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Healthy Forests, Abundant Wildlife, Conservation Ethic

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Archives for 2020

Ruffed Grouse in the Catskills, Then and Now

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The history, significance and future of ruffed grouse in the Catskills.

A sense of loss is wedded to hunting. When we’re in the woods, we fight the inevitable passing of time like characters in a tragedy whose ending is assured. Though it’s not the reason why we hunt, death is the logical conclusion of the enterprise, and a tinge of mourning follows the balletic descent of a shot grouse. Our beloved bird dogs barrel through the brush, and we smile, but we know they only have so many seasons in their short lives, and we want to hold on to those moments we share with them. We also develop an attachment to grouse habitat itself. Will birds still be here next year, or will the woods have aged just enough to crowd them out? Will parcelization decrease the integrity of the remaining habitat?

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Pennsylvania Wilds Upland Bird Hunt: The Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock Society Celebrate the Upland Lifestyle

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Recapping the fun and fervor of the Upland Bird Hunt hosted annually in the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Upland hunting is a lifestyle. The conscious uplander is part hunter, conservationist, art lover, biologist, chef and storyteller. When people gather at the Ruffed Grouse Society’s Upland Bird Hunt (UBH) in the Pennsylvania Wilds, they celebrate that lifestyle, contribute to scientific research, and have a positive impact on the local community. 

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Benelli sponsors special deal available to new and renewing members of the Ruffed Grouse Society

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Through Dec. 31, new or renewing members will be placed in a drawing for one of three Benelli Montefeltro Silver Featherweights

Coraopolis, Pa. – The Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society are well known for uniting conservationists to improve wildlife habitat and forest health, as well as promoting forest stewardship. Thousands of members across the country already support this mission. RGS & AWS are always welcoming new members, and for the next six weeks, there’s an added incentive to join.

As a result of a generous sponsorship of Benelli, new and renewing members of Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) are getting an incredible deal.

Beginning this week and running through the end of 2020, all new, renewing, or upgrading members will receive special membership perks, including the opportunity to win a 20 gauge Benelli Montefeltro Silver Featherweight. Benelli has donated three Montefeltro Silver Featherweights and RGS & AWS will randomly select three winners at the end of the promotion period.

More details about the special membership deal can be found here.

“Benelli USA is proud to support RGS &AWS during these challenging times,” said Tom DeBolt, Benelli’s General manager. “The conservation work that is done by everyone on their team is essential to the long-term health and sustainability of ruffed grouse and American woodcock populations. We encourage all hunters to consider joining the organization to support this important mission” 

Membership details: All renewing or new members will be eligible to win prizes sponsored by Benelli. RGS & AWS memberships are $60 to support both grouse and woodcock and, with the $60 membership, members get two entries for the Benelli drawing, a one-year subscription to Covers magazine, RGS & AWS Conservation Calendar, Our Forests-Our, Future t-shirt, and two decals. There are also $35 memberships available for those who would like to support only ruffed grouse or only American woodcock conservation; the $35 membership includes one entry for the Benelli drawing, a magazine subscription, a calendar, and two decals.  

RGS & AWS Chapter promotion: Additionally, all new, renewing and upgrading members can help their local chapter win a $10,000 habitat bonus. The chapter with the highest percentage of new, renewing and upgrading members at the conclusion of the promotion period will be announced as the winner and will be highlighted in a future issue of Covers magazine.

All offers expire at 11:59 pm ET on December 31, 2020.

Becoming a Member of the Ruffed Grouse Society

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Improving the community and investing in the future of the ruffed grouse and American woodcock

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Photo by Zack Griswold

Like many age-old notions in life in which we can never remember the exact instance of discovery or introduction, I cannot recall the moment or setting in which I first learned of or heard about the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS). The organization as I knew it was innately synonymous with the ruffed grouse, bird hunting and conservation altogether. Although ruffed grouse and bird hunting were not an integral part of my upbringing, the day would come when the “the birds” and the “organization” would become something extremely near and dear to my heart.

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An Important Day for Grouse and Woodcock | Giving Tuesday

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Today is GivingTuesday and forest wildlife need your support

Thank you to the folks who have already donated early! We have $30,000 available to match donations for today. Don’t miss the opportunity to double your impact.

Two ways you can donate:

  • The Upland Store
  • Our Facebook #GivingTuesday Page: Please share our fundraiser with your friends and family! You can donate in the Upland Store AND invite your Facebook friends and share the fundraiser through Facebook. If you’d like to join us and learn more about RGS & AWS and our work, we’ll be live on CrowdCast this evening from 6 – 8 pm ET, which will be streaming on Facebook and YouTube as well.
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Conservation Doesn’t Sleep – RGS & AWS Featured on The Hunting Dog Podcast

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RGS & AWS Communications and Marketing Director, Ashley Peters, along with Director of Regional Development in the Southeast, Mike Neiduski, were featured on a recent episode of The Hunting Dog Podcast.

During a conversation with host and RGS & AWS member Ron Boehme, Ashley Peters and Mike Neiduski share RGS & AWS news and updates with The Hunting Dog Podcast audience. After brief introductions, the conversation moves on to the RGS & AWS conservation mission and its challenges and opportunities.

Listen on | Apple | Spotify

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Early Successional Habitat Creation Project in Vermont

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Featured in Fall 2020 issue of Covers Magazine.

Authored by: Brent Rudolph, PH.D and Anthony Giattino

People born east of the Hudson River extend this prayer of John Winthrop’s when hunting grouse in the west: “May the Lord make it like that of New England.” Writers like Burton Spiller and William Harnden Foster helped enshrine New England as a “City Upon a Hill” for grouse hunters. Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society members in New England recognize that much work needs to be done if the revered heritage memorialized by Spiller and Foster are to endure. Fortunately, other partners also understand the serious conservation needs that demand commitment to this work.

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RGS & AWS Proudly Partner on Pyke Gear Original Film “Get Busy Living”

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RGS & AWS are among a list partners including Backridge Ammunition, Limb Lab, Wilderness Athlete and K9 Athlete in collaboration with Pyke Gear to present their original film, “Get Busy Living”.

About the film: “Randy Herlein never expected his life to change the way it did. He was an active upland hunter and outdoorsman that hit a bump in the road, but it didn’t stop him. In fact, he found a renewed longing to conquer each new challenge in the road ahead . Randy wasn’t about to let the cancer that took his leg keep him from a Get Busy Living state of mind. We hope Randy’s story inspires you.”

Oswayo Valley Student Artist Featured at Upland Bird Hunt in the PA Wilds

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Zane Malogrino and Jed Hamberger, Superintendent of Oswayo Valley School District show samples of Zane’s custom made wood pieces.

St. Marys, Pa.:  Zane Malogrino of Shinglehouse, Pa., and a student at the Oswayo Valley School District in Potter and eastern McKean Counties, was the featured artist at the 12th Annual Upland Bird Hunt in the PA Wilds on 11/6.  Zane’s fine artwork specializes in laser engraving of wooden “home use” pieces, such as serving trays, hat racks, key racks, coasters, clocks, and bottle openers.

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Tackling Ruffed Grouse Habitat in Southern Appalachia

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Checking in on Southern Appalachia’s Grouse Habitat Projects

Steeped in history and rich with grouse hunting culture, the Southern Appalachian Mountains have long been associated with ruffed grouse habitat. Landowners and hunters in this area may fondly recall hunting ruffed grouse in the area many years ago, but have noticed their growing absence and watched prime grouse habitat disappear. This has spurred a real sense of urgency for Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) and its members in this region. In this article, we caught up with Nick Biemiller, Forest Conservation Director for the Southern Appalachian region (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, and VA) to discuss what’s going on in this neck of the grouse woods.

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