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Grouse Ecology

Grouse are dangerously close to disappearing in the Southern Appalachians, but we can do something about it.

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Looking out over the Southern Appalachian landscape from the Blue Ridge Parkway, one sees a beautiful landscape of rolling hills and vibrant green forests as far as the eye can see. The lush, closed canopy forests that dominate the region’s public lands are no doubt aesthetically beautiful, but they lack diverse forest habitat that many forest wildlife depend upon.

In December 2020, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ (AFWA) Eastern Grouse Working Group released a report highlighting that ruffed grouse populations have declined by 71% since 1989 in the Southern Appalachians.
The primary reason for this is a lack of forest habitat diversity at large scales, especially the loss of young forests from the landscape.

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Put Me In – Summer 2021 President’s Message

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President’s message from Ben Jones, RGS & AWS President & CEO – originally printed in Summer 2021 issue of Covers Magazine

As I write this, it’s mid-April, the sun is out, but it’s damp and chilly. That has me reminiscing about heading to the Pittsburgh Pirates opener at Three Rivers Stadium every year with my dad: The emerald green field as we emerged from the concourse, the smack of the ball hitting gloves during warmups and the cutting chill posed by the spring air and all that concrete in the old stadium. I still love baseball, although my own playing time was cut short with the realization that it impeded on trout fishing and spring turkey hunting.

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Defining the needs of our most beloved species

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We need to take bold action for Species of Greatest Conservation Need

By: Todd Waldron, Northeast Forest Conservation Director

Ruffed grouse by Timothy C. Flanigan (For RGS & AWS use)

Have you ever heard the term “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” or “SGCN” and wondered what that means? Or maybe you’ve wondered how it applies to the future of grouse and woodcock populations. How does it drive the RGS & AWS conservation mission?

You’ve likely seen our monthly updates in The Bellwether newsletter or regularly on social media: Ruffed grouse populations are declining across much of North America. The decline is due to habitat diversity decline and grouse are now listed as an SGCN in 19 states, while American woodcock are listed similarly in 29 states.

What exactly does a SGCN designation imply and what conservation action is needed to address it? We’ll get into that in a minute, but first, let’s cover some background information.

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Working Lands for Wildlife — The Long View: Sustaining Our Oak Forests

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Register today for this virtual event: Wednesday, May 12, 11 am – 1 pm EST

This FREE working lands webinar hosted by Ruffed Grouse Society &American Woodcock Society and the NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife program will educate landowners and natural resource professionals on working lands conservation programs intended to benefit wildlife species and promote forest diversity.

This webinar has been approved for the following. Please register here to receive credit.

  • 2 CFE credits (category 1) with the Society of American Foresters
  • 2 CEUs (category 1) of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program for participation in the webinar
  • USDA-NRCS Conservation Planner Certification
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RGS & AWS Northeast Forest Conservation Update: Part 1

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A primer for those curious about ecological issues impacting the Northeastern Region of the U.S.

By Todd Waldron, Northeast Forest Conservation Director

Photo by Todd Waldron

February 22, 2021 – If you and your dog have been covering countless miles through New England’s autumn woods and have only been flushing a fraction of the birds that you used to see – there is a reason for it.

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Timber Management in the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National Forest

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The need for increased commercial timber harvest is at an all-time high. The Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) were encouraged to see a recent highlight addressing this critical issue for providing diverse, healthy forest habitat for abundant wildlife.

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Gordon Gullion: Sage of the Ruffed Grouse

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Gordon Gullion played an integral role in the study of ruffed grouse as well as the history of the Ruffed Grouse Society.

People tend to take scientific discoveries for granted. There are laws of gravity, for example, that govern our world, but we don’t often think about Isaac Newton when we go about our day. When hunting ruffed grouse and scanning for the aspen trees they use as cover and sources of food in portions of their range, we’re probably not thinking of Gordon Gullion, the conservation scientist whose studies and observations enhanced our understanding of ruffed grouse and formally linked the bird’s welfare to aspen trees. Gullion’s research still has a major influence on the forest management practices the Ruffed Grouse Society promotes to benefit the bird and other species.  His untimely death at age 67 denied us the authoritative synthesis of his research, but his findings are immortal.

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Modern Carnivore Podcast Features RGS & AWS

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Join Mark Norquist, host of the Modern Carnivore Podcast, for an interview with RGS & AWS President and CEO, Ben Jones.

LISTEN | Modern Carnivore Podcast – Episode #15

About The Episode | Modern Carnivore

“Just days before the pandemic required our country to close down I was able to sit down with Ben Jones who is the President and CEO of two hunting conservation organizations: The Ruffed Grouse Society and the American Woodcock Society. We were at Pheasant Fest which is the annual meeting of the organization Pheasants Forever, and great conservation partner of both Ben’s organizations and Modern Carnivore. We talk about forest health and how proper management can help replicate natural disturbances that have been eliminated as the human population continues to expand across our continent.”

West Nile Virus in Ruffed Grouse and Test Kit How-To Video

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west-nile-virus-study
Photo By | Timothy Flanigan

An update on West Nile Virus in Ruffed Grouse and a test kit how-to video.

The second-year results for the Great Lake states’ collaborative West Nile Virus (WNV) study are in, and there’s good news, bad news and hope, for ruffed grouse in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. 

The good

In total, hunters provided 786 samples in all three states from the 2019 hunting season: 281 from Michigan, 188 from Wisconsin and 317 from Minnesota. The total number of samples was up a bit from the 721 submitted the year prior, though Wisconsin’s individual sample total went down. In 2018, Michigan tested 213 samples, Wisconsin tested 235, and Minnesota tested 273. While some birds did test positive for WNV antibodies, the percentages were low. The results from 2018 and 2019 also showed that these birds can survive being infected. 

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Appalachian Ruffed Grouse: Ecology and Management

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A synopsis and review of the book Appalachian Ruffed Grouse: Ecology and Management

The Appalachian ruffed grouse population is like a classic, small-market major league baseball team battling the Yankees or Red Sox; the odds are against them because of a disparity of resources. Unlike their kin of the North Woods, Appalachian grouse lack aspen trees for food and cover, which Gordon Gullion, a leading expert on grouse during his lifetime, considered their prime habitat. Nevertheless, ruffed grouse are adaptable birds that have thrived in Appalachia for thousands of years. 

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