372 



INFLUENCE OF MAN 



"explanations" prominently mentioned although no one attempted to actually find out what 

 proportion of the grouse actually were taken by hunters. Consequently, among the first 

 assignments of the Investigation was an evaluation of hunting in the field. 



\UMBER AND PeR CeNT BaGGED 



One measure of the legal harvest of grouse in New York is through the report required 

 of sportsmen by the clerk upon issuing a new license. It is recognized that these reports 

 are not entirely accurate, but the errors are probably the same one year as another. Hence, 

 allowing for this, they are valuable in indicating trends. These are given in table 55. 



TABLE .55. 



REPORTED KILL OF GROUSE AND AVERAGE SEASONAL BAG PER 

 LICENSED HUNTER REPORTING IN NEW YORK^1923-1939 



*An average of 61 per cent of all license holders make a report, of which 54 per cent (or 33 per cent of all licensees) report tak- 

 ing game. 



AOnly hunting licenses were issueil these years, of which it is assumed an average of 61 per rt'iit reported, as in other years in 

 which combination hunting, fishing and trapping li<'enses were issued. 



tliased on assumption that 20 per cent of all iNew ^'ork licensed hunters rejMjrting their game bag are grouse hvinters. 



JAverngc number of grouse bagged per grouse liuiiler wlien the length of the hunting season is correlated to the basis of 1 month. 



In interpreting these figures, certain facts should be noted. Tiic bag limit.-i in all years 

 were three per day and 15 per season. The figures are not weighted to account for licensees 

 not reporting nor for hunters not licensed. Only part of the licensees reporting game bagged 

 were grouse hunters. 



When allowances are made for these factors, estimates of the average number of birds 

 taken each year bv the grouse hunter is approxiinatelv the same or slightly lower than experi- 

 ence leads us to expect. While this annual grouse bag per hunter is small, it compares very 

 favorably with that of other species. 



The total yearly kill is. no doubt, greater than re|)()rted since some licensees do not report, 

 landowners do not need licenses to hunt on their own lands, and some illegal hunting is done. 

 No satisfactory method of taking these factors into account is available, so any estimate of 

 (he actual kill is at best only a guess. It is. probably, at least double that reported. 



There are several interesting facts to be gleaned from these figures. In direct confirma- 

 lion of the opinion of many "old-timer.s", there have been more grouse in the current peak 

 years than in several decades. It is very noticeaiilc that the average take per hunter has 

 materially increased, while that for the estimated grouse iiuntcr has nearly doubled. Although 

 these figures meet the general appraisals made on experience alone, those for the later years 

 may be somewhat high since, with the increasing niiniln'rs of grouse more and more hunters 

 are turning to them for their sport. 



