Monthly Wildlife Research Letter W . TI | D ., UIOri 
NATURAL HiSIU.u 
Department of Conservation and Natural History Survey, Cooperat ing jggg 
Glen C. Sanderson and Helen C. Schulz, Editors 
Urbana, Illinois 
December, 1967 
Vol. 10, No. 12 
1. Pheasant Populations and Lane Use S. L. Etter 
During October and early November of the years 1962-65, 1,438 juvenile hen 
pheasants were captured and marked with numbered plastic back tags on the Sibley 
Study Area. The ages of these juvenile hens were determined to the nearest week from 
the progress of the molt of the primary wing feathers. The indicated ages were then 
used to backdate to the weeks of hatch. 
Of these fall-tagged juvenile hens, 386 (26.8 percent) were observed alive 
after January 1 following capture. The observation rate for juvenile hens hatched 
in June (32.1 percent) was considerably higher than that for juvenile hens hatched 
in July (23.5 percent). Chi-square analysis indicated that this difference was 
significant (P<0.025)* 
Since trapping was done over a relatively short period of time, it was 
recognized that in determining observation rates, the effect of chronology of hatch 
^ was not independent of the effect of tagging juveniles of different ages. 
Consequently, the observation rates of hens hatched in June and July which were 
tagged at the same ages (14-18 weeks) were compared. This comparison indicated 
that the observation rate of juvenile hens hatched in June was significantly higher 
(£<0.025) than that of hens hatched in July, and confirmed the assumption that the 
differences in observation rates were largely the result of chronology of hatch. 
Although observation rates are only indices of survival, it is apparent that 
juvenile pheasants hatched in June survive considerably better than those hatching 
later in the nesting season. These data suggest that survival rates of juvenile 
pheasants during late fall and early winter may fluctuate from year to year 
according to the chronology of hatch during the preceding nesting season. 
2. Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat G. B. Joselyn 
Five years of data show that secondary roadsides seeded to a grass-legume 
mixture produced twice as many successful pheasant nests (density per acre) as 
unseeded control roadsides. However, since only about 11 miles of roadsides were 
involved in the original seedings, it cannot be assumed that seeding of roadsides 
constitutes a practical means of managing pheasant nesting cover throughout a 
large area in Illinois. To determine the feasibility of establishing seedings over 
a sizable area, plans are being made to seed roadsides in and abutting on a 16-square- 
mile area in Ford County (Ford County Management Unit); the area contains 80 miles 
(approximately 160 acres) of secondary roads, and 100 farm units. 
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