i%M 



of grass interspersed. It is felt that the scattering 

 of the brush patches is a most important aspect 

 of this habitat. The fruits of the chokecherry, snow- 

 berry, and rose are all known to be used exten- 

 sively by sharptails during the winter months. 



In several of the central counties the ranges 

 lack some of the features indicated above as be- 

 ing essential to an ideal habitat; thus the birds 

 are less abundant. It will require considerable 

 work in the future to determine the effect of hunt- 

 ing on sharptail populations. It is significant, how- 

 ever, to note that the areas which maintain the 

 largest sharptail populations are remote from large 

 cities or towns. 



In many cases we found that the information 

 recorded lended itself to statistical calculation. 



To illustrate the results of this statistical study, 

 we have included figure 3. This graph analyses 

 the results of all the flushings of sharptail grouse 

 observed during the summer of 1942, based on 

 over 400 observations. Cursory examination of 

 the table will show that the birds flushed at great- 

 el distances from the observers during Septem- 

 ber than they did during the summer months. The 

 statistical treatment substantiates this fact. The 

 reader may feel that such a fact is of little im- 

 portance in a study of grouse. We feel, on the 

 other hand, that the accumulation of many such 

 facts will soon give us a scientific understanding 

 of the birds we are studying and such will allow 

 more intelligent management of the species in 

 question. 



[77] 



