Vol. 9, No. 3 
Page 6 
5. Responses of Prairie Chickens to Habitat Hanipu1 at ion R. L. Westemeier 
Preliminary booming ground surveys of prairie chickens at Bogota in I 966 
indicate a breeding population essentially unchanged since the late-winter period 
of I 965 ('fable 5). The maximum count during the 1965 booming season was 53 birds 
(on April 9)> which included 47 cocks and 6 hens. The general pattern observed at 
Bogota in past years during individual booming seasons has been a gradual rise and 
decline in the number of chickens present on booming grounds, the peak occurring 
during the first 10 days of April. 
The count of 56 chickens in early March I 966 included a flock of 12 birds 
flying, and 4 cocks on a booming ground outside the east edge of the 16 square miles 
which have been censused in past years. Prairie chickens are also reported to be 
present within 4 miles southeast and 3 miles northwest of the Bogota Study Area. 
In the spring of 1 966 , effort will be made to learn the status of prairie chickens 
near, as well as on, the study area of previous years. 
Table 5. Numbers 
Study Area , I 963 - 
of prairie 
66. 
chickens (mostly cocks) 
on booming grounds, 
Bogota 
Period 
1963 
1964 
1965 
1966 
February 
1-10 
44 
42 
11-20 
50 
30 
21 -28 
55,62 
43,40,37 
March 
1-10 
43 
32,24,43 
37,56 
11-20 
50,61 
38,39 
38 
21-31 
79 
89,58,58 
37 
Apr i 1 
1-10 
74,89 
64,74 
43,32,37,53 
1 1 -20 
61 ,56 
73,57 
35 
21 -30 
42 
41 
29 
May 
1-10 
56 
37,37 
15,17 
11-20 
39 
35 
21-31 
34 
29,24 
June 
1-10 
27,10 
11-20 
22 
21 -30 
6 
Peak Count 
89 
74* 
53 
t 
* The count of 89 in 1964 was believed to involve duplications, 
t Comparable data not yet available. 
6 . Rabb ? t Management . J. A. Bailey, R. J. Siglin 
Hunter-success cards have been collected on the Sam Dale State Park in Wayne 
County ar.d on the Stephen A. Forbes State Park in Marion County during f he past 
three hunting seasons. The success of hunters who visited these two areas 
specifically to hunt cottontail rabbits is presented in Table 6. (Data for hunters 
who visited the areas to hunt quail only, or both rabbits and quail, are not 
included.) 
