678 THE MAINTFA'ANCE OF A GROUSE CROP 



covering their observations to date. Nevertheless, it is conservative and should serve as a 

 valuable guide to the interested game manager. 



This sliding scale of allowable take, as shown in figure 70. requires for its application 

 only an estimate of the total fall population in relation to the size of the area involved (birds 

 per 100 acres) and an appraisal of the general quality of the coverts on the area. Oidy 

 data for high and medium quality coverts have been used, however, since it seems unlikely 

 that intensive management of poorer areas for grouse will often be undertaken. 



Under this yield table, when grouse are abundant or scarce, the take may be correspond- 

 ingly large or small. For instance, from a 2,000-acre tract of high quality coverts support- 

 ing a fall population of ten grouse to 100 acres or 200 birds in all. 9 per cent or 18 birds 

 might be taken. Were the poj)ulation twice as high (20 to 100 acres) the allowable harvest 

 would approach 50 per cent. 



One may wonder why it is recommended that hunting be suspended on a good area when 

 the birds are still more plentiful than on a medium area where a take is permitted. But. if 

 a fall population on any area were reduced to the lowest point from which it might be 

 expected to recover, one could expect little or no harvestable surplus the following year. 

 The levels below which hunting is not recommended, therefore, represent populations which 

 should, with average natural losses, produce enough birds the following fall to insure an ade- 

 quate breeding stock. This level is lower for coverts of medium quality since the overwin- 

 tering abilitv of such areas is somewhat less than for better habitats. Of course, the latter 

 could safely be reduced just as low or lower. But to do so would result in reducing the 

 general population level they are capable of supporting. One must also remember that, even 

 though a smaller proportion of the population has been taken when hunting is suspended 

 on the good area, the actual lunnber of birds harvested is usuallv greater. 



Regulation of Hintinc. 



More exact regulation of the iiundter of birds taken bv iuinliiig than can be accomplished 

 l>y executive action tiirough sotting o])en seasons and bag limits will rarely be warranted 

 over large areas. On local units under intensive management, however, it may sometimes 

 be desirable to limit the kill to a pred(>tcrmined mnuber based on tlie known harvestable 

 surplus at the beginning of the hunting season*. The need for supplementary control on 

 a managed area implies a very high hunting pressure which, operating freely, might endanger 

 the maintenance of an adequate brood stock. 



The sim|)lest way of accomplishing this aim is to restrict the number of hunters or the size 

 of their take or both. In order to carry out such limitations one must have complete control 

 of trespass on the area. The land must be posted within the legal requirements of the state 

 law and must be patrolled to prevent poaching. Some system of checking huiitiMs in and 

 out of the area is also needed in order that records of the harvest can be maintained. \\ hen 

 these records show tlial the allowable lake has been attained, hunting of grouse should be 

 stopped for the year. 



The point may be raised that, over an area, certain good coverts, being in the productive 

 |)hase of their cycle, are well stocked while others, equally good, are i>ut sparsely occupied 

 and should therefore not lie Iiunted as intensively. Theoretically this is true. But in prac- 

 tice over large areas it is, of course, quite impossible to limit the intensity of llic Ininting on 



* Spc disciiBsinn of Thp I'roinirlion it( tlir Cro|» Available f<ir Hatvrit by Hiinling. p. 676. 



