Food, Roost Cover, and Protective Cover of the Bog 
in Relation to Sharp-Tailed Grouse 
Jackson County 
Several flocks of sharp-tails were found in the vicinity of Birch 
Bluff in a large bog that forms a reservoir for a cranberry farm. As 
they may be seen here at all times of the year it is probable that a 
large bog provides everything that is necessary in the line of roost 
cover, protection against enemies and food for permanent residence. 
However, bogs are generally bordered by swamps which furnish food in 
the form of alder catkins, white birch buds and catkins, willow buds and

catkins, and mountain ash berries. The food eaten by the sharp-tail in 
the bog proper consists during the summer of leaves and flowers of 
Chamaedaphne Calyculata, The berries and leaves of Vaccinium pennsyl- 
vanicum, Vaccinium canadense, Vaccinium oxycoccos, and vaccinium macrocarpon,

and insects. During the winter the buds end catkins of the bog birch Betula

pumil var. glandulifera are later. 
The cranberry farmer reported that the sharp-tails ate a large 
number of cranberries Vaccinium mcarocarpon in the cultivated cranberry 
beds. 
Sandhill Crane 
The sandhill crane is one of our rarest birds. It spends most of its 
time in bogs and marshes. Most of the sandhill cranes seen in Wisconsin 
are migrants that stop over for a few weeks spring and fall on their way

to and from Canada. Only a few nest in the State. For nesting they seem 
to prefer bogs or smarshes that have patches of tamarack or spruce in them

or around them. They do not like tamarack swamps without open spaces. 
John Cardo, a farmer living on Shiprock Marsh, west of Coloma, has given

us a fairly accurate description of the changes that have taken place 
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