Vol. 15, No. 9 
Page 2 
A widespread failure of the hickory nut crop in 1971 was reported to 
us by cooperating avid squirrel hunters. This failure resulted in poor 
hunting during August and September, when squirrels are usually cutting 
hickory nuts and are therefore easily located by squirrel hunters. 
Responses of Bobwhites to Habitat Manipu1 ation J» A. Ellis 
The Stoddard cock-hen trap, with game-farm hens as decoys, has been 
used to capture quail on the Forbes and Dale areas since 1964. In 1972, 
the trapping period extended from mid-May until mid-June. The areas were 
trapped weekly, and, in addition, were alternately trapped twice a week 
during June. The traps were in operation from 5 AM to 10 AM, CST. 
Mean rates of capture (including recaptures), expressed as quail per 
trap-day, were greater on the Dale Area than on the Forbes Area, 1.1 and 
0.8 quail per trap-day, respectively. The mean rates of capture have varied 
on Dale from 0.9 quail per trap-day in 1966 to 1.3 quail per trap-day in 
1965. On Forbes the mean rates of capture have varied from 0.7 quail per 
trap-day in 1972 to 1.1 quail per trap-day in 1 969 * 
For the Forbes Area, a significant correlation (P<0.05) existed 
between the mean rates of capture and the prebreeding density as determined 
by censuses with dogs in early March. This correlation did not exist for 
the Dale Area. Surprisingly, there was no statistical correlation between 
the mean numbers of calls per stop recorded during audio censuses and the 
mean rates of capture for either area. The audio censuses and summer trapping 
were concomitant. These data suggest that the quail response to the cock-hen 
traps was a function of individual behavior rather than a population phenomenon. 
ResDonses of Prairie Chickens to Habitat Manipul ation R, L. Westemeier, 
- D. R. Vance 
A total of 85 prairie chicken nests were found in 375 acres of nesting 
cover on the sanctuaries at Bogota in the summer of 1972. This density of 
one nest per 4.4 acres searched is the highest ever recorded for the 
sanctuary system. The previous high was one nest per 5*7 ac res searched 
in 1964 in only 97 acres. Due to manpower shortages this year, we were 
unable to search 143 additional acres of potential nesting cover. 
Of the 85 nests, 6 were of unknown fate and 6 were atypical, having 
only one egg in a scraped-out depression with little or no bowl of grassy 
duff. Of the remaining 73 nests of known fate, 47 were successful, 23 
were destroyed (either before or after abandonment), and 3 were abandoned. 
The success level of 64.4 percent was slightly lower than the mean of 66.8 
percent for the 9 -year period of 1963-71* 
