Management of the Ruffed Grouse 329 



DEVELOPMENT OF HABITAT 



The foundation of grouse production is the habitat. Hence ma- 

 nipiJation of the habitat is the core of management. In discussing 

 the various methods of developing and handUng grouse habitat, the 

 recommendations will be directed specifically at producing grouse, 

 but correlations with other interests will be indicated. The degree 

 of application will be suggested with all land management objectives 

 in mind so that it may be thoroughly practical. 



In considering measures that may be used for the improvement 

 of grouse range let us assume that we are talking about a certain 

 type of range. The principles that are found to be good for this set 

 of conditions may be modified for other situations as needed. 



Let us assume the land to be privately owned, in a hilly farming 

 area where the woodlands are on the back of the farms, overlying 

 property lines in masses of several hundred acres. The owner accepts 

 the concept of "multiple use," as to game and forest crops and he de- 

 sires to handle his woodlands so as to give the fullest measinre of 

 economic returns and social benefits. Being interested in birds as 

 well as trees, he is perfectly willing to concede the use of certain 

 small areas for brush cover, to keep his woods roads brushed out a 

 bit more than is ordinarily done, or to plant some shrubs— whatever 

 reasonable things the job requires. 



WOODLAND PROTECTION 



The first essential of woodland management is the protection of 

 existing values. Four types of protection are most commonly needed; 

 two of these being cared for by proper silviculture. Most important 

 and most commonlv lacking in many parts of the range are the ex- 

 clusion of domestic livestock and prevention of uncontrolled fire 

 ( see Plate 41 ) . The other destructive elements are insects and dis- 

 ease organisms. The control of these infestations is a part of the 

 silvicultural handling of improvement and harvest cuttings. 



We have already noted that livestock are incompatible with wood- 

 land preservation. The obvious remedy is to confine the animals to 

 their pastures by adequate fencing. To some farmers this seems to 

 be economically unfeasible, especially if the stock are sheep, which 



