CSristiee A UeD Ueb ON ee Bri eke lil Nn 1 
Prairie Chicken Foundation of Illinois 
By Judith Joy 
The Annual Board Meeting of the Prairie Chicken Foundation of Illinois 
was held at the State Museum in Springfield on July 9, 1966. The status 
of the Prairie Chicken was summarized as follows: 
During the spring of 1966, 104 Prairie Chicken cocks were counted 
in the ten areas which have been censused annually since 1963. This is 
30 percent fewer than in 1965, and 54 percent fewer than the number of 
cocks counted two years ago. 
Throughout the state, the total number of cocks counted was 182. 
Seventy-three of the cocks were counted along a 20-mile strip of prairie 
near Farina in Marion County. Ronald Westemeier of the Illinois Natural 
History Survey recommended that the P.C.F.I. begin a land acquisition 
and management program in this area; the grouse population around 
Farina has held up quite well, in contrast with that in the Bogota area. 
As an initial step, the Natural History Survey and the Department of Con- 
servation will seed 30 acres in Forbes State Park (near Omega in Marion 
County) to grassy nesting cover for Prairie Grouse. 
In the Bogota area, 41 cocks were counted this spring, as compared 
to 47 in the previous year. However, more hens were seen in the Bogota 
area than in any of the three previous years. This spring the booming 
grounds were located in only two sections, as compared to five in 1965. 
We have an unhealthy concentration of the Bogota flock. In 1966, about 
62 additional acres were leased for nesting cover, at an average cost of 
$i3 per acre. This year was very favorable for nesting and brood-rearing. 
Eleven broods were observed — the greatest number in recent years. 
Dr. Hurst Shoemaker of the University of Illinois will spend the 
spring of 1967 at the Cook County Forest Preserve, supervising the arti- 
ficial stocking of Prairie Chickens. Last summer, 50 birds were released 
in the preserve. So far, none of these has been sighted; it is not known 
whether any survived. The Prairie Chicken eggs are incubated under 
Jungle Fowl. After hatching, the young birds are released. Dr. Shoemaker 
said that no one has yet succeeded in artificial stocking of an area. If the 
program does succeed, it will be used to establish Prairie Grouse in other 
areas with a suitable habitat. 
Joe Galbreath, Chairman of the P.C.F.I., reported that a new contract 
has been drawn with the Nature Conservancy for the management of 
sanctuary number four. This 80-acre sanctuary was donated to the P.C.F.I. 
by Jamerson McCormack of Sulphur Springs, Missouri. It has now been 
officially named, “The McCormack Sanctuary’. Under the terms of the 
new agreement, the preserve will be transferred to the Nature Conservancy, 
who will act as custodians. Upon the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. McCormack, 
the property and the annual lease money of $750 will revert to the P.C.F.I. 
The Foundation is now negotiating for a 40-acre sanctuary number five. 
We are making progress, and our goal of five hundred acres is now in 
sight. 
Dr. Glen Sanderson of the Natural History Survey said that the Illinois 
Chapter of the Nature Conservancy has launched a fund-raising campaign 
for the protection of the Prairie Chicken, with a goal of $125,000. So far 
the committee has purchased 257 acres of land in the Bogota area and 
plans to buy more. This area, plus the 237 acres owned or leased by the 
