Food and Water 135 



cranberry (V. macrocarpon) , deerberry (V. stamineum), dryland 

 blueberry (V. vacillans), cowberry (V. vitis-idaea) , and rock cran- 

 berry (V. vitis-idaea minus) are all known to be eaten by grouse. 

 It is entirely probable that numerous other species of blueberries 

 also are taken. The relative importance of the several species is 

 probably determined largely by their distribution and abundance. 

 The lowbush blueberiy is most important in southern New York, 

 followed in order by highbush blueberry, deerberry, and dryland 

 blueberry. 



Seasonal importance: There are two distinct seasons of use for 

 Vaccinium: July to August for the fruit by both adult and young 

 grouse; and fall, winter, and early spring for the buds and twigs, 

 with the most intensive use from November through January. The 

 leaves also are eaten to a considerable extent in summer and fall. 



Parts used: Fruit, in summer, by both adults and young; buds and 

 twigs in fall, v^rinter and early spring; and leaves in summer and fall. 

 The fruit and buds are the parts most used. 



Geographical importance: As a summer food, the fruit is impor- 

 tant to both adults and yoimg throughout the Northeast. In New 

 York it ranked higher in the Adirondacks than elsewhere. During 

 fall and winter the buds are used in all parts of the Northeast, but 

 with apparently less intensity in New York than elsewhere. Possibly 

 western New England is also included with New York in this area 

 of restricted importance. 



The blueberries are low-to-medium-height shrubs ( see Plate 21B ) 

 found mainly on acid soils in open fields and along roadsides and 

 woodland edges. The more important species for grouse are those 

 growing in dry sites, but several species are confined to bogs. They 

 are pioneers in plant succession and often become established fol- 

 lowing a burn. Some are quite intolerant of shade and competition. 

 The native, wild blueberries are highly prized for human food and 

 are an important crop in some areas. Blueberry products, mainly the 

 fruit, are eaten by many species of songbirds, by the ring-necked 

 pheasant, bobwhite, Hungarian partridge, skunk, white-tailed deer, 

 opossum, cottontail, black bear, raccoon, and moose. Most of this 

 competition comes in the summer when food is plentiful. There is 

 normally little possibility of its having a serious effect on either 

 distribution or abundance of ruffed grouse. Harvest of blueberries 

 by man probably affects grouse distribution locally. 



