habitat management

Featured Habitat Project – Seeking New Partnerships to Increase Impacts

July 20, 2021 by Jon Steigerwaldt

by Jon Steigerwaldt | RGS & AWS Regional Biologist Published in Covers Winter 2020 Nestled into the bedrock of the Grand Rapids, Minnesota, community for almost 120 years is a symbol of habitat creation apparent to any ruffed grouse hunter, both visiting or resident. As an inlet for raw wood from public and private land ownerships, UPM Blandin Paper Company helps create young forest wildlife habitat in the heart of the upper Great Lakes grouse range. Managing approximately 188,000 acres (most in Itasca County), Blandin was untapped potential to partner with and create hunting opportunities. When Blandin Forester and RGS member Adam...

Establish Soft, Hard Mast for Gamebirds and Improve Your Hunting in the Bargain

April 7, 2021 by Ruffed Grouse Society

by Mark Herwig Originally printed in Covers magazine – Spring 2019 A few years ago, a buddy and I made an interesting “discovery of the grouse kind” while hunting a state forest near my recreational land in northern Minnesota. We discovered what we later named “The Mountain Ash Covert.” Every time we passed a single, mature mountain ash tree on the trail, we flushed grouse and sometimes even bagged one. They were both in and around the 30-foot tree, eating its nutritious red berries. The covert inspired me. “I should establish some mountain ash on my land!” Give to the grouse, and they will...

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

September 25, 2020 by Andrew Spellman

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,...

2019 Annual Report | President’s Message

July 23, 2020 by Benjamin C. Jones

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

April 2, 2020 by Ruffed Grouse Society

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.

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Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society Announces Re-Structure

March 30, 2020 by Ruffed Grouse Society

Coraopolis, PAFor Immediate ReleaseMarch 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...

habitat management

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