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ruffed grouse

Establishing soft or 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 give to you come autumn!

But, where should you start?

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Beyond The Bellwether of Our Forests – RGS

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Photo Credit | Steve Oehlenschlager

While the perils and challenges faced by ruffed grouse and American woodcock may be familiar to our conservation-minded members, the continental and even global significance of these issues may not be fully recognized.

In a study published by the journal Science, it was noted that wild bird populations have declined by nearly 30% since 1970 in the continental U.S. and Canada. Sadly, we know these declines to have effected ruffed grouse and American woodcock too. Yet the ruffed grouse and woodcock are not alone in their struggles and we are not alone in our concerns for these birds. Others have taken notice, too.

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Ben Larson hired as Forest Conservation Director for RGS & AWS Mid-Atlantic Region

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Larson brings a wealth of experience to Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society

The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society announced today that Ben Larson has been hired as Forest Conservation Director for the Mid-Atlantic Region, which includes Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, parts of Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware.

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Jon Steigerwaldt promoted to oversee forest conservation across Lakes States and Midwest

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RGS & AWS activity in Midwestern states will increase with Steigerwaldt’s expanded capacity

The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society announced today that Jon Steigerwaldt, Forest Conservation Director for the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, will now oversee work in both the Lower and Upper Peninsula of Michigan in addition to Ohio and Indiana.

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Membership Special: Help us celebrate our 60th Anniversary!

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With support from Pyke Gear, we’re offering a special deal when you join or renew at the $60 Conservation Membership level or above.*

We are celebrating 60 years of conservation success (1961 – 2021) at Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society!

Join or renew your Conservation, Advocate, Uplander, and Centurion Membership level and you’ll receive a Pyke Gear gift coupon, 60th Anniversary tee & neck gator, AND the annual subscription to Covers Magazine. A 60th Anniversary decal and the RGS & AWS patch are also included.

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Timber Management in the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National Forest

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The need for increased commercial timber harvest is at an all-time high. The Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) were encouraged to see a recent highlight addressing this critical issue for providing diverse, healthy forest habitat for abundant wildlife.

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Action Alert: Join us TODAY in supporting a rule change by the USFWS

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Photo by Ben Amstutz

Please take a minute to support federal forest management by commenting on a proposed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule.

We support this rule, which will address a harmful court decision that has stalled many important forest and wildlife management projects. Numerous lawsuits have exploited the current lack of clarity, including one that we’re fighting on Indiana’s Hoosier National Forest where high quality habitat is needed to reverse severe declines in ruffed grouse populations.

Read more: http://bit.ly/fws-newrule

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Coalition Supports Conservation on Indiana’s Hoosier National Forest

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Photo By Steve Oehlenschlager

Amicus brief filed in support of Indiana’s Hoosier National Forest habitat project by Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society, coalition of conservation groups

The ruffed grouse was listed as an endangered species in Indiana on December 16, 2020.

January 12, 2021 (New Albany, IN) – The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society led a coalition of conservation groups that filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, related to the Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration Project (Houston South Project) within Hoosier National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service faces a lawsuit that aims to shut down the project; RGS & AWS is not a party on the lawsuit, but the brief supports the Houston South Project and its objectives to restore habitat for ruffed grouse and other wildlife. The State of Indiana officially listed the ruffed grouse as a state endangered species on December 16, 2020.

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Pennsylvania Wilds Upland Bird Hunt: The Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock Society Celebrate the Upland Lifestyle

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Recapping the fun and fervor of the Upland Bird Hunt hosted annually in the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Upland hunting is a lifestyle. The conscious uplander is part hunter, conservationist, art lover, biologist, chef and storyteller. When people gather at the Ruffed Grouse Society’s Upland Bird Hunt (UBH) in the Pennsylvania Wilds, they celebrate that lifestyle, contribute to scientific research, and have a positive impact on the local community. 

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Becoming a Member of the Ruffed Grouse Society

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Improving the community and investing in the future of the ruffed grouse and American woodcock

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Photo by Zack Griswold

Like many age-old notions in life in which we can never remember the exact instance of discovery or introduction, I cannot recall the moment or setting in which I first learned of or heard about the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS). The organization as I knew it was innately synonymous with the ruffed grouse, bird hunting and conservation altogether. Although ruffed grouse and bird hunting were not an integral part of my upbringing, the day would come when the “the birds” and the “organization” would become something extremely near and dear to my heart.

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