Vol. 
12, No. 5 
Page 2 
as the number counted in 1968 (57 cocks), but was 20 to ^30 percent grea / 
numbers counted annually during the period 1 964 through 1967* e ow a rea. 
cocks) was made in 1964 , the year after pheasants were last released o . 
It is encouraging to note that the pheasant population at Neoga, thoug 
at a low level of abundance, has increased markedly during the past 5 y 
4. Responses of Bobwhites to Habitat Manipulation 
j. A. ElHs, 
p. J. Matthews 
Because quail and rabbit seasons run concurrently on the Dale 
hunters were classified as either quail hunters or rabbit hunters, or 
the season of I 968 , 559 quail were harvested on the Forbes Area. Of t , g 
(31 percent) were taken by rabbit--quai1 hunters. On the Dale Area, 3 9 
harvested in 1 968 . Quail hunters shot 86 percent ( 298 ) of the total 1 
Harvest data for quail hunters (only) demonstrated s ign 1 f< 
(£.<0-01), for the Forbes and Dale areas, between total kill and Percent hour s) wa s 
hours throughout the season. Because the effect of hunting pressu nnaren t that 
not reflected in a reduced kill rate as the season progressed, it is app 
the quail populations on both areas could have sustained a longer hunting 
5 . Responses of Prai r ie Ch ickens to Habi tat Man ■ pu 1 at ioil R. L- W s 
During the period of late March to mid-April, 1969, 15 areas in nine counties 
in south-central Illinois were systematically cruised in search of 00 m g P ^ 
chickens, and an effort was made to determine the maximum number ofc , 
area. Censuses were discontinued on five areas where no prairie c *c 
one cock, had been found in the spring of 1968 . 
This spring, a total of 140 prairie chicken cocks were counted on 10 of 
15 areas censused, an overall decrease of 6 percent since t e spring 
However, by excluding the Bogota Area, on which a 38 percent increa wjde lo5S 
between 1968 and 1 969 , the decline amounts to 21 percent. A simi of the 
(19 percent) occurred between 1967 and 1968. No chickens were oun since 1963. 
areas censused in 1969, bringing the total of defunct census areas 
Thus, if a 50:50 sex ratio is assumed, the statewide P°P u,at '°"/] UI ! b ^^ t s b foJ 
280 prairie chickens in the spring of 1969- The Bogota flock pres n y e 
36 percent of the statewide population. Four other flocks in 1 n 9 ’ d SO utl/of 
and Marion counties, which are distributed roughly 10 miles both nor 
Farina, comprise 50 percent of Illinois' remaining prairie c ic ens. 
, K. P. Thomas 
6. Rabbit Management 
During February 1 969 , 27 acres of brush and open cropland were 0I J ^"7 
I on the Forbes Area. This acreage included nine plots ranging in 
acres. 
Firebreaks on the area were established by mowing, then disking, mov ving 
of 1963. Costs of establishing these firebreaks included $40 for 6 J™ f the 9 
and $40 for disking. To insure the safety of the operation, five pe 
