64 The Ruffed Grouse 



grouse range, from the point of view of the grouse, insofar as we can 

 interpret their needs as expressed by their cover choices. The types 

 most prominent in the northeastern range may be organized as 

 follows: 



Open land— predominantly herbaceous plants. 



Overgrown fields— predominantly shrubs and saplings, succeeding 

 from abandoned open fields. 



Slashings— clearcut woodland, prior to reaching the pole stage of 

 regeneration. 



Hardwood woodlands— woods composed predominantly of hard- 

 wood species. 



Mixed woodland— woods composed of a balance of hardwood and 

 conifer species. 



Coniferous woodland— woods composed predominantly of conifer- 

 ous species. 



Many subdivisions of these major types have some importance to 

 the grouse. These types with the more important subtypes may be 

 described as follows: 



Open land: The great variety of open-field plant associations that 

 are so vital to such species as the bobwhite quail and ring-necked 

 pheasant make substantially one type for the grouse. They do not 

 furnish satisfactory shelter. Some of them do furnish considerable 

 food, particularly during the summer, but are not very important in 

 this respect since other cover types fiunish ample food of the same 

 type and adequate shelter as well. 



The greatest value of the open-land types is that they enhance 

 the value of adjacent woody types by creating edges. The edges 

 improve the fruiting capacity of woody plants, and many herbaceous 

 plants from the fields will penetrate the woods edge to a short dis- 

 tance, thereby increasing the food supply. The abundance of shrubs 

 is usually greater along an open field edge of a woods. 



The edges of open fields are used some by grouse for feeding, 

 sunning and dusting. Old fields of weeds and grasses are most desir- 

 able. Most crop fields are of practically no use to grouse. Buckwheat 

 is sometimes used a little in early fall for food. In forest areas, roads, 

 lakes, streams, marshes, and beaver meadows serve the functions of 

 the open-field tvpes. 



Overgrown land: Fields abandoned from agricultural use will 



