ORGANIZING THE OTHER FORCES OF PRODUCTION 629 



and a timber crop at some future date. Detailed suggestions covering this point have been 

 presented. 



The need for and the positions of adequate food and cover areas thus having been deter- 

 mined, the problem of locating refuge and shooting units still remains to be considered to 

 make the blueprint for improvement complete. 



Locating Hunting Areas and Seed Stock Refuges 



High grouse populations are seldom maintained for long in coverts where the surplus is 

 not harvested by hunting. The role and control of the hunter is discussed in Chapter XVII. 

 p. 678 to 679. 



Well-planned grouse management areas should be laid out so as to facilitate the harvest 

 of the grouse crop. Not that the hunter is given all the breaks — the birds see to that for 

 grouse are famous shot-dodgers. Cover types may, therefore, be arranged occasionally so as 

 to provide many possible shooting opportunities before the birds reach the comparative safety 

 of thick cover. This possesses the double advantage of helping to prevent surplus crops from 

 going unharvested and allowing the less skillful hunter a better opportunity to share in the 

 birds taken, thus spreading the enjoyment over a larger group. 



Specific suggestions for setting up areas for hunting grouse, are detailed in Chapter XIV 

 on p. 594 to 596. 



As regards seed-stock refuges, they are of little value where hunting is strictly regulated as 

 on a preserve. Likewise, where dense stands of conifers or hardwoods present a considerable 

 proportion of impenetrable thickets, no artificially established seed stock refuges are necessary 

 as the birds soon learn to make good use of these as escape cover. 



On the other hand, where grouse coverts are likely to be subjected to heavy and long- 

 continued hunting pressure, or where they are presently so poor as to support but few birds, 

 an occasional small refuge unit, strategically placed, provides some assurance that a fair num- 

 ber of breeders will remain in the coverts at the conclusion of the season. The proper loca- 

 tions for these may be determined by examining the cover-type map in conjunction with field 

 observations. Fall feeding grounds, together with adjacent thick cover, make excellent refuge 

 units. It is desirable to set up the refuge in the midst of good grouse cover so as to provide 

 an abundance of favorable locations nearby for the birds to occupy in the event such coverts 

 are overshot. 



Assuming a refuge is desirable, the most appropriate size is from 25 to 100 acres. So 

 long as the boundaries are clearly marked, the better the fall feeding and escape cover con- 

 tained therein, the smaller the unit should be. Not over one-fourth of the total acreage of 

 any covert need normally be used for this purpose. 



The determination of size and location must be based to a considerable extent upon ex- 

 pediency. Easily recognized boundaries should be used wherever possible. Woodland borders, 

 roads and other natural features serve this purpose excellently. By so doing, trespass thereon, 

 as well as the cost of establishment and maintenance will be cut to the minimum. 



ORGANIZING THE OTHER FORCES OF PRODUCTION 



While the main emphasis, heretofore, has rightly been placed on designing the best possible 

 food and shelter combinations, it would be in error to assume that these alone are important. 

 The role played by each of the other forces controlling grouse abundance has been described 



