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You are here: Home / 2017 / Archives for August 2017

Archives for August 2017

WHY WE HUNT: Member Christian Fichtel, North Carolina

August 25, 2017 by Ruffed Grouse Society

“To those devoid of imagination, a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part.” ~ Aldo Leopold

Christian Fitchel photo (2) (940x1280)

I’ve always believed that hunting should be difficult. The act of killing, whether avian or ungulate, carries with it a weight of responsibility that should not be forgotten too quickly. In the Southern Appalachians, the mountains in which I wander, the hunting of the ruffed grouse is, at the very best of times, an exercise in patience and effort.

Each year, my home state of North Carolina collects data from participating hunters and publishes the North Carolina Avid Grouse Hunter Survey. After a peak around 1990, the likelihood of success in our southern mountains has declined in a dramatic way. The odds weren’t good 25 years ago, and even a masochist like myself would have found past numbers sufficiently challenging.

[Read more…] about WHY WE HUNT: Member Christian Fichtel, North Carolina

Filed Under: Hunting, Read, Why We Hunt Tagged With: american woodcock, American Woodcock Society, appalachians, aws, forest habitat, forest management, Grouse, grouse hunting, hunt, hunting, north american model of conservation, north carolina, rgs, ruffed grouse, ruffed grouse society, southern appalachian, theodore roosevelt, upland hunting, why I hunt, Why We Hunt, Woodcock, woodcock hunting, young forests

Okay, so it’s public . . . Now what?

August 9, 2017 by Brent Rudolph

By Brent A. Rudolph, Ph.D., RGS & AWS Director of Conservation Policy

RGS and AWS are among the most passionate organizations defending the overall benefits of public lands, but we are one of the few voices working to raise awareness and prompt action regarding the poor conservation performance on federal properties with respect to providing young forest habitat.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine

Approximately 1,459,940 comments were received in response to the “Review of Certain National Monuments Established Since 1996” (regulations.gov). You may know this better as “The Bears Ears Brouhaha,” though there’s a chance that only I call it that.

The referenced review is being conducted by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in response to an Executive Order issued by President Donald Trump in April. The review will assess designations of 27 national monuments established since 1996. Other than Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (Katahdin Woods) in Maine (see picture above), all monuments to be reviewed are located in western states or are marine national monuments.

[Read more…] about Okay, so it’s public . . . Now what?

Filed Under: Habitat, Hunting, Read, Wildlife Ecology Tagged With: american woodcock, American Woodcock Society, aws, conservation, forest, forest conservation, habitat, national monuments, public lands, rgs, ruffed grouse, ruffed grouse society, secretary of interior, young forest habitat, zinke

GROUSE AND WOODCOCK HUNTING GATEWAYS

August 6, 2017 by Matt Soberg

A focus on simple gateways to grouse hunting can recruit our next generation of hunters.

By Matt Soberg, RGS/AWS Editor & Director of Communications

DSC_0127

We always hear about perceived barriers to entry purportedly inherent in grouse and woodcock hunting. “There are no birds around, and it’s hard to find them. The cover is so thick, too hard and strenuous. When you do find birds, the shots are impossible. Guns are intimidating, and I don’t know how to train a bird dog.” Blah, blah, blah.

Grouse hunting is not that scary. Trust me.

[Read more…] about GROUSE AND WOODCOCK HUNTING GATEWAYS

Filed Under: Dogs, Hunting, Mentored Hunting, Read Tagged With: american woodcock, American Woodcock Society, art, aws, bird dogs, editor note, from point to flush, Grouse, grouse hunting, habitat, hunter recruitment, hunting, Mentored Hunting, r3, reactivation, recruitment, retention, rgs, ruffed grouse, ruffed grouse society, ruffed grouse society magazine, shotguns, upland hunting, Woodcock, woodcock hunting, young forest habitat, young forests

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