Interrelationships of Ruffed Grouse 215 



than occurred without control on the areas used as a check but 

 which had much lower populations to start with. Thus, the high 

 decimation expected in peak populations occurred regardless of 

 elimination of predators. 



From all the data on hand, we must conclude that intensive 

 predator control of any type, while it may be markedly effective in 

 reducing nesting loss, will not produce a higher shootable fall popu- 

 lation of grouse during years of high abundance. During years of 

 low grouse numbers, the evidence shows that predator control may 

 increase appreciably the fall grouse population. But even under 

 these conditions, with the grouse population increasing anyway, the 

 justiiication for deliberate predator control is very doubtful. 



Control measures designed to benefit game populations often take 

 the form of bounties. In this connection, Gerstell (1937), in report- 

 ing upon the experience of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, 

 concludes:". . . as a predator-control measure the payment of boun- 

 ties has proven grossly inefficient ... it has been impossible to 

 prove that the operation of the bounty system over a relatively long 

 period of years has improved game conditions. Furthermore, it was 

 shown that the annual amount of money expended for bounty pay- 

 ments was controlled not by the abundance of predators, but prin- 

 cipally by climatic and general economic conditions." What more 

 need be added? There is no substantial evidence to justify intensive 

 predator control for the benefit of grouse populations. 



THE ABUNDANCE OF BUFFER SPECIES AS IT AFFECTS 

 PREDATOR FOOD HABITS AND GROUSE MORTALITY 



Buffer species are those animals that furnish the bulk of food for 

 predatory animals. They are generally abundant, sometimes exceed- 

 ingly so, have a high-reproductive rate, and wide distribution. They 

 are the staple animal foods of the foxes, weasels, owls, hawks, etc. 

 Predominantly they are rodents, and they are markedly cyclic in 

 their population trends. In the Northeast the more prominent ones 

 are: rabbits (cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare) (see Plate 34A, B), 

 squirrels (red and gray) (see Plate 34C), mice-field (Microtus), 

 wood (Peromtjscus) , red-backed (Evotomys), and others— shrews, 

 and woodchuck. Since they are relatively easy to catch, because 

 of their abundance, their slowness afoot, or inability to protect 



