January, 1940 
PROGRESS REPORT, 1        - LAKE STATES BANDING COOPERATIVE 
This report covers the work of the 1939-39 season. We have brought 
the total bandings for the Cooperative to 1,499 sharptails and 196 prairie

chickens, and have been able to offer tested methods to banders outside the

Lake States. 
Since our organization assumed its name, North Dakota has been banding. 
sharptails and has pooled its information with ours, Manitoba is banding

sharptails this winter, Missouri and Nebraska have asked us for methods to

be used in prairie chicken trapping this winter. All these states may be

counted upon to chip in their findings; some have already done so. Should

they not be invited to join the Cooperative? The University of Wisconsin

moves that they be asked to come in. Since both species are commonly known

as "prairie chickens," why not change our name to "Prairie
Chicken Cooperative"? 
All members are asked to send in their opinions. 
Traps 
The three most successful traps were the tip-top, portable funnel, and 
short-bob (see below). Again, the traps described in the Manual have been

modified, and several new traps introduced. 
Tip-top 
Manweiler is making take-down traps, by having the four sides as 
separate panels which can be taken apart and packed flat. A sliding catch,

similar to the bolt on a door but hold in place by friction, holds the panels

together when set up. 
Mather (39 sharptails) lines his traps with hardware cloth, to stop 
losses to weasels. Burlap, inside the hardware cloth, served as a buffor

and as protection against wind, and made removal of birds easier because
they 
were quieter in the darkened interior. 
Bradley lined his tip-tops with burlap. 
The Hamerstroms use a tip-top in the shape of a truncated four-sided 
pyramid, with top and bottom frames nailed flat-wise to the corner posts,

covered with seine or burlap instead of laths. The top frame is thus 
simpler to make than that shown in the Manual. The tip-top swings on a 
heavy wire (metal coat hanger is good) loosely stapled to the underside of

the counterweight and passed out through holes drilled through the top frame.

Bait with ear corn stuck on finishing nails across the end opposite the hinge.

Seine covered tip-tops, 41"lx35" around the bottom frame, lltx22"
around the 
top frame, 17" high, caught 16 prairie chiokens; burlap covered, 27"x33
" 
bottom, 12"xl9i" top, 16" high, caught three chickens. 
Long-bob 
Schunke is building end, sides, and catching compartment as separate 
units to make transportation easier; covers the top of the trap proper with

roefing paper supported cn 49" laths fastened across the top, and covers
all 
with buckwheat hay; recommends water-proof wall board, arched from the lower

outer sides to the edges of the sliding take-out door on top, as lining fcr

the catching compartment.