Vol. 16, No. 4 
Page 3 
The peak count of 203 cocks at Bogota this spring was essentially the same 
as the peak count of 126 cocks in the spring of 1972• Censusing of booming 
grounds this spring was generally hampered by high winds, frequent rain or snow, 
persistent cloudiness or fog, and the abundant cover present on private farmland. 
Plowing or disking of soybean, corn, or wheat stubble was minimal because of the 
wet fall of li/72. Because of these unfavorable conditions, the count at Bogota 
may be somewhat conservative for this spring. A high degree of instability was 
noted throughout the breeding season from the standpoints of (1) numbers of cocks 
regularly present on booming grounds and (2) locations of booming grounds. 
Except for two minor booming grounds involving two cocks each, all booming 
was located on or in close proximity to the sanctuaries. The apparent super¬ 
saturation of 135 cocks in 1272 on the adjoining Yeatter, Field, and McGraw 
sanctuaries (232 acres in the traditional central core of the Bogota Area) declined 
to about 110 cocks this spring. Between the springs of 1272 and 1273, increases 
were noted on the Donnelley Brothers Sanctuary (+26 percent), Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey 
McCormick Sanctuary (+100 percent), and the adjoining Stuart H. Otis Sanctuary 
and Fuson Farm (+56 percent). Two cocks boomed regularly near the 30-acre Jamerson 
McCormack Sanctuary this spring, compared with one cock in the spring of 1272. 
The same number of codes (11) were observed on or in the vicinity of the Cyrus 
Mark 17- and 40-acre sanctuaries. 
