Illinois Department of ConservationIllinois State Natural History SurveyIllinois Chapter, The Nature ConservancyIllinois Nature Preserves CommissionIllinois Endangered Species Protection Boardunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Buhnerkempe, John

Westemeier, Ronald L.

Buhnerkempe, John E.

IDEALS @ Illinois

Annual Prairie-Chicken Management Report to Cooperators

Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship Repository

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LL ss ss TT LL ss ss TT LL ss n LL ss n LL ssssss TT LL ssssss n LL ss TT LL ss TT LL ss ss TT LL ss ss n LLLLLLLLLL ssssss n ~ LLLLLLLLLL ssssss n LPTSPL Version 3.0(106) running on SPIN3 under AMDS/L Version 1.2(96) File DSK2:RLWM5S.LST[50,2] printed on Friclay, February 22, 1985 10:39:48 AM Forms: NORMAL ss ss ss ss ss ss ANNUAL PRAIRIE-CHICKEN MANAGEMENT REPORT TO COOPERATORS January 1985 Prepared by: Ronald L. Westemeler John E. Buhnerkempe II I lnols Natural History Survey Cooperating Agencies: I I I lnois Department of Conservation (DOC) II I lnols State Natural History Survey ( INHS) II I lnols Chapter, The Nature Conservancy CTNC) II I lnols Nature Preserves Commission CNPC> II I lnols Endangered Species Protection Board (IESPC) Purpose: This report reviews the management of prairie-chicken sanctuaries In Jasper and Marion counties for 1984. The Intent Is to update, Inform, and help coordinate the efforts of various agencies, groups, and individuals In (1) preserving native prairie-chickens, (2) benefiting associated grassland wlldl ife, and (3) restoring native prairie flora on prairie-chicken sanctuaries. We would appreciate comments on the various items In the report, especially the budgets and proposed management Initiatives. We plan to prepare reports each January. POPULATION STATUS REPORT Prairie-Chickens: The 1984 count of prairie-chicken cocks on booming grounds totaled 55 for Jasper County and 74 for Marion County, decreases of 8% and 20%, respectively from 1983. Despite the decl lnes, densities of II I lnols pralrle-chlckens based on birds per area of managed grassland, are probably highest in the range of the species. No prairie-chickens were found near Mt. Erie In Wayne County this past spring, so alI of II I inols' remnant prairie-chickens probably occur only on or near the managed sanctuaries. More details on population status were given In the previous report (Westemeler 1984c). 2 In 1984 In Jasper County, hatch success (71%), average clutch size (13.1), and the average number of fertile eggs per clutch (12.4) were among the highest on record, but egg success (75.7%) was the lowest on record due to Interference by pheasants. Despite the problems with pheasants, we anticipate 75 ± 9 pralrle-chlcken cocks on the booming grounds In Jasper County In spring 1985, based on the 17 hatched nests (of 25 total) found last summer. Ring-necked Pheasants: We estimated 24 crowing cock pheasants on the 32-sectlon area at Bogota this past spring, a 21% drop from 1983. An al 1-tlme high of 26 pheasant nests was found during the nest study, but 6 of these nests were found inadvertently or with the use of a cable-chain drag on sanctuaries where prairie-chickens were not present--possibly due to Interactions with phasants. Also, at least 18 pheasant eggs were found In 7 prairie-chicken nests. The parasitism rate of 28% was down in 1984, but not significantly lower than the 43% found in 1983. Bobwhite Quail: A density of 0.22 nest per 10 acres was found during the nest study, the second highest density In 7 years. However, this density Is far below the 0.44 nest per 10 acres averaged over the past 19 years at Bogota. Upland Sandpiper: The spring of 1984 was the second year an upland sandpiper census was conducted on the sanctuaries. Seven pairs were found on the Jasper County sanctuaries but only four individuals were found In Marlon County. However, the census In Marlon County was not completed due to time I Imitations. 3 Mallard: Since 1981 the mal lard has become a regular nester on the prairie-chicken sanctuaries. Five mal lard nests were found on or near the sanctuaries In Jasper County. One mal lard nest was also parasitized by a pheasant. Other Birds: The following birds experienced Increases in nest density since 1983 on the Jasper County sanctuaries: mourning dove (ground nests) C5Q%), eastern meadowlark (120%), red-winged blackbird (16%), dickcissel (467%). No nests were found for the sedge wren, field sparrow, grasshopper sparrow and American goldfinch, but adult birds were observed. Mammals: Densities of cottontail nests remain low (0.09 nest per 10 acres) In Jasper County. The big drop was In the density of smal I mammal nests from 53.24 nests per acre In 1983 to 1.40 nests per acre In 1984. The low abundance of smal I mammals evidently explains the absence of short-eared owls and the scarcity of harriers on the sanctuaries during the winter of 1983-84. HIGHLIGHTS OF 1984 Booming Ground Ylsltatlon Program: A total of 84 people from 12 different organizations viewed the prairie-chicken courtship during the spring of 1984. Sanctuary Manager IQ Be Hired: The DOC announced that funds from the II I lnols Non-game Wlldl ife Conservation Fund wll I be used to hire a ful 1-tlme sanctuary manager some time In the winter of 1985. We applaud the DOC's efforts In taking this step to address the many management needs for prairie-chickens and other grassland wlldl lfe. 4 ~ DQC Leases: Bids were accepted for DOC leases on the state owned prairie-chicken sanctuaries In Jasper County for the 1985 and 1986 cropping seasons. The results of the competitive bidding wll I produce a surprising $5,200.00 for each of the next two crop years, a four-fold Increase over the previous leases. The payments on the leases wll I be made In the form of fencing suppl les, gravel, herbicides, grass seed, and other improvements on the sanctuaries. Although the Increased cash bids wll I produce a reasonable and long-overdue, fair return to the DOC, one long-time lessee who was outbid, became highly upset--a disadvantage of the system. ~Sanctuary Acquired ln Marlon County: TNC acquired the 40-acre Soldner Tract for $46,000. Ful I mineral rights were donated to TNC as consideration for nemlng the tract the "Herman and Iris Soldner Prairie Chicken Sanctuary." (A major oil boom underway In this area is even more significant than the one at Bogota.) The Soldner Sanctuary Is located on the south side of the Loy 100-acre tract and wll I provide not only additional habitat for the prairie-chicken, but a brushy waterway on the unit contains a variety of native prairie plants. Much work needs to be done to salvage and expand the remnant patches of prairie. 5 ~Equipment Purchased£¥ INC: A rotary mower and a front-end loader were purchased by TNC. The equipment has already resulted in numerous Improvements on sanctuaries and increased management capabil Iiles. WORK DONE IN 1984 AND PLANNED FOR 1985 Management activities accompl !shed in 1984 and those planned for 1985 are I lsted In Table 1. Much of what was accompl !shed this plast year was due to the assistance of capable summer help, notably Scott A. Simpson and Terry L. Esker. Sharecropping: Our crop-rotation system on the sanctuaries suffered a set back with no wheat planted In fal I 1984 due to the delay In crop harvests. The result wll I be that many planned grass seedlngs wll I be delayed for up to 1 year. We wil I attempt to prepare some bean stubble fields for new grass seeding over the next two springs, but we are I lmited In the acreage we can cover with our smal I equipment, I lmlted mobility, and I lmlted manpower. Wheat Is an important stage in our cover-rotation strategy, because red clover Is over-seeded on the wheat, hayed late to avoid nests and broods, dlsked, seeded, and rolled by tenants. Red clover Is only fair as nest cover for prairie-chickens, but It provides excel lent brood habitat. Nitrification of the soil for subsequent grass meadows Is an added benefit of red clover. Woodland Reduction: The 2nd of 3 phases of woody cover reduction on the C. McCormick Sanctuary Is almost complete, woody vegetation was greatly reduced on the east boundary of the Galbreath Sanctuary, and further reductions were made on the Walter's tract. Many sanctuaries need additional reduction of woodlands to maximize open space for prairie-chickens. Our strategy Is to lower the height of various fencerows and woodlots, but not to totally remove woody vegetation from the sanctuaries. We hope that leaving numerous, dense, low brush piles surrounded by blackberry brambles and forbs wll I enhance habitat for rabbits, bobwhite quail, field sparrows, brown thrashers, etc. Reduction of raptor perches may also be an Important consideration In upgrading sanctuary habitat for grassland wlldl lfe. Rotary Mowing: The 7-ft Bush-Hog mower purchased by TNC greatly improved our mowing efficiency and resulted In some savings of gasol lne. In the past, mowing 20 acres In a day without a breakdown was an accompl lshment. Now we can mow 30 acres per day with I Ittle difficulty. The mower plus our tractor drawbars were specially modified by the INHS Operations group to mow high. The importance of high mowing and proper structure of vegetation was described In 3 recent pub I !cations <Westemeler and Buhnerkempe 1983, Buhnerkempe et al. 1984, and Westemeler 1984a). Acquisition of an adequate tractor appears to be the major problem for accompl lshlng rotary mowing operations. This past year we experienced more than 3 weeks of down time due to tractor repairs. 6 Prairie Restoration: This year we attempted to harvest prairie grass seed on the 40-acre Walter's Sanctuary In Jasper County, but ground conditions and logistic problems prevented us from doing so. The seed was to be used for a prairie restoration effort on the sanctuaries In 1985. We expect to try again In the fal I of 1985. 7 FINANCES INC- CY ~A 12a2: Table 2 gives a summary of Income and expenses Incurred by TNC. Despite the poor crop year experienced In this part of the state, we did much better than the predicted deficit of $4,500.00 In the previous report (Westemeler 1984c). Income off TNC sanctuaries covered taxes, cropping expenses, management expenses, the Perbix lease, and the equipment purchases. Table 3 contains the estimated revenue off TNC sanctuaries for 1985 and a budget proposal covering 75% of the expected gross Income. A surplus of over $4,000.00 probably wll I be available at the end of next year, unless a major disaster strikes. We anticipate that some of the surplus can be spent on one of the new management Initiatives described below. DOC- fY 1282 A 128n: Table 4 I lsts Income and expenses as of 20 January 1985 from management of prairie-chicken sanctuaries owned by the DOC. It may not be real lstlc to work up a detailed budget until the sanctuary manager Is hired. PROPOSED MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES The hiring of a ful 1-tlme sanctuary manager In the winter of 1985 wil I be a vital step in sustaining an adequate management program on the prairie-chicken sanctuaries In II I lnols. However, without the addition of new equipment and funding of major management projects we can expect only modest gains In optimizing habitat for prairie-chickens and other grassland wildlife. If present equipment Is not supplemented by new equipment, the manager wil I lose effectiveness each year. The following Is a list of Initiatives that are currently not part of the annual budgets, but are those that need consideration: 8 1. Equipment Trailer Purchase: One of the major problems we are currently faced with Is getting special !zed equipment back and forth between the two sanctuary systems. The problem is becoming more evident as tenants (undergoing financial stress) are less wll I lng to do extra management functions. Estimated Cost= $7,000 2. Tractor Purchase: The DOC's IH544 Is currently 15 years old and In need of frequent expensive repairs, as is evident by the btl Is accumulated this year <Table 4). The PTO has sustained much wear over the years. Because over half of the hours accumulated each year on the tractor Involve the PTO, we can expect Increasingly higher repair bil Is and long delays In performing management operations. Repairs on the tractor In 1984 cost about $500 plus a 3 week delay In rotary-mowing operations. The manager wll I also need a tractor with proper safety equipment to work on the type of terrains we are currently managing. Safety equipment for the current tractor Is no longer available. Estimated Cost = $22,000 (New) $10,000 (Used) 3. Air Compressor Purchase: An old dental-office compressor Is not meeting our needs and wll I be lucky to last a couple more years. A new compressor is Important In maintaining tires, blowing out radiators, air cleaners, etc. Estimated Cost = $500 4. Post-Hole Auger Purchase: An extensive fencing program Is needed to Implement grazing on the sanctuaries and to help control trespass. It is difficult to Imagine a post-hole auger not adding to the managers efficiency when one considers the many miles of fencing needed on the sanctuaries. Estimated Cost = $500 9 5. Butler Landscaping Project: We need to have a house foundation, old cistern, and several buildings torn down along with reexcavatlng a pond. These old structures are dangerous and we may be I !able for accidents. The pond needs to be Improved, since it Is the water source for the pasture system on the Butler Sanctuary. Currently, this Is our only significant grazing operation on any sanctuary. The grazing approach to providing nest-brood habitat needs considerable research. 6. Perblx Landscaping Project: An old barn Is In need of removal on the Perbix Sanctuary In Marlon County. 7. Lacey-Loy Landscaping Project: The waterway system on the Lacey Sanctuary is undergoing severe erosion In places and needs major repairs. An old building site on the adjacent Loy 40 also needs to be renovated. Other management Initiatives are currently being compiled up and wll I be added to future annual reports. If funding becomes available for one or more of the initiatives, we wll I provide the additional details at that time. 10 SOME RECENT PUBLICATIONS Westemeler, R. L. and J. E. Buhnerkempe. 1983. Responses of nesting wildl lfe to prairie grass management on prairie chicken sanctuaries in II I inois. Pages 39-46 In R. Brewer, ed., Proceedings of the Eighth North American Prairie Conference. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. 176pp. Buhnerkempe, J. E. and R. L. Westemeler. 1984. Northern Harrier nests on a Prairie-Chicken Sanctuary In Jasper County. II I lnols Audubon Bul Jetin 208:28-29. Buhnerkempe, J. E. and R. L. Westemeler. 1984. Nest-sites of turkey vultures In buildings In southeastern II I lnols. Wilson Bul letln 96:495-496. Buhnerkempe, J. E., W. R. Edwards, D. R. Vance, and R. L. Westemeler. 1984. Effects of residual vegetation on prairie-chicken nest placement and success. Wlldl lfe Society Bul Jetin 12:382-386. Westemeler, R. L. 1984a. Responses and impact by pheasants on prairie-chicken sanctuaries In II I lnols: a synopsis. Pages 117-122 In R. T. Dumke, R. G. Stiehl, and R. B. Kahl, eds. Perdlx I I 1: Partridge/ Ring-necked Pheasant Workshop Proceedings. Wis. Dept. Nat. Resour., Madison. 203pp. Westemeler, R. L. 1984b. Prairie chicken management--cycles, densities, and thresholds. The II I Inols Natural History Survey Reports. No. 235. --Westemeler, R. L. 1984c. Annual prairie-chicken management report to cooperators, July 1984. Mlmeo. 29pp. Copies of these publ !cations are available upon request from the Section of Wildl lfe Research, State Natural History Survey, Natural Resources Building, 607 E. Peabody, Champaign, IL 61820. PUBLICATIONS PENDING Westemeier, R. L. In press. History of prairie-chickens and their management In II I lnols. Selected Proceedings of the Fourth Annual II I lnois History Symposium, Springfield. Dec. 2-3, 1983. Buhnerkempe, J. E. and R. L. Westemeier. Under review. Breeding biology and habitat of upland sandpipers on prairie-chicken sanctuaries in II II no! s. Westemeier, R. L. and J. E. Buhnerkempe. Under review. Parasitism of prairie-chicken nests by pheasants in II I inois. 11 Table 1. Management accompl !shed In 1984 and planned for 1985 on prairie-chicken sanctuaries In Jasper and Marion counties. Management Acres Cover seedings Grass seed harv. Rotary mowing Delayed hay harv. Light grazing Grain cropping Prescr. burning Firelanes (miles) Man-hrs. (est.) Woods reduction Prairie restor. Lease work Public visitation Predator control Pheasant control Gen. maint. INHS Managed (1,761 acres) IDOC owned TNC owned Total 1984 1985 1984 1985 1984 1985 40 0 58 23 98 23 167 199 453 519 620 718 130 144 160 182 290 326 84 42 92 78 126 120 6 6 42 42 48 48 116 87 298 170 414 267 4 40 55 73 59 113 I .3 3.0 2. 1 7.0 3.4 10.0 30 60 230 460 260 520 30 80 42 180 72 260 180 120 80 80 260 200 80 120 80 120 160 240 25 25 12 25 37 50 0 50 90 50 90 100 130 200 140 220 270 420 -------·--DOC Managed (200 a) ( C I PS ow ned) 1984 1985 2 10 0 0 0 0 25 15 25 45 0 0 0 40 0 0 0 40 0 0 30 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Table 2. Receipts and disbursements for 1 January to 31 December 1984 including late grain payments from management of prairie-chicken sanctuaries owned or leased by The Nature Conservancy. Receipts Soybeans Grass Seed Wheat Misc. Income Corn Government Programs Disbursements Taxes Equipment (mower and loader) Fert. & Herbicides Lease CPerbfx) Equipment repairs Seed (grass and legume) Misc. Expenses Petty Cash Totals Balance $ 8,531.90 7,468.08 2,800.52 715.00 376.29 43.65 $19,935.44 $8,171.98 6,500.00 2,500.94 1, 500.00 781.70 441.00 187.94 100.00 $20,183.56 - 248.12 Table 3. Estimated revenue and expenses for the period 1 January to 31 December 1985 for the management of prairie-chicken sanctuaries owned or leased by The Nature Conservancy. The budgeting of expenses Is based on 75% of the gross estimated revenue. Estimated Revenue Soybeans Grass seed Misc. Income Government Programs Estimated Expenses Taxes Fert. & Herbicide Lease (Perbix) Seed (grass & legume) Lumber Equipment Repairs Misc. Expenses Petty Cash Total Expected Surplus $ 9,350.00 8,242.90 200.00 35.00 $17,817.90 $ 8,621.98 2,241.45 1, 500.00 300.00 200.00 200.00 200.00 100.00 $13,363.43 $ 4,454.47 Table 4. Revenue and disbursements as of 24 January 1985 for FY 85 from management of prairie-chicken sanctuaries owned by the Department of Conservation. --------Be~enue (Lease #, Sanctuary) #494 Yeatter, Field, McGraw $ 756.00 Disbursements Equipment repairs $ 995.54 Lime 756.00 Gasoline & diesel 538.74 Bu i I dIng ma Int. & lmprmts. 259.98 Electricity 200.00 LP Gas 200.00 Equipment (tools) 41.25 Totals $ 756.00 $ 2,991.51 Expenses after Lease Income $ 2,235.51 

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Annual Prairie-Chicken Management Report to Cooperators

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