Zt^CcxZ ■ 
NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY 
JUL 9 19by 
t\c*s. X)od<is 
LIBRARY 
MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Department of Conservation and Natural History Survey* Cooperating 
Glen C. Sanderson and Helen C. Schultz* Editors 
Urbana, Illinois 
June, 1969 
Vol. 12, No. 6 
1. Pheasant Populations and Land Use S. L. Etter* R. E. Greenberg 
During the nesting seasons of 1962-68* 53 tagged hen pheasants were observed 
with their broods on the Sibley Study Area. Thirty of these hens were in t eir 
first nesting season; 23 were in their second or later nesting seasons. The ages or 
their broods were estimated to the nearest week on the basis of size and o p umage 
characteristics, and the approximate dates of hatch were obtained for each hen by 
backdating from the date of observation. 
The earliest date of hatch for both first-season and older hens was the week 
of May 28-June 3. The latest dates of hatch for first-year and older hens were the 
weeks of July 30-August 5 and August 20-26, respectively. Twenty (67 percent) of 
the 30 first-year nesting hens hatched their clutches between June 11 and July I; 
only 1 (3.3 percent) hatched a clutch after July 15- Of the 23 older hens, 9 (39 
percent) hatched their clutches between June II and July 1, and 7 (30 percent) 
hatched their clutches after July 15* 
Although the sample sizes involved are small, these data suggest that t e 
nesting effort of older hens is more prolonged than that of hens in their first 
nesting season. Apparently, only a few hens in their first nesting season initiate 
nests after the latter part of June, whereas older hens apparently continue 
renesting until late July or early August. If this is the case, t en irst year 
nesting hens may contribute little to production in years when nesting conditions 
are unfavorable during the first half of the nesting season. 
2. Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat 
G. B. Joselyn 
Until recent years, control of broadleaf weeds in grass-legume mixtures was 
difficult, as the most widely used chemical for controlling such weeds--2,*+- 
could not be applied because of the damage that would be done to alfal a (Me—icaqo 
estiva) and red clover ( Trifolium pratense ). With the testing and marketing of 
4-(2,4-DB), at least a measure of broadleaf weed control can be obtained in grass¬ 
ier; ume mixtures without damaging the legumes. Because this chemical is a weak amine, 
it must be applied in early spring when broadleaf weeds are actively growing, an 
are 1 inch to 3 inches high. Spraying of larger weeds generally gives unsat 1 sfactory 
results. 
On May I, 4-(2,4-DB) was applied at a rate of 6 pints per acre to the 6 miles 
of seedings that were planted in April 1968 along highway 47 in Ford and Livingston 
counties. In this instance, the control of broadleaf weeds was satisfactory, 
p-tween May 5 and May 8, the chemical was used on all roadsides on the Ford County 
