rends in Pheasant Abundance in Illinois: 1958 to 1968 
The pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), first introduced 
1to Illinois about 75 years ago (Robertson 1958:3), 
as established thriving populations in northern and 
ist-central Illinois. It has never established perma- 
ent populations in the west-central and southern 
yunties of the state. Although the pheasant has ex- 
‘bited shifting patterns of population density within 
s occupied range in the state, it has persistently 
aintained its center of abundance in the cash-grain 
zion of east-central Illinois since the mid-1930’s ( Fig. 
Greeley et al. 1962:13-16; Labisky & Anderson 
)65:128). The rapid increase in the acreage of row 
‘ops (corn and soybeans) in the east-central sector 
the state during the 1960’s (Joselyn et al. 1968: 
(7-218) has resulted in a marked reduction of pheas- 
it nesting cover, particularly tame hay and small 
‘ains. These land-use changes have adversely affected 
neasant abundance in this region (Labisky 1968:353- 
39). 
7: purpose of this paper is to document the patterns 
distribution and abundance of pheasants in Illinois 
r 1968 and to compare these findings with similar 
atistics from 1958 and 1963. Some data from the 1958 
id 1963 censuses have been presented, in part, in 
evious publications (Greeley et al. 1962; Labisky & 
anderson 1965). 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
The author extends his sincere appreciation to the 
indreds of postmasters and rural mail carriers in 
inois who voluntarily participated in the 1968 and 
evious pheasant censuses and whose cooperation was 
itstanding. 
Clifford Edwards, President (Enfield, Ill.), and 
mon Maier, Secretary (Clifton, Ill.), Illinois Rural 
tter Carriers Association, offered advice in organiz- 
x the 1968 census. Officials of the U.S. Post Office 
spartment, M. L. Stover (Washington, D.C.) and 
onald L. Swanson and Norbert P. O'Donnell (Chica- 
), expedited the project in numerous ways. 
William L. Preno, Illinois Department of Conserva- 
n, Springfield, and my Illinois Natural History Sur- 
y colleagues, William L. Anderson and Glen C. 
nderson, read the manuscript. Richard M. Sheets, 
tvey Illustrator, prepared the maps and designed 
> cover. Robert M. Zewadski, Survey Associate 
litor, edited the manuscript. Dawn A. Labisky as- 
ted in assembling the materials for distribution to 
> postmasters and rural mail carriers. 
METHODS 
Statistics on the distribution and abundance of 
easants reported in this paper were voluntarily col- 
‘his_paper is published by authority of the State of Illinois, IRS 
127, Par. 58.12. Dr. Ronald F. Labisky is an Associate Wildlife 
—_ Section of Wildlife Research, Illinois Natural History Survey, 
Ronald F. Labisky 
lected by rural mail carriers during 5-day census 
periods in April of 1958, 1963, and 1968. These censuses 
were restricted to the 74 northernmost counties of the 
state; Greeley et al. (1962:14), after conducting a 
statewide census in 1957, conservatively classified the 
remaining 28 of Illinois’ 102 counties as nonpheasant 
range. The censuses were conducted in April because 
Greeley et al. (1962:5) concluded: “The conditions for 
observing pheasants [in Illinois] are probably more 
nearly constant from year to year in April than in any 
other month.” The specific 5-day census periods 
(Monday through Friday) were April 21-25 in 1958 
and April 22-26 in 1963 and 1968. The daily census 
period was between 8 am and noon (CST) in all years. 
Approximately 5 days preceding each of the cen- 
suses, a packet of materials relating to the census was 
mailed to the postmaster of each post office having 
one or more rural routes in the 74 counties to be 
censused. The packet contained a letter of instruction 
to the postmaster and a letter of instruction plus a 
postal-card questionnaire for each rural mail carrier. 
The postmaster was requested to distribute the latter 
to each of his rural carriers. Each carrier was asked to 
report the counties and political townships in which his 
route was located, the length of his route in miles, and 
the number of pheasants (cocks and hens) observed 
along the route on each of the 5 consecutive days 
specified in the instructions. 
The number of miles driven and the number 
of pheasants seen during the 5-day census _pe- 
riod were used to calculate the number of pheasants 
observed per 100 miles of driving in each township 
and county. When the route of a mail carrier extended 
into two or more townships, the number of miles 
driven and number of pheasants observed were divided 
equally among the number of townships that he re- 
ported on his questionnaire. The variables that influ- 
ence the counts of pheasants by rural mail carriers have 
been discussed by Greeley et al. (1962:4-5). 
The information reported by mail carriers during 
each census was the result of the initial request only; 
follow-up mailings to prompt the return of question- 
naires were unnecessary (Table 1). To exemplify, 
in 1968, 97 percent of all returned questionnaires had 
been received by May 1—only 5 days after the last day 
of the census period. After each census all postmasters 
and mail carriers participating in the census were sent 
a summary of the census findings and a letter thanking 
them for their cooperation. 
FINDINGS 
The relative abundance of pheasants in the 74 north- 
ernmost counties of Illinois increased from 7.6 to 9.9 
pheasants observed per 100 miles of driving (30 per- 
cent) between April, 1958, and April, 1963, and then 
declined to 5.5 birds per 100 miles (44 percent) by 
