Showing posts with label 2024. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2024. Show all posts

Women’s Intro to Wingshooting in Mount Jewett PA this summer 2024

MOUNT JEWETT — The. Ruffed Grouse Society announced it will offer its popular Women’s Introduction to Wingshooting Program at the Mount Jewett Sportsmen’s Club on July 20 and 21 and August 24 and 25.

Women’s Introduction to Wingshooting is a course for women and taught by women. On both Saturdays, the course starts at noon and ends at 4 p.m. On both Sundays, the course starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m.

Register by contacting bjmf989@gmail.com. Attendance is required for both weekends to graduate from the program. Lodging is available, if needed, but is limited.

A hunt will be offered to the graduates Sept. 8 at a nearby sportsmen’s club.

No knowledge of shooting is required.

“We pride ourselves on helping a woman who has never even held a shotgun before learn how to become a wingshooter,” says Sue McClelland of Smethport, one of the instructors. “And owning a shotgun is not necessary; we have shotguns that the attendees can try for size and then use during the program. When you finish this training you can go on and shoot at targets for fun or hunt your choice of birds.” You must register to attend this course, and it is on a first come, first served registration basis. “We only take 20 women into the program each year so we can maintain the quality,” said Maureen McDonald of Coudersport, another instructor.

Read the full BradfordEra article 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse Survey Shows An Increase of 57% In Drumming Grouse From 2023


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released the results of its annual Roadside Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey. The survey measured ruffed grouse drumming activity heard along roadsides throughout Wisconsin this spring and showed a 57% increase in statewide drumming activity compared to 2023.

Several agencies and groups, including the DNR, U.S. Forest Service, tribal partners and volunteers, collected the data via roadside surveys of breeding grouse.

"The late spring and summer of 2023 were abnormally dry, which resulted in prime nesting and brooding conditions for ruffed grouse. This is likely the most influential factor explaining the increase in the number of drumming grouse this year,” said Alaina Roth, DNR ruffed grouse specialist. “We are also likely entering the ‘up’ phase of our 10-year population cycle, which may be an influencing factor, too.”

Ruffed grouse typically follow a 10-year population cycle, with peaks occurring in years that end in 0, 1 or 9. The surveys indicate ruffed grouse in Wisconsin are starting to enter the more populous phase of the abundance cycle. The next peak is anticipated to occur in 2029, 2030 or 2031.

Ruffed Grouse Graph.jpeg  
Ruffed grouse drumming survey results show an increase in drumming abundance this year.Wisconsin DNR

Data is not available for 2020, so it is unknown whether 2019 or 2020 was the high point in the cycle, but drumming numbers appeared to wane in the years immediately following 2020.

Since 2021, survey data has been organized and analyzed by ruffed grouse priority areas to help monitor key populations across the state, as defined in the Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse Management Plan 2020-2030.

The 2024 survey results for priority areas compared to 2023 showed:

  • A 41% increase in drumming in the Central priority area.
  • A 60% increase in drumming in the Northern priority area.
  • A 56% decrease in drumming in the Driftless priority area.

For complete survey results, visit the DNR’s Wisconsin Wildlife Reports webpage.

For more information regarding grouse hunting or managing habitat for ruffed grouse in Wisconsin, visit the DNR’s Ruffed Grouse Hunting webpage.


 

2024 Minnesota Ruffed grouse counts remain high in core of ruffed grouse range

Ruffed grouse counts remain high in core of ruffed grouse range

July 8, 2024


Sharp-tailed grouse population up in the northwest, but remains low in east-central Minnesota

Minnesota’s ruffed grouse spring population counts are similar to last year and to other recent peaks in the 10-year population cycle of grouse — a pattern recorded for 73 years, according to a study from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The Minnesota DNR and its partners use spring drumming counts to help monitor the ruffed grouse breeding population through time.

The recent grouse population trend includes a low point in the cycle in 2021 that was not as low as previous lows, followed by the highest peak this year since 1972.

Warm temperatures and dry conditions that favor high nest success and chick survival the last few years may partly explain the quicker than expected rise to peak levels in the 10-year cycle. Snow conditions also were favorable for roosting throughout much of the core of grouse range during the winters 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, followed by an unusually warm winter during 2023-2024. Minnesota’s climate is getting warmer and wetter with more heavy, intense rainfalls occurring.

“While ruffed grouse drumming counts are high in the core of ruffed grouse range, indicating a strong breeding population this spring, drumming counts are not an accurate way to predict the birds that will be present during the fall hunting season,” said Charlotte Roy, DNR grouse project leader. “Nesting success and chick survival during the spring and summer are among the factors that influence the number of birds present in the fall. These factors can be reduced by heavy rain during June when nests are hatching and chicks are young.”

Drumming is a low sound produced by males as they beat their wings rapidly and in increasing frequency to signal the location of their territory. Drumming displays also attract females that are ready to begin nesting. Ruffed grouse populations are surveyed by counting the number of male ruffed grouse drums on established routes throughout the state’s forested regions.

“In a typical year, we have 13 cooperating organizations providing folks to help us count grouse drumming,” Roy said. “We are grateful to our federal and tribal partners for their assistance in completing routes.”

The ruffed grouse survey report can be found on the grouse management webpage of the DNR website.

Sharp-tailed grouse population up in the northwest, but remains low in east-central region

Minnesota’s northwest sharp-tailed grouse population is higher this year than last year and the highest it’s been since 2009, according to spring population counts conducted by the Minnesota DNR and cooperating organizations.

The population level remains low in east-central Minnesota. The Minnesota DNR closed the hunting season in the east-central zone in 2021. Low population levels in this area are thought to be driven largely by changing habitat conditions. The birds require areas of 1 to 3 square miles of grassland and brushland, so managing their habitats often requires cooperation between multiple landowners.

The Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, Pheasants Forever and others have collaborated with the Minnesota DNR on targeted habitat management — specifically on prescribed burns, and mowing and tree shearing projects — for sharp-tailed grouse in the east-central range and remain committed to enhancing open-land habitats.

The sharp-tailed grouse survey report can be found on the grouse management webpage of the Minnesota DNR website.

Read the full DNR report