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

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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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2019 Annual Report | President’s Message

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The Ruffed Grouse Society holds a distinct reputation among conservation groups, and with that, a unique responsibility. I’m reminded of our duty every time an issue affecting forest wildlife comes up, and someone asks, “… what does RGS & AWS think?” We’re front-of-mind when it comes to forest wildlife among our agency, business and NGO partners.

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Upland Nation Podcast with Scott Linden features a conversation about RGS & AWS

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upland-nation-podcast

RGS & AWS President and CEO Ben Jones recently joined Scott Linden, host of the Upland Nation Podcast to discuss recent news of an organizational re-structure and changes to the conservation delivery program.

Listen on | Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Podbean | Stitcher | Spotify

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Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society Announces Re-Structure

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Coraopolis, PA
For Immediate Release
March 30, 2020

The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) announced that the group is moving forward with a planned re-structure of its conservation delivery programs. The re-organization will replace the Regional Biologist job title with a new Forest Conservation Director position.

“We have been working on re-organization plans over the past 18 months,” said Ben Jones, RGS & AWS President and CEO. The change is among RGS & AWS efforts to increase engagement in forest management issues, and will result in the layoff of three biologists in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Eastern Great Lakes Regions. “While we know this is the right move, it is not easy to let folks go. These biologists have worked with great passion and dedication. We appreciate all they have done.”

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RGS Supports Ruffed Grouse Symposium in Wisconsin Rapids – RGS

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Wood Yard – Wisconsin Rapids Paper Mill

Upper Great Lakes Ruffed Grouse Symposium 

On February 25, 2020, Wisconsin hosted an Upper Midwest Ruffed Grouse Symposium. This event was geared towards professional wildlife biologists, foresters, and researchers managing ruffed grouse in the Upper Midwest.

In total, 120 professionals from eight different states attended the symposium. The day was well rounded with talks on current research, management efforts, and planning. Discussions also focused on learning about factors impacting ruffed grouse such as disease, policy, forest product market trends and climate.

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The Downfall of New Jersey Grouse Hunting – RGS

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new-jersey-grouse

Emergency closure of the New Jersey grouse hunting season.

On July 17th the Fish and Game Council of New Jersey voted for an emergency closure of the ruffed grouse season in New Jersey. The Fish and Game Council is comprised of three farmer and six sportsmen representatives, as well as the Chairman of the Endangered and Nongame Species Council and a public representative at large. Their purview is to “adopt a Fish and Game Code for the purpose of providing a system for the protection and conservation of fish and game” in the state.

Essentially, they advise, suggest, and oversee the regulations dictating season lengths, restrictions, bag limits, zones, and other factors relating to recreational take of game through hunting and trapping. For hunters in New Jersey, the most obvious effect of these changes are highlighted notes in the new year’s Hunting and Trapping Digest. One of those highlighted changes will affect me directly as well as any other grouse hunters left in the state.

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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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Ben Jones Addresses West Nile Virus Testing in Ruffed Grouse – RGS

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Grouse enthusiasts are abuzz this week with hunting seasons in full swing and recent press releases from key states. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan shared 2018 West Nile Virus testing results after an unexpected laboratory delay (details can be found here).

I read the reports, completed phone interviews with reporters and braced myself. When West Nile Virus appears in the news, it can even eclipse dog breed and shotgun choice “discussions” in level of interest and disagreement. Justifiably so. The appearance of a new disease threatening our beloved ruffed grouse is reason for concern.

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Earliest Test Results of West Nile Virus Sampling in Upper Great Lakes Ruffed Grouse Now Available – RGS

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ruffed grouse
Photo Credit | Steve Oehlenschlager
  • Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan Departments of Natural Resources recently announced results of the first year of coordinated West Nile Virus (WNV) sampling efforts for ruffed grouse in their state
  • Rates of WNV antibodies in ruffed grouse varied from around 13 percent in Minnesota and Michigan, and 29 percent in Wisconsin
  • Ruffed Grouse Society continues to emphasize habitat management as the “solution” for WNV, and aid in coordinating surveillance efforts in all 3 states

October 22, 2019
For Immediate Release

Coraopolis, Pa. – The Departments of Natural Resources in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan recently announced results of West Nile Virus (WNV) testing of hunter submitted samples from the 2018 hunting seasons.

Results are the first in a three-year study conducted through a partnership among the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) and each state agency. The coordinated effort was planned to better understand ruffed grouse exposure to WNV in the region. Results already demonstrate that some grouse survive exposure to WNV and are not sick when harvested in the fall.

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