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Healthy Forests, Abundant Wildlife, Conservation Ethic

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Covers Magazine

Book Review: “Wingshooting: The Art & Science”

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by Glen Blackwood, RGS & AWS Director of Regional Development – Lower Peninsula/Eastern U.P. of Michigan & Indiana “Wingshooting: The Art & Science” by Bryan Bilinski Fieldsport Press (fieldsportltd.com) ISBN: 978-0578-48895-0 Hardbound Retail price: $49.95 On an autumn afternoon, the grouse and woodcock covert’s foliage is in full color. You hear that last “tink” of a dog bell, then silence. The dog holds steady. The bird flushes — whether straight away or toward the treetops doesn’t matter. You fire, but for some reason the bird escapes unscathed. Why? Bad gun mount? Poor foot position? Distracted focus? Usually you’ll discover the reason by stepping back and revisiting the fundamentals. That’s...

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Choosing a New Forest Shotgun -Five top aspects to consider

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by Mark Herwig I started grouse hunting in 1974 in the 3.9 million-acre Superior National Forest west of Grand Marais, Minn. We got a few, then got lost, but that’s another story. The point is, in six decades chasing grouse and woodcock, I’ve fielded many shotguns in many seasons of life and I’ve learned a few things about what makes a good grouse gun. Some of you may be thinking about what many wingshooters consider the best, most fabled grouse gun of them all, the vaunted Parker Bros. side-by-side, made from 1867 to 1942. Alas, my humble beginnings in a nonhunting family didn’t...

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Fightingtown Creek Habitat Improvement Project on the Chattahoochee National Forest

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by Daniel Kutschied | RGS & AWS Forest Wildlife Specialist – Public Lands Georgia Ruffed grouse in North Georgia are at the southernmost extent of their range in the Eastern United States and face unique challenges and vulnerabilities. Conserving and improving habitat through active forest management in North Georgia — at the fringe of their range — is critical to ensure the continued presence of ruffed grouse in the Southern Appalachians. In the Chattahoochee National Forest (CNF), young hardwood forests with high stem density and herbaceous cover have become increasingly rare. Forest conditions are dynamic and can change rapidly. Common hardwood trees...

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Know Your Cover – Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

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by Jake Tomlinson Growing up hunting grouse in the hills of north-central Pennsylvania, I learned early that once we reached the hemlocks, we had to be ready to shoot. To this young hunter it seemed that there wasn’t a hemlock in all of northern Pennsylvania that didn’t offer an opportunity at a bird. The Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is Pennsylvania’s state tree and plays an incredibly important role in forests throughout the Northeast. This large conifer reaches heights of more than 100 feet and generally holds its branches to the ground, providing grouse and other wildlife with thick cover and buds to...

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RGS & AWS Hire Sean Berry as the Southern Appalachians Forest Conservation Coordinator

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Sean Barry joins RGS & AWS as a Forest Conservation Coordinator for the Southern Appalachians, focusing on projects involving public lands. Prior to this role, Berry finished his MS in environmental policy and management with a concentration in natural resource management from the University of Denver. In Colorado, he was an active volunteer with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project, focusing on wildlife and conservation policy, habitat restoration work and public engagement. Berry has worked at various non-profits, focusing on program coordination and project management. He was also a Brad Rowse Policy Fellow at the Congressional...

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RGS & AWS hires Robert Nortman as Wisconsin Forest Wildlife Specialist

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RGS & AWS welcome Robert Nortman to the team as its newest forest wildlife specialist. Born and raised in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, Nortman earned a B.S. in forestry management from UW-Stevens Point. His career history includes being an arborist and most recently a procurement forester for Buffalo Lumber and Tie in Fountain City, Wisconsin. Nortman has been involved in a multitude of conservation projects, working with private landowners to create diverse wildlife habitat and promote timber stand improvement in the driftless region of Wisconsin. His passion is working with landowners to achieve their wildlife goals through active forest management. When...

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