COVER REQUIREMENTS OF THE GROUSE 161 



Sunup is the time to hunt the brushy spots and overgrown pastures particularly where there 

 is a dearth of small evergreens (C). Birds are apt to be found also in mixed second-growth 

 hardwoods and conifers (type EH) and in clumps of conifers (Hi. A considerable propor- 

 tion pay an early morning visit to the older cut-over areas ( J I . 



By mid-morning there is a tendency for birds to move back into the wooded areas, either 

 into the two woodland types mentioned above or to second-growth hardwoods (E). 



Midday is apt to bring on a small increase in birds among the popples, birches or alders 

 (B) and in mature hardwoods with (FH) or without conifers (F). There are also likely 

 to be fewer birds among the conifers (H) even though they be in mixture with second- 

 growth hardwoods (EH). 



No significant changes from this pattern are indicated throughout mid-afternoon except 

 that conifers I H ) are still less popular. This is apparently the best time of day to hunt the 

 spot-lumbered ])atches (G) especially if they are not too extensive. The older slashings also 

 show a small increase in use at this time. 



It is interesting to find no great increase in the numbers of grouse frequenting overgrown 

 lands (B, C and D) and but few birds in cut-over types 1,1 and J I in the late afternoon in 

 spite of the widely accepted belief that such coverts are much used for feeding at this time. 

 Woodland coverts containing a mixture of conifers (EH and H). however, exhibit in- 

 creased use. 



Thinking that tin' cover preferences of grouse dining llic hunting season (October, No- 

 vember) might differ significantly fmrn the overall fall picture, flush records gathered from 

 all parts of the Slate for these months, were a.isembled in table 159*. An analysis of these, 

 however, reveals no great difTercnce between the cover preferences of the birds in September 

 when compared with that of the later autunm months except that, as the days grow colder, less 

 use is likely to be made of cut-over areas (I, J) in the early morning. 



Effect of Various Weather Conditions on llir Choice of Cover by Adult Grouse 



The reaction of grouse to differcril weather conditions is naturally of interest to the hunter. 

 Such relationships may also he important to the game manager in i)reparing development 

 plans. Accordingly, the temperature, wind and atmospheric conditions prevailing at the time 

 each grouse was flushed, were noted throughout the Investigation'^. 



As a general conclusion it a])pears that grouse may be found in any cover type under any 

 of the weather conditions recorded. However, the types predominantly utilized at any one 

 season tend to outrank the others regardless of the weather. But an analysis of tables 160- 

 162^^ does reveal interesting differences of cover use under various weather conditions. 



Temperature. Considering temperature first, the data have been summarized in table 160. 

 At a glance, an inclination for the birds to move into mixed second-growth hardwoods and 

 conifers (EH) or to thick conifers (H) on colder than normal days is apparent. This 

 seems, however, not to extend to mature mixed hardwoods (FH) or to the more open over- 

 grown lands with an interspersion of evergreens (D). This suggests that the higher shelter 

 value of the denser woodland types may be the deciding factor. Thus conifers may serve the 

 adults as protection from cold in winter but not from heat in summer. 



Conversely, on warmer than normal days, grouse tend to move to some of the more o])en 



* See Appendix, p. B.'iO. 



A See figures 73 to 76. p. 702. 



t See Appendix, p. 831 lo p. 833. 



