AS A GROUSE HUNTER 



377 



tion. Covering as it does a period considerably in excess of the hunting season, the 9.1 

 per cent loss due to causes other than the hunter "take" is roughly comparable to the New 

 York result. Trippensee's figures indicate a considerably different relation between "take" 

 and cripples in Minnesota — his "other losses" amounting to only 21.6 per cent of the hunter 

 "take" for the hunting period. 



How much of the 8.1 per cent and 16.7 per cent losses of pre-season populations from these 

 several sources in New York can be attributed to crippling is undeterminable. The cen- 

 suses on these areas were not sufficiently detailed to evaluate the effects of such factors as 

 predation. These figures do represent, however, the upper limit of possible crippling on 

 these areas. 



Beginning in the fall of 1933, certain portions of the Connecticut Hill survey area were 

 set aside for grouse population-control experiments. This control consisted of collecting 

 every bird possible on these portions the first year and in succeeding years collecting enough 

 to reduce the grouse density to half the normal maximum. Coincident with the collecting of 

 the birds, intensive census work was carried on to check on population changes due to birds 

 moving into or out of the area. In so doing, it has been possible to get a reasonably accu- 

 rate check on lost cripples by careful follow-up searches. 



While it would be perfectly possible to determine the percentage of the fall population that 

 were collected, crippled-in-collecting, and died from predation. these figures would be mean- 

 ingless in view of the length of the collecting period involved and the purpose of the work. 

 The crippling therefore has been worked out only in relation to the "take". These data are 

 summarized in table 58. 



These figures represent a minimum estimate of the numlier of birds crippled but not 

 brought to bag. Included in them are the number of birds knocked down but lost and that 

 subsequently may recover. It should also be remembered that the men making the collec- 

 tions on which this table is based were relatively good grouse shots. Thus the figure repre- 

 senting the number of grouse crippled but not bagged is probably lower than the average for 



