Pheasant Nesting and Production in Winnebago County, Iowa, 1954

Since 1935 the Iowa Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit has conducted life history and management studies of the ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) on the Winnebago Research Area in north-central Iowa. From 1939 to 1941, intensive investigations were centered on nesting and production on a 1520-acrc plot lying within sections 13, 14, 15, 23 and 24 of Eden Township, Winnebago County (Baskett, 1947). Field activities were curtailed during World War II, and further research on this plot was not begun until 1949 (Kozicky and Hendrickson, 1951). Changes in farming techniques, cropping practices and types of machinery used by farmers can exert a profound effect upon .natural pheasant production. The necessity for high food production during the war, and the many scientific advances in the agricultural field have resulted in rapid changes in farming methods during recent years. Consequently, wildlife biologists must maintain close contact with the pheasant population to determine the effect of these changes upon this important game bird species