(jr\uj^ t 
Mrs. Ooris Dodds 
Librarian 
MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Department of Conservation and Natural History Survey, Cooper a HISTORY SURVEY 
DEC 1 0 1969 
Glen C. Sanderson and Helen C. Schultz, Editors 
- mm — 
Vol . 12, No. 11 
Urbana, Illinois 
November, 19 E 9 
1. Pheasant Populations and Land Use 
S. L. Etter, 
R. E. Greenberg 
Pheasant hunting on the Sibley Study Area during the opening weekend of the 
hunting season in 1969 was slightly better than it was in 1968. Hunters 
interviewed on the area this year reported spending an average of 4.3 hours in the 
field to bag a cock pheasant, compared with 5*0 hours in 1968 . Comparable figures 
for 1962 through 1967 were 2.2, 2.7, 2.1, 8.0, 6 . 9 , and 8.1 hours, respectively. 
The increased hunting success this year, compared with 1968, apparently 
resulted from increased pheasant numbers (MWRL 12(9) :1)» since more unharvested 
corn was present on the study area this year than in 1968 . Completion of the 
corn harvest is expected to result in even better hunting as the season progresses. 
Consequently, hunter success for the entire season in I 969 is expected to exceed 
that in 1968 by a greater margin than was indicated by the data obtained during 
the opening weekend. 
2 . 
Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat 
G. B. Joselyn 
For the 7 years, 1 963 - 69 , pheasant nest density on seeded roadsides was more 
than double the density of nests on all (mowed and unmowed) unmanaged control 
plots, which are considered "typical" unseeded roadsides on the study area. 
Density of successful (hatched) nests on seeded plots for the 7 years (0.8 
successful nest per acre) was more than double the density of successful nests 
on all unmanaged control plots (0.4 successful nest per acre). The density of 
successful nests on seeded plots ranged between 0.5 and 1.1 nests per acre during 
the 7 years. The density on mowed unmanaged control plots varied between 0.0 and 
0.4 successful nest per acre and averaged 0.2 nest per acre for the 7 years; 
unmowed unmanaged control plots hatched from 0.4 to 1.1 nests per acre during the 
period and 0.6 nest per acre for all years combined. 
3. Factors Inf 1 uencinq Distribution and Abu ndance of. Pheasants W. L. Anderson, 
D. R. Vance 
To obtain additional information on relationships between chemical elements 
and the distribution of pheasants in Illinois, blood and selected internal organs 
from 10 adult hens, collected during August 1969, were spectrographically 
analyzed for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium, plus 23 trace 
elements. Five of the hens were collected at Neoga (poor pheasant range) and 
five were taken at Sibley (good range). The blood and liver from each hen were 
analyzed individually; the other internal organs (gizzard lining, gizzard muscle, 
heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, and spleen) were pooled according to type of 
organ, then analyzed. 
