Vo 1. II, No. 10 
Page 2 
application, ( 2 ) lime application, (3) mowing, (4) chemical application, (5) seeding, 
and ( 6 ) rolling. Fertilizer (P 2 O 5 ) was applied at a rate of 90 pounds per acre, and 
lime at 5 + tons per acre. Close-crop mowing of roadsides to be seeded was undertaken 
to make the chemical defoliate more effective and for efficient operation of the 
seeder. The chemical defoliate. Ortho Paraquat, was applied to retard existing 
vegetation until the seeded species could get a start. Brome grass ( Bromus inermus ) 
and Vernal alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) were seeded at a rate of 12 pounds per acre each. 
After seeding, the roadsides were rolled with Bril lion rollers to compact the seed¬ 
bed. 
All operations during the seeding phase of the project (including miscellaneous 
activities and supervision) totaled 440 man-hours, or 3*3 man-hours per acre and 
6.7 man-hours per mile. Another 220 man-hours were involved in the planning and 
preseeding phases. 
3- Factors Influencing Distribution and Abundance of Pheasants 
W. L. Anderson, 
D. R. Vance 
As in previous years, hen pheasants were collected during May and June, 1 968 , 
in Ford and Livingston counties, and were dissected to determine, among other things, 
the reproductive status of pheasants during the laying and incubating periods. 
Counts of ruptured follicles in ovaries of 11 laying hens indicated that hens began 
laying, on the average, on April 26 (range, April 12-May 10). These dates were 
estimated by allowing 1.3 days for each egg (ruptured follicle) laid. An average of 
29-9 ruptured follicles was found in 11 incubating hens, which suggests that hens 
laid, on the average, 30 e 99 s before beginning to incubate. In 1966, it was esti¬ 
mated that hens began laying, on the average, on April 30 (range, April 18-May 9) 
and laid an average of 34 eggs before incubation began. In 19^7> the average date 
for beginning of laying was April 26 (range, April 10-May 15) and an average of 31 
eggs were laid before incubation began. These findings suggest that onset of laying 
and the subsequent number of eggs laid by hens in the state's better pheasant range 
are markedly similar from one year to another. 
4. Responses of Bobwhites to Habitat Manipulation J. Ellis, P. Matthews 
A statistical correlation was found between mean covey size and fall population 
(quail) during the prehunt periods 1 963-67 on the Dale and Forbes areas. During 
this period, mean covey size ranged from 13*7 (Forbes 1 965 ) to 17-4 (Dale 1 96 7 ) and 
fall densities ranged from 9*4 quail per 100 acres (Forbes 1965 ) to 36.4 quail per 
100 acres (Dale 1967 ). A correlation value significant at the 1 percent level was 
demonstrated on the Dale Area; 96 percent of the changes in mean covey size on this 
area could be explained by changes in population density. This relationship also 
existed on the Forbes Area at the 5 percent level of significance; 75 percent of the 
changes in mean covey size could be explained by changes in population density. 
These data indicate that mean covey size in fall is influenced by population density 
in addition to environmental and to other population factors. 
