Man's Relation to the Grouse 263 



may be gathered by considering the fate of an average hundred 

 grouse eggs in the spring ( see page 285 ) . Of eighty-two which may 

 perish the first year, hunters are responsible for only five. Obviously 

 this five per cent of eggs accounted for by hunting is the same as the 

 twenty per cent of adults. It should be noted though that the num- 

 ber of mature birds lost are of far greater importance than an equal 

 number in the egg and immature stages. 



Predator Reduction by Hunters and Trappers. It is a sad commen- 

 tary on our progress in conservation education that the average 

 American hunter still considers all hawks as bad hawks, can see no 

 good in skunks or weasels, continues to believe that if there weren't 

 so blankety-blank many foxes there would surely be more game for 

 him to shoot. This attitude results in the actual loss of conservation 

 values. John Q. Hunter still takes a pot shot at every hawk, owl, fox, 

 crow, turtle, snake, red squirrel, or whatnot that crosses his path, 

 and believes himself to be a worker for "the cause" when he does so. 

 Worse, he is often encouraged by the payment of bounties, or prizes 

 offered in "veiTnin control" contests. As a fur trapper he also takes 

 species that affect grouse populations, and some of the legitimate 

 game animals are also in this class. 



The haphazard shooting of predators cannot be evaluated in its 

 effects on grouse. We only know that by far the greater portion of 

 this take is of species that do not prey on the grouse at all or are 

 of no real importance to grouse. Probably the best insight into 

 man's endeavors with respect to grouse enemies may be gained 

 by analyzing the organized efforts which have produced tangible 

 records. Notable among these are bounty systems, and of particu- 

 lar significance in the Northeast is the story of the Pennsylvania 

 bounties. 



Gerstell (1937) has written a fine analysis and summary of the 

 results of bounty payments in the Keystone state, from which we will 

 quote freely. Bounties of one kind or another have been given there 

 since 1683 but the modem bounties that are aimed at game manage- 

 ment began in 1915. Most of the species on which bounties have 

 been paid in recent years are important grouse predators— red and 

 gray foxes, weasels, goshawks, and homed owls. The bobcat and 

 mink have also been subject to bounty but owing to their low num- 

 bers are not of great importance to grouse. 



The goshawk's bounty record indicates that: (1) The hunter kill 



