338 The Ruffed Grouse 



some continuous bark and sapwood between top and stump, the top 

 will remain alive and produce a leaf crop. Being close to the ground, 

 these tops improve shelter for birds. Certain species are better than 

 others— as oaks (particularly pin oaks) and beech— since they hold 

 a part of their dead leaves on the tree through the winter. The sec- 

 ond method is simply clear-cutting units big enough to open the 

 crown. Species that coppice abundantly are best. Beech, oaks, and 

 the maples are all good. In about two years the sprouts will have 

 created considerable thick cover. Brambles, pin cherry or aspen 

 may come in quickly to add to the cover. The waste tops and 

 branches may be thrown over a few high-cut stumps in large loose 

 piles (see Plate 43). The result is a thicket of the slashing type 

 which has considerably more shelter value than the open hardwoods. 

 By the time these temporary values are lost, the conifer plantings 

 are beginning to be effective. 



In stands that possess a scattering of conffers, improvement in 

 shelter value may often be brought about by careful cutting. If the 

 few conifers are old trees, a heavy seed crop may often be induced 

 by girdling a few of them in the spring. Hemlocks seem to be par- 

 ticularly adept at producing a swan-song crop of seed, the final 

 contribution of a dying matriarch. When the conifers are very small 

 their growth may be speeded by a light release cutting— just enough 

 of the surrounding plants removed to give the seedlings a little 

 direct sunlight. This practice is most effective with the native pines 

 and spruces. Caution should be exercised in this type of release cut- 

 ting for shelter, as it must be remembered that we wish the ever- 

 green branches to remain alive close to the ground. We do not wish 

 them to grow high and less useful as shelter too quickly. Hemlock 

 and spruce in particular should not be released once they are big 

 enough to furnish cover above the winter snows. They should be 

 allowed to remain under a canopy in order to retain their shelter 

 values as long as possible. 



We must continually remember that for grouse the best winter 

 shelter is furnished by the evergreen woody plants, primarily the 

 conifers in the Northeast. From Pennsylvania and southeastern New 

 York southward the mountain laurel and rhododendron often make 

 a fair substitute when the pines and hemlock are absent. Even 

 among the conifers some are better than others. By species, the hem- 

 lock is clearly best, the spruces and white pine next, then balsam fir, 



