620 DESIGNING GROUSE COVERTS AND SETTING UP MANAGEMENT PLANS 



rest will naturally grow up into spring breeding grounds. One of the toughest problems is to 

 prevent this transition from taking place where productive fall feeding areas are already well 

 established. This may be accomplished by periodically removing the taller saplings that 

 threaten to choke out the other trees, shrubs and ground vegetation on which the birds rely 

 for food. A method of poisoning the less desirable species, to prevent sprouting, is described 

 in the succeeding chapter.* Clearing with an axe is expensive since, normally, but little use 

 can be made of the cuttings. 



Moderate grazing hy cattle tends to hold back the natural development of brushy areas 

 into forest although patches of unproductive grass may be encouraged thereby. \^'Tiere over- 

 grown fields are pastured adjacent woodlands should be fenced off. 



Even in case maintenance of the necessary amount of overgrown land proves to be too 

 costly, it is always wise to release from competition any particularly desirable food producers 

 such as apples, thornapples or clumps of dogwoods or viburnums lliat may be present. 



Conversely, where trees or shrubs of the right species are scarce, as in an abandoned 

 meadow bordering a woods, it may be justifiable to introduce suitable species by planting 

 if they do not appear to be seeding in naturally. This, also, is discussed in the next chap- 

 ter. 



Woodland Design 



With but few exceptions, not too much can be done to improve the forested parts of a covert 

 except over a period of years. By selective logging of parts of a woodland, small openings 

 with their attendant shrubs and ground cover may quickly be created. A thinning of crooked 

 or diseased species of low value to game or as timber will, likewise, open up a thick patch of 

 woods. Skillfully planned and carried out, such practices generally tend to improve both 

 food and shelter for grouse. However, care should be used not to encourage too dense an 

 undergrowth as the birds are more partial to a woodland with moderate undercover. Where 

 grass is likely to be encouraged by heavy cutting, this should be avoided. Even light graz- 

 ing, except where undergrowth is dense, is definitely detrimental. 



In planning woodland improvement, conifers, either scattered through the woods or local- 

 ized in clumps here and there, are particularly to be encouraged since they furnish escape 

 cover and winter shelter. The only exception to this is where second-growth hardwoods, in 

 the vicinity of openings, are available for use as spring nesting grounds. 



Where winter shelter is desired but not present, it is usually best to plan for coniferous 

 plantings in adjacent fields and in small openings in the woods. Underplanting, unless the 

 crown cover is open, is seldom successful for both root and crown competition in woodlands 

 are usually severe. 



It is wise to encourage woods' roads and small openings within the forest cover. Con- 

 verselv, extensive areas composed largely of a few species are seldom productive of grouse 

 and >li(mlil In- gradually diversified by selective lumbering or by tliinning the stand unless 

 the crown cover is already sparse. 



In general, uneven-aged stands are preferable since a greater variety of trees, shrubs and 

 ground cover is likely to be encouraged thereby. 



Lastly, it should not be forgotten that, while woodlands are the backbone of grouse cover. 



• Promiiing ezpFrimcnls uiing newly dcvrlnpril plant hormoDct and translocating poiaona to climinatr uoileairable trcea and ahruba 

 are at preaent being carried out. 



