John D. Horkel

Between January 1976 and June 1978, environmental factors were analyzed to evaluate the fate of 480 dummy nests and 38 Attwater's prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido allwaten) nests. Fifty-eight percent of both dummy nests and Attwater's prairie chicken nests were destroyed by predators. Analysis of these data indicated that nest success was affected by density of nests, proximity of artificial environmental factors to nesting areas, and time of year. Vegetation type appeared to have no influence on predation rates. Predation on nests of ground-nesting upland game birds does not appear to...

Between February 1975 and June 1977 a total of 5,302 observations of Attwater's prairie chicken (Tympanuchus wpido attwateri) activities was made. These observations included 3,698 sightings at booming grounds and 1,604 other sightings (nests, broods, roost forms and individual birds). These data were analyzed according to vegetation type usage. The birds extensively utilized four of eight major vegetation types plus artificially' maintained areas. Of the major vegetation types, the clumped midgrass received the greatest use (88%). Their preference for a vegetation type was apparently...