Vol. 16, No. 5 
Page 3 
Responses of Bobwhites to Habitat Manipulation J. A. Ellis 
Nightlighting was used on the Forbes Area in 1971 and 1972 to evaluate 
habitat use of small-grain stubble fields of various ages bT bobwhites and 
cottontails. During these 2 years, 137 acres of first-year, 60 acres of second- 
year, and 46 acres of third-year small grain stubble were searched with a 
night1ighting rig during September. Counts of night-roosting quail coveys and 
of cottontails were made while cruising the stubble fields. 
More quai1 —13 coveys--were found in the first-year stubble than in the 
older fields. None were found in second-year stubble, and two coveys were flushed 
in third-year stubble. 
Cottontails were found to be twice as abundant in second-year stubble as 
in first-year stubble, 0.3 rabbit per acre and 0.4 rabbit per acre, respectively. 
In third-year stubble, the count was 0.7 rabbit per acre. 
The first-year stubble contains more bare ground than the older stubbles 
and is usually characterized by the occurrence of common ragweed (Ambrosia 
artemisiifo1ia ), beggar's tides ( Bidens spp.), and, to a lesser extent, fall 
panicum ( Panicum dichotomiflorum ) and crabgrass ( Digitaria ischaemum ). Golden- 
rod ( Solidago spp.) and white heath aster ( Aster pi losus ) become the dominant 
plants in older small grain stubbles, along with a decrease in the amount of 
bare ground. Management for upland game on public hunting areas should include 
acreages of both first-year and older small grain stubbles. 
Responses of Prai r ie Chidtens to Habi tat Manipulation R. L. \/estemeier, 
D. R. Vance 
Results of booming ground surveys conducted in 14 areas in seven counties 
of south-central Illinois in the spring of 1973 revealed a total of 266 prairie 
chicken cocks. The 203 cocks in the Bogota flock comprised 76 percent of the 
known statewide total. Prairie chickens were found on 7 of the 13 areas surveyed 
outlying the Bogota area. 
The flock between Kinmundy and Forbes Parle contained 22 cocks this spring, 
in contrast to 12 cocks in 1972 and only 6 cocks in 1971* The flock between 
Farina and Forbes Park declined from 23 codes in 1972 to 22 cocks. However, these 
22 cocks, which are remnants of the once-widespread flock near Farina, are now 
localized on or in the immediate vicinity of the 100-acre Lacey Sanctuary and 
adjacent 40-acre Loy tract. The Kinmundy-Forbes population is anchored to the 
160-acre Survey and 160-acre Butler sanctuaries. These two populations totaling 
44 cocks in Marion County and the 203 coc!;s on or near the sanctuaries at 
Bogota in Jasper County thus constitute 93 percent of the known statewide 
population of prairie chickens. 
