366 The Ruffed Grouse 



refuges that are to benefit this bird should be small— say from ten 

 to one hundred acres. Witliin these limitations the exact size is not 

 of much importance. Of more import is the location of the refuge 

 with respect to cover. It should contain the best available shelter 

 and some good feeding area of the available fall foods. This usually 

 means that the refuge will be in tlie outer part of a woodland. 



The distribution of refuges need be no more than one to three 

 per square mile under most circumstances. In range with rough 

 topography and variable cover, the pattern may be quite irregular. 

 The refuges should be placed where grouse are most sure to use 

 them regardless of whether this provides an even distribution. 



Most of the intensive hunting in the Northeast is in the discon- 

 nected cover range, hence refuges wiU most often be needed on 

 small units of land ownership— the predominant condition in this 

 partly farmed country. A man who owns only a hundred or so acres 

 will not be able to give much consideration to the needs of a refuge 

 pattern. The most he is likely to require on his own land will be a 

 single unit. It is therefore quite largely a problem for the organized 

 sportsmen of the locality or for the state game agency to plan and 

 organize for tlie grouse refuge needs in any particular range. 



The mechanism of making a refuge is simply the posting around 

 the boundaries of a unit of signs that will legally prohibit the use 

 of firearms therein. The type of sign, and the distance apart that they 

 must be posted, is generally specified in the state conservation laws. 

 When making a refuge, many states bound it v^dth a single strand 

 of smooth wire, hung about breast height. This is not essential, but 

 it is important that the boundary be apparent to one approaching it 

 if it is to serve its purpose. This means tliat expediency will often 

 alter the selection of its location and size from what might otherwise 

 be the more ideal. Roads, trails, woods edges, fence-rows, and sim- 

 ilar natural boundaries should be used so far as possible. When it is 

 necessary to have the line traverse woody cover it must be kept 

 brushed out if people are to see and respect it. 



Use of Censuses. A census is essentially an enumeration of a pop- 

 ulation. In field studies of animal populations it is of fundamental 

 importance to know the number, type (sex, age, etc.), and location 

 of the individuals comprising the population. The greatest possible 

 accuracy is needed, therefore time and cost are not the most im- 



