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Healthy Forests, Abundant Wildlife, Conservation Ethic

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Covers Magazine

Confessions of a Wing Collector 

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by Mike Roche In 2006, a letter appeared in my mailbox from the Department of the Interior (DOI) on official stationery that inquired as to whether I would be willing to assist in American woodcock research by contributing wings to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (the Service) Migratory Parts Collection Survey. As a lifelong bird hunter with a strong interest in wildlife conservation, it didn’t take me long to respond and volunteer. Later that summer, a large envelope arrived containing a supply of mailers, signaling my start as one of the collectors for the survey, which began back in 1963. To...

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Passing the Timberdoodle Torch – Through the years of leadership and growth for RGS & AWS

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by Kristen A. Schmitt Most grouse hunters remember their first bird. For Julie Sandstrom, it was near Squaw Lake in the Chippewa National Forest. For Brian Smith, a lucky mid-air strike in the Pennsylvania woods. And, for David Moore, a father-son hunting trip in Traverse City, Michigan. For all three, that first bird sparked a lifelong passion for the pursuit as well as the resource, resulting in a pivotal triumvirate of leadership that has brought the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society through turbulent times with positive outcomes. To build lasting legacy in an organization fundamental to the health and prosperity...

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Here in November? The Challenges of American Woodcock Migration and Identifying Stopover Habitats in the Southeast

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by Durrell Smith As we walked the trail into what seemed to be a never-ending mess of vines, thorns and briars, the question of traversing such nasty cover was disregarded. This was happening. Even more important to ask myself was, “Where was that last woodcock here in November?” Every year, the American woodcock undertakes a perilous migration journey, subjecting themselves to multiples challenges as they journey thousands of miles between their summer and winter ranges. As a southeastern woodcock hunter, I often think about how to better identify their stopover habitats in the Southeast. Yes, migration is a critical period in the...

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Recipe: Alsatian Woodcock

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by Ryan Sparks A special anniversary deserves a special dish. This one is inspired by Alsace, a cultural region situated at the intersection of France, Germany and Switzerland. From a culinary perspective, Alsace combines the finesse of French cuisine with the regimen and rustic sensibility of German and Swiss cuisine. Think bright white wine, cordon bleu, pork sausage, dumplings, coq au vin, sauerkraut, foie gras and hearty beer. Alsace is also home to Eurasian woodcock, a cousin of our American woodcock. While this isn’t a classical Alsatian recipe, it combines a number of Alsatian staples – spätzle, a classic French hunter’s...

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Orvis Great Giveback Days Fundraiser

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Pictured left to right: Orvis Asheville employees Ryan Waldrep and Andrew Kabel, RGS & AWS Southern Appalachian Region Forest Conservation Coordinator Sean Barry and Orvis Asheville employee Susie Lusardi  For two consecutive years, the Southern Appalachian Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society in Asheville, North Carolina, has partnered with the Asheville, North Carolina, Orvis store for the Great Giveback Days fundraiser. Supported by Orvis, these month-long fundraisers give patrons of their neighborhood store the opportunity to donate to local non-profits that work in their area. This event raised $9,501, all of which will support ongoing habitat efforts in North Carolina. Funds will go...

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RGS & AWS Surveys Membership: Conservation, Military Service, Dogs Seize Spotlight

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In its first membership-wide survey since 2018, the Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) revealed a membership that values conservation, serves in the military at rates more than twice the national average, and – above all else – loves dogs. More than 1,100 members responded to the survey, providing demographic data as well as input about how RGS & AWS can better achieve its mission. Notably, results show a membership that strongly identifies as conservationists – seven in 10 members call themselves primarily conservationists or equally hunters and conservationists – and rely on both private and public...

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