Vo 1. 15, No. 10 
Page 3 
percent of each sanctuary is scheduled for row crops and small grains annually. 
It is neither feasible nor necessary to leave the sanctuary landowner's 
share of crops in the field for winter food as is the common practice on other 
state wildlife areas. The availability of winter food has not presented a 
problem to prairie chickens in Illinois. It is desirable that the landowner's 
share of crops be harvested and that these monies be used to cover the cost of 
taxes and the necessary management of sanctuary land. Long-term treatments of 
limestone and rock phosphate are costly, but essential in the development of 
quality nest cover for prairie chickens. Fence building, selective basal spray¬ 
ing, mowing for weed and brush control, restoration of native prairie, mainte¬ 
nance of firelanes, and prescribed burning are other management activities that 
involve some expense but must be accomplished on an annual basis. Revenues 
from grass and legume seed, grazing, and haying (crops in which a permittee 
has no investment) also help to minimize the cost of annual management on 
prairie chicken sanctuaries. 
