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Michigan Update for Fall 2021

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Glen R. Blackwood

September brought members together with successful fundraising banquets in Cadillac, Grand Rapids, and West Branch. On top of these volunteer-driven fundraising events, we had the successful completion of the Roger Moore chapter’s habitat projects in the Pigeon River Country. Trees were planted, habitat was created by mowing trails, and wildlife openings were created. All of this was done utilizing Michigan Drummer Fund and Michigan DNR Wildlife Habitat Grant dollars.

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North Woods Chapter Conservation Banquet

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Join us for our annual banquet at 5:30 p.m. CST

Your attendance supports forest wildlife conservation efforts in our region and is a fun opportunity to meet other conservation leaders and win all sorts of items and prizes geared toward hunting, fishing, and the outdoors.

Please consult your state’s COVID-19 guidelines and your doctor before attending events. For more, visit cdc.gov.

Online Tickets Closed, Contact Chapter for Tickets

Event Flyer

Highlands Chapter Conservation Banquet

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Here’s an opportunity to lend your valuable passion for the outdoors and conservation to positively impact our area’s woods and wildlife.

Join us for our annual banquet.

Your attendance supports forest wildlife conservation efforts in our region and is a fun opportunity to meet other conservation leaders and win all sorts of items and prizes geared toward hunting, fishing, and the outdoors.

Please consult your state’s COVID-19 guidelines and your doctor before attending events. For more, visit cdc.gov.

Contact ticket chair for tickets.

Event Flyer

Featured Habitat in Michigan: Pigeon River Country State Forest

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Roger Moore RGS & AWS Chapter forged ahead with a key habitat project despite 2020 challenges and delays

By Glen Blackwood, Eastern Great Lakes Director of Regional Development

Originally published in Spring 2021 issue of Covers Magazine.

“Conservation is NOT canceled” has been the overriding mantra of RGS & AWS, our chapters and membership during the past year. While the pandemic’s impacts caused fundraising and other chapter events to be postponed, our work on young successional forest management and wildlife habitat creation continued in 2020. Through everything, RGS & AWS members and staff forged ahead, ensuring that conservation remained a priority. One such project occurred in the northern region of Michigan’s lower peninsula; an area best known as the Pigeon River Country.

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Ruffed Grouse Society | American Woodcock Society Working to Improve Aspen Management in the Huron-Manistee National Forests

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aspen-management
  • Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS|AWS) staff are engaged in review of an exciting proposal to reinvigorate aspen management on the Huron-Manistee National Forests 
  • Comments may be submitted on the proposal by Feb 5, 2020
  • RGS|AWS public comments are included for members and supporters that may wish to provide substantive input of their own
  • We encourage comments to request consideration for additional, responsible forest treatments

The Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS|AWS) have been engaged in discussions with United States Forest Service (USFS) staff regarding the need to address the decline in aspen harvest within the Huron-Manistee National Forests (HMNF) in Michigan. We are pleased that USFS is now accepting public comments on their Zone Aspen Project Scoping Document that outlines considerable improvements to HMNF aspen management. RGS|AWS supports the responsible management of our nation’s vast forest system and the HMNF Zone Aspen Project seeks to fulfill objectives that are true to the core principles at RGS|AWS. 

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Heather Shaw featured on The Hunting Dog Podcast – RGS

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Heather-Shaw

Tune in to The Hunting Dog Podcast | Grouse Update featuring Heather Shaw

In December, Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society biologist Heather Shaw was featured on an episode of The Hunting Dog Podcast with host Ron Boehme,

The Hunting Dog Podcast
“RGS Biologist Heather Shaw joins me to talk about the status of grouse around the great Lakes. and a few nuggets of info that you need to hear.”

Listen | The Hunting Dog Podcast – Grouse Update featuring Heather Shaw

A Kentucky Grouse Hunter Travels “Up North”

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Mention the words “Up North” and it conjures up different images for different people.  For some it is the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan or any of the other Great Lakes, for others it is the snow of winter and the accompanying snow skiing or riding snowmobiles.  For the fisherman it is the lakes and rivers searching for trout, walleye, northern pike, muskies, or Lake Perch. For the football fans it is the Green Bay Packers or the Minnesota Vikings.  The waters of Lake Superior produce record size smallmouth bass. And mention the Upper Peninsula (UP) and thoughts turn to wilderness, wolves, and bears.

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Call to Action: Public Hunting Lands in MI Under Threat

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Public input opportunity extended to all members:

If you hunt on state land in Michigan and feel strongly about maintaining our upland sporting traditions now is the time to let your voice be heard.

On Wednesday May 11, I testified on two Michigan Senate bills that could significantly affect wildlife conservation and hunting (read his written comments…).  We appreciate the Legislature’s interest in public recreation on public lands and there is language in these bills that we agree with but overall they would negatively impact the public land we need for hunting and active forest management required to maintain habitat for ruffed grouse, American woodcock, and other young forest wildlife.

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