ISBN 0-8117-1650-3 | published in 1989
The bare November days of grouse season are behind us, and the woodcock of the North have migrated to coverts south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Guns have been oiled, and the dogs seem to dream each day of the past season.
While the next ruffed grouse season seems an eternity away, in reality, it’s only a scant eight to nine months away. Now’s the time to prepare for next season – not in the way of gear or guns – but in developing a greater understanding of the King of the Uplands: the ruffed grouse.
This book is the first in a small series from sporting book publisher Stackpole Press. The other two concern trout and white-tailed deer. These books are a compendium of each species’ biology, including habitat, food, mating and much more.
Edited by Sally Atwater and Judith Schnell, “The Wildlife Series: Ruffed Grouse” contributors are a distinguished list of professional wildlife biologists and researchers who have ruffed grouse expertise, including Gordon Gullion, Donald H. Rusch and Frederick A. Servello. All share their depth of knowledge in a fashion that an interested layman can comprehend. Credit should be given for this accomplishment.
As I reread this book for this review, I started not in the front, but in the section focusing on nutrition. This section covers nutritional needs throughout the year, allowing the reader to understand the various foods by utilizing four-color pictures and graphs. Understanding the importance of food in your covers will allow you to focus on the habitat that the birds must use before and after a night of roosting.
I also found the section on determining age and sex written by Gordon Gullion interesting as was the discussion regarding plumage. This section not only covers color varieties, but also molting, dusting and other feather-related topics.
The book also includes interesting text regarding courtship and mating and nesting-related topics, including egg development and brood rearing as well as incisive information regarding drumming dispersal and roosting.
Predation is also discussed along with the topics of mortality and hunting. In conjunction with these topics is a large and comprehensive body of literature regarding ruffed grouse habitat in various regions, from the Northern woods to the Southern topography of the bird’s range. The 14 pages that Gordon Gullion added, titled “Managing the Woods for the Birds’ Sake,” are well worth the time spent reading.
Adding to the book’s enjoyment are both paintings and photographs from top artists in their respective mediums.
Former executive director of RGS & AWS, Sammuel R. Pursglove, Jr., wrote the book’s forward, noting “… the bird is worthy of the attention of all who value healthy and productive woodlands. Because the grouse has such stringent habitat requirements, his very presence tells us his chosen coverts are places not merely where he can live but where many other wildlife species will also thrive.”
Now’s the time to begin preparing for next season, and reading “The Wildlife Series: Ruffed Grouse” is an enjoyable way to accomplish that and get through the coldness of winter.
