Vol. 14, No. 7 
Page 3 
5. Responses of Prairie Chickens to Habitat Manipulation R. L. Westemeier, 
D. R. Vance 
Surveys of prairie chicken booming grounds at Bogota in autumn and 
winter have revealed that some booming grounds are consistently active 
during these seasons as well as in the spring. During the past 4 years 
only about one-third of the booming grounds that were active in the springs 
were also active the subsequent falls. In 1966, one-half of the spring 
grounds were active in the subsequent fall. Relatively large numbers of 
cocks are found on a relatively few booming grounds in the fall. During 
the past 2 autumns 50-75 cocks have commonly been noted, and in one 
instance 114 cocks were counted, on a single booming ground. Since 1963, 
the averages each spring of the number of cocks per booming ground have 
ranged from 3*6 cocks (1967) to 15*9 cocks (1971)• Since 1966, the fall 
averages per booming ground have ranged from 11*5 cocks (1967) to 57»0 
cocks (1970). Apparently, small grounds that were active in the spring 
condense into the larger grounds in the fall. The population (of cocks 
at least) remains concentrated on a few grounds through winter until March. 
In March, the number of birds on the few large grounds declines and at the 
same time new and smaller grounds appear. Thus, it seems that March i 3 
the time of dispersal and orientation of the population to nest cover. 
Clear, calm mornings are particularly conducive to display activities In 
autumn and winter; however, even on mornings with sub-zero temperatures, 
strong-north winds, cloud cover, and snow on the ground, territorial defense 
may be vigorous. 
6. Rabbit Management f ' ose 
A white cottontail rabbit was captured during the annual fall live- 
trapping on the 4-H Camp Area at Robert Allerton Park near Monticello, 
Illinois on November 7 , 1968. 
The rabbit was a male, weight 1,143 grams, and had a total length of 
60.0 cm. The normally gray underfur was white over much of the animal s 
body although becoming light gray in the posterior portion. Some of the 
guard hairs were black tipped, although lighter than normal. The eyes were 
the normal dark brown color. 
Casteel (J. Mammal. 1961 . 42(4):541) shot a female white cottontail on 
the 4-H Area on December 4, 1959* The rabbit, specimen No. 21789 i n the 
University of Illinois Natural History Museum, Urbana, was essentially 
identical to the male trapped in 1968 . 
These two rabbits have been the only white ones collected out of over 
1,500 rabbits trapped or shot on the 4-H Area in the 15 years from 1956 
through 1970. 
