298 The Ruffed Grouse 



In the scrub oak-pitch pine forest type of Pennsylvania, Stud- 

 holme (1941) studied the grouse populations on a 1,440-acre area 

 from October, 1939, to April, 1941. The breeding season densities 

 were very uniform, about sixteen acres per bird, while the fall shoot- 

 ing season densities were from nine to ten acres per bird. 



Population Densities of All Game Birds in Grouse Range. There are 

 several other species of game birds that occupy the same range as 

 ruffed grouse in the Northeast. The one of greatest importance, and 

 which occupies substantially the same range as the grouse, is the 

 woodcock ( Scolopax rusticola ) . An occasional ring-necked pheasant 

 (Pliasianus colchictis), or bobwhite quail {Colinus virginianus) 

 utilizes the margins of some ruffed grouse coverts. In broken-up 

 grouse range the mourning dove (Zenaidura macroura) is quite 

 common, while an occasional black duck {Anas ohscura) will be 

 found in territories of partridges. All of these species are found on 

 the Connecticut Hill area, the woodcock and mourning dove ^ being 

 most prevalent. 



Woodcock ordinarily are from one-seventh to one-fourth as abun- 

 dant as grouse, the latter usually occur in years of rather low grouse 

 abundance. 



Ring-necked pheasants occurred in small numbers except in win- 

 ter. The numbers of quail and black duck were not significant. 

 Mourning doves were about as abundant as woodcock. 



The density of the mixed stands of game birds is only an approxi- 

 mation. The average spring density was about six acres per bird. 

 This was composed roughly of seven-tenths ruffed grouse, one- 

 eighth woodcock, one-twentieth ring-necked pheasant, and one- 

 eighth mourning dove. September populations averaged about four 

 and one-half acres per game bird. Here the proportions of species 

 were approximately three-quarters grouse, one-sixth woodcock, one- 

 thirtieth pheasant and one-twelfth doves. 



CARRYING CAPACITY AND SATURATION POINT 



Carrying capacity plays a key part in the determination of pop- 

 ulation density, hence in productivity. Leopold (1933) states that 



^ The mourning do%e is not legal game in New York. 



