ORIENTATION 445 



can be produced In this method. Artificially raised adult grouse represent poor stock 

 fcjr liberation because of their tendency to remain unwary of man. i p. .507. .5081. 



The artificial production of grouse either to restock depleted coverts or to provide "birds for 

 the gun" is at present seldom justified except where cost is not an important factor, where 

 research ends are to be served, or where birds are needed to reintroduce the species into 

 a favorable habitat from which they have been extirpated. I |j. .502 1 . 



m 



We are gradually learning that there is no royal road to wildlife abundance. Not even the 

 liberation of thousands of artificially reared game birds can guarantee a good crop. 



There was a time, not far back, when great emphasis was placed on the artificial propaga- 

 tion of game birds. Then came a change. With game management emphasizing other prac- 

 tices, many wildlife technicians today do not realize the pdcntial \ ahic of tills ar|i\ity as one 

 of their practical production tools. 



There is and will continue to be. a place to use arlKicialK pn)]iagale(I game l)ir(ls until we 

 have learned how to inairitairi a uild seed stock Mar after \ear at a lc\el .-oiMewhcrc near 

 the carrxing lapacit) of our coverts. The Scotch grouse in Kngland has been managed suc- 

 cessfully for 300 years, but nnich too little is known of our grouse to permit such intensive 

 handling. Decades must elapse and much good m icrililic work lie completed before we can 

 look forward to a like result with most of our game species. In the meantime, natural 

 forces, aided by man, will occasionall) reduce some species to a point where artificial 

 restocking mav prove the quickest and surest, if not the ord\ way. to restore an adequate seed 

 stock. In a |)in(h. it niiglil !><■ the means of sa\ing a sjiecies from extinction. 



(Jronse are still dillicult and costh to raise in capti\ itv 1>\ comparison with pheasants and 

 (juail. For this reason the artificial production of grouse, eitlier to restock depleted i()\crts 

 or as "birds for the gun" is at ]jresenl seUloni iu>lili('(l c\ii-pt where cost is not an impor- 

 tant factor, where research ends are to be served, or where birds arc needed to reintroduce 

 the species into a favorable habitat from which the\ have been extirj)ated. 



ORIE.NTATION 



Before proceeding with a detailed descri|ition of how to raise grouse in captivity it is well 

 to consider brieflv the picture in general terms. \\ hat are the major problems one must 

 face? What choice is there as to propagation methods'.'' What progress has been made to date 

 in raising grouse in rapti\ily? Let us then get first a bird's-eye view of the situation. 



Background wn Difi-iculties 



One has but to turn to the first chapter of the book to see how clearly the game enthusiast 

 of yesteryear visualized the productive potentialities that lay in artificial propagation. That 

 they were seldom realized with grouse is due perhaps to the biology of the species rather than 

 the men who tried tirelessly to raise these birds by adapting the methods that had proved so 

 successful with pheasants and quail. 



