334 



PREDATION 



In interpreting the following data one must bear in iiiiiul that, in addition to reflecting 

 the habits of the various predators, the picture is also colored by the distribution and abun- 

 dance of these siiecies. The authors believe that the material presented is representative of 

 the majority of the better grouse range in New York. At the same time it is quite probable 

 that in other sections of the Northeast the situation may be entirely different. In fact in 

 other localities species may be important which are not even mentioned here. 



Nest Period 



The degree of predation observed among grouse nests has been discussed under a previous 

 topic*. For each nest so destroyed the species responsible was in most cases diagnosed. 

 Table 40 summarizes these data. In this connection it should be pointed out that it is utterly 

 impossible to secure an accurate picture of the egg-eating habits of a predator through 

 stomach examination. 



TABLE to. PUOPORTION OF BROKEN-UP GROUSE NESTS ATTRIBUTED TO VARIOUS 

 PREDATORS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF NEW YORK— 1929-1942 



* The total number of records used in this table differs from that indicated in table 35 because nests not comparable for iurrival 

 calculations could nevertheless be included here. 



There is little question which are the outstanding predators in the State during this period. 

 Over three-fourths of all the nests brokcn-iip have been attributable to the fox. weasel, skunk 

 and raccoon. Following these, about tied for a [loor iiftii. arc the crow and dog. More- 

 over their relative importance varies little in the different regions. 



By far the most serious is the fox. That thi> ajiplies to the red species just as much as to 

 the gray has been amply attested by experience on Connecticut Hill where both are present 

 and in the Adirondacks where only the red fox is found. Several times tliese animals have 

 been observed in the act of breaking up a grouse nest. On one occasion such a drama was 

 observed from a tree blind, \liont dawn one morning a red fox was seen approaching the 

 vicinity of an incubating bird under observation. Finally it flushed her. This individual 



• Sre disruBHiim it( Rnlr of I*rc4lnti(in Diirinj; Ncm I'criml, p. 311. 



