VO 1. 8, No. 12 
Page 4 
Than in 19&3- Thus, the ki’iS per unit area have not been maintained and reflect 
population declines which in turn indicate continuing deterioration of habitat 
conditions for quail on both areas. 
Table 4- Harvest data for quail from the Dale and Forbes areas, 1963-65- 
Dale Forbes 
Percent 
Percent 
Percent 
Percent 
1963 Change 
1964 Change 1965 
I 963 Change 
1964 Change 1 965 
Recorded Ki1 1 
175 
+31 
230 
-45 
126 
170 
+49 
253 
-60 
100 
Hunting Pressure 
Number of Hunters 
139 
+76 
244 
-9 
222 
103 
+231 
341 
-67 
113 
Gun-Hours 
438 
+45 
634 
+ 1 
642 
410 
+ 162 
1,074 
-62 
409 
Season (Days) 
29-5 
+61 
47-5 
-8 
43-5 
29-5 
+61 
47-5 
-21 
37-5 
Hunting Success 
Gun-Hours per Ki1i 
2-5 
+ 12 
2.8 
+82 
5-1 
2.4 
+79 
4.3 
-5 
4.1 
Ki11 per Hunter 
1-3 
-31 
0.9 
-33 
0.6 
1.7 
-59 
0.7 
+ 29 
0.9 
Kill per 100 Acres 
23-6 
-8 
21.7 
-47 
1' .4 
M.3 
+2 
11-5 
-60 
4.6 
5 - Responses of Prairie Chi ckens to Habitat Manipu1 ation R. J. Ellis 
In the spring of 1965, only 26 flocks containing approximateIy 500 prairie 
chickens were known to remain in Illinois. This population probably represented 
less than 1 percent of the number present 30 years ago. The reduction of prairie 
chicken numbers in Illinois during the present century was brought about by a loss 
of grasslands required for nesting and brood cover. 
Efforts are under way to save prairie chickens from extinction by providing 
grassland refuges near Bogota. The success of the management efforts can be helped 
or hindered by land use on private farmlands within the normal cruising range of 
the flock being managed. Trends in land use at Bogota in 1964 were considered 
detrimental to prairie chickens. In that year, acreages of row crops and small 
grains increased and grassland acreages decreased, compared with those in 1963 - 
Fortunately, the unfavorable trends did not continue in 1 965 (Table 5). Acreages 
of grasslands, row crops, and small grains were not noticeably different from those 
of 1964. Thus, while cover conditions for the prairie chicken were not enhanced, 
neither were they further impaired. 
