is possible that, 
through the mechanics of population genetics, a pheasant adapted to the environ¬ 
mental conditions characteristic of south-central Illinois might be developing on 
the Neoga Area. 
Table 2. Percent survival of pheasants from October to the following May, 1960-61 
through 1964-65, Neoga, Illinois. 
Year 
Percent 
Cocks 
Survival 
Hens 
1960-61 
26 
24 
1961-62 
39 
30 
1962-63 
22 
34 
1963-64 
17 
22 
1964-65 
44 
62 
4. Responses of Bohwhites to Habitat Manipu1 at ion 
J. A. Ellis, R. L. Westemeier 
Common ragweed, Korean lespedeza, and acorns, in that order, were the food 
items found most frequently in the crops of quail harvested on the Dale and Forbes 
areas, combined, in both 1964 (Table 3) and 1963 (Monthly Wildlife Research Letter, 
October, 1964). 
The food patches established on the areas in 1964 as part of the management 
program contained essentially the same foods as in 1963: corn, wheat, milo, buck¬ 
wheat, and several millets. Buckwheat, German millet, and milo ranked among the 
first 10 foods according to frequency of occurrence in crops from the Dale Area. 
Buckwheat, German millet, corn, wheat, and milo ranked among the first 10 foods in 
crops from the Forbes Area. 
During the posthunt census on Forbes in mid-January 1965, snow covered the 
ground to depths of 4-5 inches, and tracking conditions were excellent. Quail 
would be expected to utilize food patches during such periods of adverse weather. 
A check was made of 190 of the 221 food patches for evidence of use by quail. 
Three food patches had tracks indicating use by single quail; one food patch showed 
evidence of use by a covey of quail. Five of the 19 coveys found during the post¬ 
hunt census were feeding on Korean lespedeza, black locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia ), 
ash, coralberry ( Symphoricarpos orbicu1atus ) , and soybeans. The value of the food 
patches established annually on the areas as sources of food for quail can be 
questioned, in view of their limited utilization by quail. 
