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An Analysis Of Waterfowl Hunter Activity And Harvest On Selected Public Hunting Areas In Illinois, Gary E. Potts

Masters Theses

Hunter activity and waterfowl harvest were studied on 11 public waterfowl hunting areas (PHA) in Illinois which utilized 1, 2, or 3-year duck blind allocation systems from 1979-1983. The number of individual hunters, man-days, and average man-days hunted per season varied for each area in each year. The average man-days hunted per season for all study areas was 5.7 with a range of 4.4 to 6.4. Highly significant correlations existed between blind-days and man-days (r=.99), blind-days and man-hours (r=.97), and man-days and man-hours (r=.98) suggesting that the three variables are equally valid for evaluating hunter activity. On 1-year duck blind …

Seasonal Lekking Behavior Of The Greater Prairie-Chicken In Illinois, Scott A. Simpson

Masters Theses

Spring behavior of prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) has been studied extensively, however there is little information on fall-winter lekking activity. Greater prairie-chickens were observed weekly on a lek from 25 September 1982 to 23 June 1983 during morning and evening hours in Jasper County, Illinois. The peak number of prairie-chicken males on the lek occurred in February although hen attendance did not occur until 10 March 1983. All spring lekking activities were higher compared to that of the fall-winter period. Fall-winter lek activity was aggression which centered on probably brief, less intense male aggression which probably establishes or maintains …

April Foods And Parasites Of Wild Turkeys In Northcentral Illinois, Kathleen M. Andrews

Masters Theses

Attempts prior to the late 1950's to reintroduce the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) to much of its original range were through releases of game-farm reared, hybrid turkeys. While most releases throughout the eastern United States were complete failures, a remnant population of hybrid turkeys has survived in Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois. In 1981, the Illinois Department of Conservation opened a spring, gobbler-only hunting season in these counties. The purpose of this study was to compare April foods and parasites of the hybrid turkeys with results from studies on truly wild turkeys in southern Illinois. Crops, …

Analyses Of Illinois Wild Turkey Habitat And April Foods, Kim D. Price

Masters Theses

A vegetative analysis of turkey habitat was conducted in Alexander, Jackson, Union, and Calhoun Counties, Illinois. From these studies it was determined that turkeys inhabit relatively open stands of timber with agricultural fields and forest clearings in close proximity. Species of Quercus comprise approximately 40% or more of the tree species sampled, with Q. alba, Q. rubra, and Q. velutina being the most dominant. Found growing in association with Quercus are species of Carya, Cornus florida, Acer saccharum, Sassafras albidum, Fraxinus americana, and Ulmus rubra, in varying concentrations. The examination of food …

Evaluation Of Potential Wild Turkey Habitat In Eastern Illinois, Cara B. Daugherty

Masters Theses

Reestablishment of the wild turkey has been successful in the southern part of Illinois where large established tracts of woodland occur. However, turkeys are capable of surviving in areas with less forest cover, if food, nesting materials and protection are available. This project evaluated the potential turkey habitat of a 14-county area of eastern Illinois along the drainage of the Wabash River. Six potential release sites were selected and the habitat evaluated. In these areas, oak (Quercus spp.) and hickory (Carya spp.) were the dominant tree species. Disturbance from human populations was determined in each of …

Coccidian Parasites Of Wild Turkeys, Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris, In Illinois, D. Michael Watkins

Masters Theses

Fecal samples from 124 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), collected in three southern Illinois counties, were examined for coccidia. Three and two tenths percent (4) of the birds sampled were infected with Eimeria of apparently four different species. These species were tentatively designated as: E. meleagridis, E. adendeides, E. meleagrimitis and E. subrotunda.

April Foods Of The Wild Turkey In Southern Illinois, David K. Fleenor

Masters Theses

A total of 95 gizzards and 106 crops were collected from 120 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris Vieillot) at hunter check stations located in Alexander, Jackson, Union, and Pope Counties during April 1970, and 1972-1974 inclusive. Results are presented using total aggregate volume and per cent occurrence. The analyses indicated that during April, 96.6% of the foods eaten were of plant origin. Important plant foods in decreasing order by volume included corn, acorns, grasses and sedges, clover, miscellaneous plant materials, Jack-in-the-pulpit, hickory nuts, black gum, swamp buttercup, spring beauty, soybeans, hill blueberry, hawthorn, and ash. Animal foods were …

Breeding Birds And Vegetation Of The Central Illinois Floodplain Forest, Daniel Edward Varland

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Blood Parasites Of Illinois Wild Turkeys, Ulrike G. Guenthner

Masters Theses

Blood smears, from 152 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) killed during hunting seasons in southern Illinois, were examined for blood parasites. Haemoproteus meleagridis infected 34% of the 83 adult and 19% of the 69 immature turkeys. Of the infected birds, 54% had one or two infected cells per 5000 erythrocytes and 78% had one to five. Infection rates were significantly higher in counties along the Mississippi River than in Pope County, located about 40 miles east of the river. Other parasites specifically searched for but not found were Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, Trypanosoma and microfilaria.

Homing Studies Of Bank Swallows In Eastern Illinois, Jennifer Eileen Hagerstrom

Masters Theses

A series of homing experiments using 39 color-marked Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) were carried out in eastern Illinois during the summer of 1975. The swallow colony was located four km east-northeast of Charleston, Illinois at the Charleston Stone Quarry. Eight release sites were located in the four compass directions from the home colony at distances of 14.4 to 32.3 km away.

The colony was approached before dawn and swallows were captured using tube traps. Birds were color-marked, banded, and taken in individual bags to the release site by automobile. Cloud cover, wind velocity, wind direction, and orientation behavior …

Pesticide Residues In The Illinois Wild Turkey, John M. Bridges

Masters Theses

Adipose tissue from 55 turkeys, killed during the 1974 hunting season in southern Illinois, was grouped by age and location of the birds, and the pesticide concentrations in them were determined by gas/liquid chromatography. Twelve different pesticides were identified in the samples with only four, total DDT, heptachlor epoxide, toxaphene, and linuron, being present in all samples. Concentrations ranged from 0.02 ppm to 0.88 ppm.

Status Of The Wild Turkey In Southwestern Illinois In 1970, Robert Merle Cottingham

Masters Theses

Wild-trapped turkey were first released in southwestern Illinois in 1959. This, and subsequent releases have established a huntable population of wild turkey in the area. Until 1970, no evaluation of the status of the bird had been made. This study was conducted in June, July, August and September, 1970, to determine the distribution, productivity and relative abundance of the wild turkey in Alexander, Jackson, Union and Williamson Counties and to make recommendations for future management of the population. Information was supplied by rural mail carriers, Illinois Department of Conservation and U. S. Forest Service personnel and local residents together with …

Helminth Parasites Of Illinois Wild Turkeys, James W. Jackson

Masters Theses

Viscera from 69 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) collected from Jackson, Union and Alexander counties, Illinois, were examined for helminth and coccidian parasites. A total of eight species of parasites was found, all in the alimentary tract. The coccidian parasite Eimeria sp. was found in 9.6% of birds examined. The nematodes Heterakis gallinarum, Ascaridia galli and Ascaridia dissimilis were found in 13.2%, 27.9% and 48.5% respectively of all birds examined. Three species of cestodes, Raillietina williamsi, Metroliasthes lucida and Hymenolepis sp., were recovered from 41.1%, 27.9% and 1.4% respectively of birds examined. One species of trematode, …

A Comparison Of Nocturnal Restlessness Of Caged Thrushes And Migration Of Free Thrushes, Charles Goodwin Kjos

Masters Theses

Nocturnal activity (Zugunruhe) of eight caged, radio-tagged thrushes (Hylocichla spp.) was compared by signal analysis with the occurrence of migration in 16 free, radio-tagged thrushes over a 37-night period during the autumn of 1970 in central Illinois. The study was conducted to determine the extent of synchrony of Zugunruhe and migration in these nocturnal migrants in fall. Zugunruhe frequently occurred on nights when there was no migration, but migration occurred only on nights when at least 50 per cent of the caged birds were active. Except for one departure which was atypical in several respects, migration occurred …

Gastro-Intestinal Helminths Of Illinois Bobwhites, Michael Eugene Gordon

Masters Theses

The viscera of 103 bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus), from east central Illinois counties, were collected during November and December of 1971 and examined for helminth parasites. Two nematodes were identified: Dispharynx nasuta (9.7%) and Ascaridia sp. (7.8%). The rate of infection varied significantly between counties but there was no difference in parasitism of males and females.

Effect Of Splenectomy On Relapse Of Hemal Parasites In Pigeons, Phillip James Sprino

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Changes In Densities, Distribution And Movements Of Sparrow Hawks, Martin D. Jakle

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Method Of Slide-Making For Early Nervous System Study In The Chick Embryo, Roger L. Pscherer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.