CHAPTER XVl 



IMPROVING AND MAINTAINING GROUSE COVERTS 



By Gardiner Bump and Frank C. Edminster 



ALTERING EXISTING COVER 



Methods Available — Cutting — Girdling — Poisoning — Grazing — Fire — Producing and 

 Maintaining Productive Cover — Fall Feeding Grounds — Spring Breeding Grounds — 

 Winter Shelter — Summer Feeding Grounds — Correlation of Grouse Cover Improve- 

 ment Work with Other Forest Practices — Forest Stand Improvement Work — Con- 

 trol of Forest Insects and Diseases. 



DEVELOPING FOOD AND SHELTER BY PLANTING 



Basic Principles Controlling Planting— Determining Cover Establislunent Methods 

 to be Used — Securing and Caring for Planting Stock — Planting Methods — Conifer Plant- 

 ings — Hardwood Tree Plantings — Shrub Border Plantings — Herbaceous Plantings 



PROTECTING THE EXISTING COVER 



Fire, Its Prevention, Control and Use — Control of Domestic Livestock — Con- 

 trol OF Deer Browsing 



SS 



SUMMARY 



Good grouse cover may be produced or maintained in three ways; by altering the existing 

 cover, by planting new cover, and by protecting the existing habitat from destructive 

 forces, (p. 639, 645, 664). 



The surest way of encouraging large grouse populations is to take full advantage of the ex- 

 isting cover by improving it. (p. 639). 



There are five methods by which existing cover may be changed. 



Cutting may be used where the timber products are valuable and the ensuing hardwood 

 sprout growth is desired, (p. 640). 



CinUiiig may be resorted to where trees have little commercial value and it is desired to 

 inhibit sprouting, (p. 640). 



Poisoning, with certain species, offers a method even more effective than girdling in in- 

 hibiting sprout growth. Under some circumstances it is the least expensive of all 

 these methods for eliminating undesirable tree or shrub growth, (p. 640). 



