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RGS

Healthy Forests, Abundant Wildlife, Conservation Ethic

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Ruffed Grouse Hunting with a County Forester

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Mike Amman | County Forester

A day in the grouse woods with a forestry professional.

Aldo Leopold wrote in Sand County Almanac that it’s best to just tag along behind a bird dog because it knows “grouseward better than you do.” This tends to be true, but a northern Wisconsin forester, especially one who hunts ruffed grouse with a passion, is a close second. That’s why when Bayfield county forester Mike Amman asked me to join him on a hunt, I immediately asked when and where.   

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Why Fire is So Important for Wildlife and Habitat

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Fire habitat management
Photo Credit | Jon Steigerwaldt

Looking Back on Fire History to See the Future

What’s the first thing most people think about when they hear the word fire? It often has a bad reputation as a purely destructive, terrible force that ruins the environment and drives out all wildlife. You see it represented that way in popular culture (e.g., Bambi) or even on the news. It’s true – wildfires can be very dangerous and often threaten lives and property. But even when it comes to prescribed fire, many people are still cautious. So how can we turn that negative perception around? I chatted once again with Jon Steigerwaldt, Ruffed Grouse Society Regional Biologist for Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa. It turns out Jon’s Master’s thesis was on fire history, ecology, and implementation. So who better to talk to about this topic? 

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