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Healthy Forests, Abundant Wildlife, Conservation Ethic

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A Weekend at Grouse Camp with Ruffed Grouse Society – RGS

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The day a German immigrant became an adult-onset hunter at RGS Grouse Camp in Wisconsin

Most grouse and woodcock hunters know this situation: standing in young Aspen cover with a shotgun in your hand. All you hear is the tone of the e-collar that tells you a dog is on point maybe 50 yards away from you. Slowly, but with determination, you make your way through the thick cover of late September, just to end up about 15 yards in front of the dog still strongly on point. 

Just six month ago I would never have thought I’d find myself in the Wisconsin North Woods, chasing the King of the Woods and the curious looking timberdoodle. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even know of the existence of either of these beautiful birds that are now so common to my vocabulary.

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Ruffed Grouse Habitat | Cost Share Planting for Private Landowners

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How You Can Improve Grouse Habitat on Your Property

I’ve always loved the idea of leaving a legacy. Not for fame or glory, by any means, but for something simpler. Being a biologist and a hunter, I fell in love with the idea of bringing my in-law’s property to its maximum wildlife potential. Over the years, we’ve cleared some wildlife openings, built brush piles, planted trails and food plots, and pruned dozens of apple trees. But I wanted to take it further by shaping it into a carefully planned grouse paradise, with the hope that my kids would someday enjoy it. 

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What We Can Learn from Grouse Drumming Surveys

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ruffed grouse drumming - Steve Oehlenschlager
Photo Credit | Steve Oehlenschlager

What exactly does a drumming survey tell us…or not tell us?

There’s something special about that feeling you get in the grouse woods in springtime – that moment when you pause and can’t quite hear anything, but actually feel something thumping in your chest (besides your heart). Finally it becomes clear that it’s actually a grouse drumming from a hundred yards away. Drumming is done by male grouse as they beat their wings from an elevated log, stump, rock, or other platform. Contrary to what many people believe, they’re not hitting their wings against their breast – it’s actually caused by the vacuum of air left behind from their rapid wingbeats. Scientists use this behavior to conduct drumming surveys each spring.

Most hunters keep tabs on drumming surveys when they come out each summer, and get excited (or dismayed) about the results. The surveys have been used reliably for several decades. But in recent history, there seems to be somewhat of a disconnect between spring drumming counts and fall harvest numbers/observations. So what is their purpose and what can we still learn from them?

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Video Contest | Join Us at Grouse Camp

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Tell Us Why You Want to Attend Grouse Camp?

We would love for you to Join Us at Grouse Camp in Eagle River, WI September 27th -29th. Now you have a chance to do so for free by entering our active video contest.

Thanks to generous donors, winners (up to 10) will receive free entry to Grouse Camp 2019 which includes event registration and some meals ($150 value). This does not include lodging.

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Woodcock | A Gateway to the Uplands

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Photo Credit | Michael Furtman

Highlighting the cooperative and welcoming nature of a truly amazing little bird.

We were wrapping up the afternoon, myself and hunting partner, also Mike, winding our way through likely cover on our rough course back to the truck. We each had a handful of chances at birds, my partner had brought one to hand. I was new to this, well, not new to woodcock, but new to southern, migratory woodcock. 

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Public Comment | Wisconsin Grouse Season

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The Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse Management Planning Committee has finished its first ruffed grouse management plan draft.  This plan will serve as a tool for managing ruffed grouse in Wisconsin and includes information on ruffed grouse ecology, management history, and proposes future management goals for ruffed grouse in Wisconsin.

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FILM TRAILER | Live For October

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Watch the latest trailer for an upcoming Ruffed Grouse Society film.

Follow RGS/AWS Northeast regional director, Joe Levesque through the October woods as he shares the experience with Zach Hein of CZ-USA and Alex Costa of ANR Design.

This is a story about the grouse woods, unpredictable weather, witty birds, first hunts, and friends. Join RGS/AWS as you feel the experience and Live For October.

Full Film to be released August 2019

New Jersey Grouse Season Closure

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Ruffed Grouse - Photo Credit: Steve Oehlenschlager
Photo Credit: Steve Oehlenschlager

At their regular meeting on July 17, the New Jersey Fish and Game Council unanimously voted to close the ruffed grouse hunting season statewide.

The Ruffed Grouse Society was disheartened to hear of the New Jersey ruffed grouse hunting season closure announced last week. The NJ Department of Fish & Wildlife’s population monitoring clearly justifies the move. Ruffed grouse are a bellwether of forest health. Their decline mirrors that of other forest wildlife in New Jersey including golden-winged warbler, blue-winged warbler, cerulean warbler, wood thrush, and American woodcock.

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Conservation Policy Update | July 2019

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Maine grouse hunting

A look into the current habitat, wildlife and conservation issues that matter to RGS/AWS members right now.

RECENT VICTORIES

John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act

In February, the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society celebrated Senate and House approval of the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47). The president later signed S. 47 into law on March 12, 2019. The bill included permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF has invested over $16 billion in conservation and outdoor recreation since originally passed in 1964. RGS/AWS staff, along with a coalition of our conservation and forest industry partners, worked to secure a $425 million LWCF appropriation in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, a 6.25% increase over the previous year. However, LWCF authorization expired despite a 50-year track record of successfully conserving habitat and expanding recreational access.

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Ben Jones Featured on the Project Upland Podcast

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The Story of a Conservation Leader…

RGS/AWS President and CEO, Ben Jones was recently a guest on the Project Upland Podcast. Hosted by RGS/AWS member Nick Larson, the two were joined by Creative Director of Northwoods Collective and Project Upland, A.J. DeRosa.

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