Man's Relation to the Grouse 265 



ported. Analysis of these records, available since 1926, fails to reveal 

 either: (1) control of the furbearer, or (2) any correlation with 

 grouse abundance. The take depends considerably on fur prices. 

 Since the additional economic incentive of a bounty has failed to 

 show^ game management results, it seems unlikely that trapping or 

 shooting of predators for fur will have any appreciable effect on 

 grouse populations. 



Organized "vermin hunts" reflect the character of the results of 

 predator control efforts by hunters not engaged in taking furs. They 

 are far from being a systematic control over species that may actu- 

 ally warrant some reduction in numbers. In the first place the aver- 

 age hunter is not very selective, especially with respect to hawks. 

 He is unable readily to identify many kinds of predators, particu- 

 larly the birds. He takes those easiest to get, which are usually the 

 beneficial rather than the '^bad" kinds. The need for control must be 

 based on a careful knowledge of the populations of both predators 

 and game— something which the hunter rarely has. 



An analysis of the returns of ten sportsmen's club predator cam- 

 paigns taken at random from published records in New York and 

 Pennsylvania showed: (1) Three and six-tenths per cent of the 

 victims were identified as species which are important grouse preda- 

 tors (crows not included); (2) seventy-five per cent of the hawks 

 were either unidentified or were identified as beneficial species, and 

 this assumes that the Cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks were cor- 

 rectly named, which is doubtful; (3) of the three and six-tenths per 

 cent identified as among important grouse enemies, forty-eight per 

 cent were submitted for bounty; (4) sixty-four per cent of all kinds 

 taken were crows, seven per cent were starlings, seven per cent water 

 snakes, four and five-tenths per cent rats, five per cent red squirrels; 

 (5) of over 7,700 specimens only three were foxes, the most impor- 

 tant grouse enemy, and thirty-six were horned owls, the nmner-up. 

 We can only conclude that the greatest benefit from the sportsmen's 

 nongame hunting is his ovm self-satisfaction, the economics of shot- 

 gun shell sales and the recreation derived. He would aid conserva- 

 tion more by shooting clay pigeons. 



Use of Guns, Traps, Snares, Dogs, Autos, and Roads. Man's tools 

 of pursuit have been an interesting sidelight to his relations with the 

 ruffed grouse, and in some respects have influenced its abundance. 



