CHAPTER XIV 



MANAGING GROUSE AREAS 



By Gardiner Bimp 



WHY MANAGEMENT IS NECESSARY 



INTENSIVE VERSUS INCIDENTAL COVER MANAGEMENT 



THE GOAL — IDEAL COVERTS 



For Grouse — For Nestings For Broods — For Adults For the Grouse Hunter 

 OVERALL COVER CONDITIONS, TRENDS AND NEEDS IN NEW YORK STATE 



The Adirondack Region — The Catskills — The Rest of the State 

 SOME PRACTICES HARMFUL TO GROUSE 

 THE ROLE OF THE STATE 



Annual Responsibilities — Yearly Inventory — Regulation of Hunting — Long-term 

 Projects — Research — Service to the Landowner — Acquisition and Development of 

 Grouse Lands — Maintaining Hunting Grounds — Stimulating Grouse Production on 

 Private Lands — Stimulating Interest and Understanding — Emphasis on Fundamental 

 Conservation Proarams 



& 



SUMMARY 



With constantly increasing hunting pressure on grouse, either the hunter must harvest less 

 or he must see that more and better coverts are produced. I p. 587). 



Intensive cover management for grouse alone can seldom be justified on a large scale (p. 587). 



-The management of woodlands for grouse may be combined with the production of other 

 forest products so successfully as to make the real question one of individual interest 

 rather than of opportunity or economics. (p. 587). 



To better define the goal — the establishment of as many productive habitats as possible — 

 ideal coverts for nesting, for broods and for adults are described, (p. 589, 593). 



It is perfectly possible to produce coverts providing excellent conditions both for the grouse 

 and for the hunter. Edges, small slashings and openings, properly arranged, are the 

 major prerequisites, (p. 594). 



