Food and Water 127 



subclimax and climax species. The fruit ripens from July to Septem- 

 ber and is eaten until early winter from tree and ground. 



Chokecherry ( see Plate 22C ) is a large shrub or small tree found 

 abundantly in hedge-rows and along woodland borders. As with the 

 other two species above, it is widely adaptable to a variety of soils. 

 The fruit ripens in late summer and is eaten through the fall and 

 into the vmiter. 



All of these cherries provide food also for the bobwhite, ring- 

 necked pheasant, numerous song birds, and the cottontail. Black 

 cherry is also a food plant of the white-tailed deer, red fox, raccoon, 

 squirrels, and black bear; pin cherry for the white-tailed deer, chip- 

 munk, and beaver; and chokecherry for the black bear. As far as 

 the fruit is concerned, this competition may sometimes aflFect grouse 

 food habits locally, but not seriously. Competition for leaves and 

 buds is of no importance, except in spots where beavers may destroy 

 small stands of pin cherry. 



Oaks (Quercus spp.) 



Species utilized: White oak (Q. alba), northern red oak ( Q. ho- 

 realis), red oak (Q. rubra), bear oak {Q. ilicifolia), pin oak (Q. 

 palustris), chestnut oak {Q. montana), and chinquapin oak {Q. 

 prinoides), in the approximate order of their importance. As most 

 of the records show identity only to the genus, it is impossible to 

 appraise accurately the relative importance of the several species 

 with the information now available ( see Plate 22A ) . 



Seasonal importance: The oak group is one of the most important, 

 and at time?, and places the most important source of fall food. 

 Where snow conditions permit, it is also a valuable winter food. 

 Acorns appear more prominently in the written records than is war- 

 ranted because of the predominance of fall records, that is, from 

 grouse killed in the hunting season. That is really the only period 

 when oak mast is of great importance. Even though not available 

 throughout the year, acorns still are a very important grouse food. 



Parts used: nuts (acorns). 



Geographical importance: The area of greatest use for acorns is 

 middle and southern New England, and from Ohio and Pennsyl- 

 vania southward. The acorns are of moderate importance in northern 

 New England and in New York outside the Adirondacks. The value 



