666 IMPROVING AND MAINTAINING GROUSE COVERTS 



|)ra<;tice worth wliilc. However, in all cases where evaluations have been made, it has been 

 shown that it is not profitable. The amount of fyrage is ordinarily small and of inferior 

 quality and the excessive exercise required of the animals to secure it often results in a loss 

 of meat or milk production. The fact that many farm woodlands are at considerable dis- 

 tances from the buildings and are on steep slopes, adds weight to this conclusion. 



The practice of pasturing livestock in the woodland can have a very detrimental effect upon 

 the plant association. How serious this will be depends upon the intensity of the pasturing 

 and, to some degree, upon the type of animals involved. Sheep and goats are more destruc- 

 tive of the ground cover than are cattle. 



The tendency is towaril the gradual elimination of the herljaccous and woody ground cover 

 and understory and the tramping down and compaction of the woodland soil. H the intensity 

 of grazing is such as to prevent the regeneration of the understory plants, the end result is a 

 decadent woodland composed of older trees with a park-like floor. In this condition, it is 

 neither good woodland nor good pasture. If the practice is long continued the woodland will 

 vanish. 



Heavily pastured woodland loses a large part of its value as cover for grouse. Not only 

 are many of the desirable plants eliminated from the woodland floor, but those that remain 

 are usually less accessible than in a normal woods. This affects both the shelter and food 

 conditions for grouse. The tendency is to leave adequate shelter only high above the ground 

 where it is least useful to the birds. The effect on food is generally the elimination of a large 

 number of important herbaceous and shrubby food species. 



But the effect of pasturing on the grouse habitat is not entirely on the red side of the 

 ledger. Grazing does tend to result in the introduction of certain plants desirable for food. 

 Clover, for example, will ofttimes be found in woodland openings as a result of the activity 

 of domestic livestock. Likewise, many plants are resistant to the effects of grazing and tend 

 to become more prevalent in the woodland understory as their competitors are eliminated. 

 Included in this group are such shrubs as thornapples and blackberries, where there is ade- 

 quate sunlight present. 



The solution to this jnnblt'in is simple; merely fence the livestock iiilo their projjcr pas- 

 tures. However, it should not l>e forgotten that occasional light grazing may be beneficial. 

 If it were not for the cash outlay required for woodland fencing it would not be diffirull 

 to persuade most farmers to do it. However, they often are not certain that tlie cost «ill lie 

 offset by the advantages gained. When one considers the improvement to the livestock, the 

 increase in wood products and the benefits to grouse and other wildlife, the ecoiioinie balance 

 is definitely in favor of protection. 



Control of Dkkr Browsing 



In most cases, the over-browsing of the woodland understor) is the result of grazing 

 by domestic livestock. However, in some areas, the while-lailetl deer has broufiht about 

 substantially the same results. The solution to this problem is entirely different tlian that 

 created by domestic livestock. Provision of adequate open shooting seasons and bag limits, 

 coupled with enough hunters, to reduce the density of the deer population below the carry- 

 ing capacity of the range is all that is required. The State should have adequate discretion- 

 ary power to insure enough hunting of either sex as may be required in order to ])re\ent the 

 destruction of valuable woodland cover. 



