Feeding of Sharp-Tailed Grouse and 
Prairie Chickens in Central Wisconsin 
(January 1: Did not snow over 2 inches in Babcock) 
Babcock: Most of the grouse in the burned over area west of Babcock 
are sharp-tailed grouse. All of the following stations are in the burned
area: 
No. 1. Five miles west of Babcock. Hopper with buckwheat. Filled Novemtler

28 with 100 pounds of budvwheot. On January 7th, 75 pounds had been eaten.

Sixty-five sharp-tails feed here every day. Thirty rods south of this station

there is an elevated portion of the prairie about one acre in extent on which

the sharp-tails dance every morning from 7.30 to 8:30 before coming in to
feed 
at the hopper. 
In dancing the sharp-tails chase each other back and forth across the 
dance ground. In running the tail is straight up in the air, the wings 
are spread, and the neck feathers are extended. Very often after running
a 
short distance the two birds will stop and face each other 
(gurgle-goggle-goggle) =in English: 
jJust try and 
take a peck 
at me. 
After running a short distance the birds may fly across the dance 
ground and then run back so that while some pairs are facing each other,

others will be running or flying. Every few minutes an old rooster will 
stop and vibrate his foot on the ground to make a loud buzzing noise re-

sembling the vibration of a bull snake's tail on dry leaves. While some are

saying gurgle-gurgle-goggle-goggle-ga-dargle, others say Ka-Ka&Xa-Kaee-a-

a-ka-ka-ee-ee which sounds something like the song of a domestic chicken