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Ruffed Grouse Habitat

Featured Habitat Project – Seeking New Partnerships to Increase Impacts

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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...

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

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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...

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Ruffed Grouse in the Catskills, Then and Now

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The history, significance and future of ruffed grouse in the Catskills. A sense of loss is wedded to hunting. When we’re in the woods, we fight the inevitable passing of time like characters in a tragedy whose ending is assured. Though it’s not the reason why we hunt, death is the logical conclusion of the enterprise, and a tinge of mourning follows the balletic descent of a shot grouse. Our beloved bird dogs barrel through the brush, and we smile, but we know they only have so many seasons in their short lives, and we want to hold on to those...

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