^5 A GROUSE HUNTER 371 



tory animals themselves. 



As a farmer, he cultivates the land and harvests its crops. Through these operations he 

 largely determines the nature of the cover and, hence, the carrying capacity of the land for 

 grouse. In those areas where he does not farm, he often assumes the same role, in so far as 

 grouse are concerned, as a lumberman. 



Probably most significant of all is the gradual evolution of man as a conservationist. In 

 this role he modifies his actions in a deliberate effort at producing more of our renewable 

 resources. 



By affecting the numbers of grouse directly and through controlling its habitat, it is clear 

 that he can, within limits, increase or decrease the numbers of grouse according to his will. 



AS A GROUSE HUNTER 



The grouse, along with other game species, played an important part in furnishing food for 

 the early settlers of the Northeast. But it was not until the beginning of the nineteenth cen- 

 tury that many written references to grouse hunting were made. Then, it was largely a mat- 

 ter of replenishing the home larder or of supplying the city markets. Wilson*" indicates the 

 lack of "sport" in grouse hunting at this time when, speaking of the advantages of a good dog. 

 he says, "the more noise he keeps up seems the more to confuse and stupifv them, so that 

 they may be shot down, one by one, till the whole are killed". In fact, they were such easy 

 prey that traps, snares and deadfalls were in more prevalent use to bag them than guns. 



Audubon's" recording of the sale of grouse in the Cincinnati market in 1820 for 12''/; cents 

 each indicates that large numbers (in proportion to the demand) nnisf have been killed. 

 Elliot'" relates of one firm that received 1.000 birds on each Saturday for manv weeks in suc- 

 cession. Knowing the strict limitations of transportation in that era. it is evident that huge 

 numbers must have been brought to bag. 



Market hunting flourished through the greater part of the 1800s. rising and falling with 

 the abundance of the birds but succumbing gradually (as a legitimate business) to the restric- 

 tions of new laws*. Monon"" indicates that this "business" died a hard death when he says, 

 "the whole northern country, from Amsterdam to Northville. New York, is infested with 

 pot-shooters who hunt (out of season) for the Saratoga market". Nevertheless, from this 

 period on there was a gradual transition in grouse hunting from "pot-shooting", both legal 

 and illegal, to sport. By the turn of the century the change was about complete except for 

 a small amount of illegitimate market hunting which continues even today. 



One of the few records indicating concretely the quantity of birds killed is given by For- 

 bush"° who quotes a Mr. E. F. Staples of Taunton, Massachusetts. This gentleman said that 

 in the early 1880s about a thousand birds were killed in a season on the 20,000 acres that 

 he ranged. While an estimate is not given for the total number of grouse on the area, he 

 does intimate that they were "real good" years — the last good ones in his estimation up to 

 time of interview (1908). With a density then equal to the peak density of the recent 

 period of abundance, this would have meant about 5,000 grouse and a bag of around 20 per 

 cent. 



As the twentieth century progressed, the interest in grouse hunting as a sport increased 

 rapidly and concern over the periodic disappearances of the grouse grew each time thev 

 became scarce. Volumes were written on the subject and over-hunting was one of numerous 



* See Chapter I, p, 17. 



