632 DESIGNING GROUSE COVERTS AND SETTING UP MANAGEMENT PLANS 



Some Generally Unproductive Practices 



Two ideas, commonly expressed, have but little place in the plans for managing grouse 

 coverts, except under unusual circumstances. So that time and money may be better em- 

 ployed, they are mentioned here. 



Providing Artificial Food and Shelter 



Natural food and shelter result from proper cover, as heretofore discussed. Occasionally, 

 one may be tempted to provide these items artificially either through setting up winter feed- 

 ing stations or by building escape covers such as brush piles. Neither of these has proven 

 necessary or particularly useful when tried out bv the Investigation. 



Restocking 



As a productive technique, restocking has been, for the most part, poorly planned and 

 badly carried out. That it has its place, as described in Chapter XVII*, is unquestioned. 



WINTER FEEDING STATIONS ATTRACT ONLY AN OCCASIONAL BIRD 



But as a means of quickly increasing the possible fall harvest of birds, it is altogether too 

 costly and uncettain to warrant inclusion in am inaiiaircincnt plan. 



SETTING UP MANAGEMENT PLANS 



There is an air of assurance about the title to this section which may be misleading. It 

 seems to irnplv that the science of producing and perpetuating a grouse crop is sufficiently 

 cut and dried to allow ])laiis complete in every detail to be drawn up, nnich as an archi- 

 tect does for a house and with much the same certainty of satisfaction over the results, once 

 they are carried out. 



Such an impression is naturally wide of the mark. Tiic results of the present study, even 



» See p. 672. 



