View a View forest management history of an area to identify priority areas that have NOT received recent management attention. Research conducted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and supported in part by the Ruffed Grouse Society, has begun revealing the effects of West Nile virus on the state's ruffed grouse population, as well as the benefits of having an ample amount of the high … Pennsylvania’s state bird is in serious trouble. Expect number of harvested acres to continue to increase: each year for the last three years Game Commission foresters have offered more than 9,000 acres of timber for sale and harvesting is now underway on those contracts. Grouse Priority Areas Siting Tool (G-PAST), of your party harvests a grouse, please submit the following feather samples: one entire wing (or 3 outer flight feathers), 1 central tail feather, 2 to 3 rump feathers (. For wild turkey and wild ring-necked pheasants, the Game Commission has been acquiring abundant passive surveillance data (testing sick and dead birds found on the landscape). The Game Commission priority is to increase the number of birds entering the breeding population in mid-March to mid-April as a way to increase baseline breeding numbers. This tool enables land managers to immediately identify areas on public lands where disease risk to grouse is LOW and grouse ability to respond to habitat creation is HIGH. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. “That was sort of an ‘Oh brother!’ moment.”. Grouse Priority Siting Tool (G-PAST) - Public Version. Above-average spring and fall temperatures prolong the mosquito-breeding season, and eight of the past 10 years have been that way. To provide high quality hunting opportunities (i.e., low hunting pressure, low vehicle traffic, high flush rates) we recommend using road closures in conjunction with habitat management (see above). More hope came from the past two summers, which have been mild and dry – and Williams said her statewide grouse numbers have actually increased by 10% since 2018. The above also holds true for pheasants and woodcock; WNV mortality may occur on a limited and sporadic basis. Listed by Dina and Joe Hernandez with CENTURY 21 Country Lake Homes - Greentown. $182,500 USD 3 Beds; 1 Bath; 1,600 Sqft; 0.48 ac Lot Size; Residential Open House. The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. WNV was found in PA in 2000 and occurred statewide by 2002. In the Game Commission 2015 Grouse and Woodcock Hunter Survey, 58% of more than 2000 grouse hunters indicated that they supported a split zone approach. Two Factors Affecting the Ruffed Grouse Decline. While managers can indirectly monitor the effects of weather on grouse production using existing surveys, this is a factor we can only react to – not control. Following a hunch that the virus was affecting grouse, Williams conducted a study in 2015 with Colorado State University. Due to COVID-related restrictions, this past spring’s drumming counts in … Ohio’s grouse population is also experiencing a steep decline very similar to Indiana, according to Shaw. Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus; hereafter grouse) populations in the central and southern Appalachians are in decline. For the first time in PA, the RHF uses a split zone approach to season setting. – is West Nile Virus. Furthermore, male grouse holding territories >201 m from the road had higher annual survival (36%) than male grouse defending territories <201 m from the road (23%; Fischer and Keith 1974). The ruffed grouse decline can be attributed to two factors. GIS personnel can now take those variables and model them across the Pennsylvania landscape. Responsive Harvest Framework, including decision thresholds used to develop the 2019-20 season recommendation. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. A RHM framework incorporates abundance and productivity measures into season-setting decisions so that seasons and bag limits respond to changes in populations. Thus, all evidence suggests that reducing bag limit would not increase the number of birds surviving into the breeding population. He can be reached at (814) 532-5055. The first, habitat loss, has always played a role in grouse numbers across their entire range. The benefit of a responsive harvest framework is that season-setting is consistent from year to year, responsive to the grouse population, and transparent to the public. For the past five years, Pennsylvania Game Commission Grouse Biologist Lisa Williams has been intensively studying grouse population decline, and is working to stop the trend. The Young Forest Project  very low juvenile per hen ratios in hunter-harvested birds and summer brood sightings), decreased proportion of juveniles in the winter harvest (Dec and Jan). Ruffed Grouse Society  Identifies grouse focus areas - Grouse occurrence data will help refine and ground-truth the grouse habitat targeting model now being developed. The duration of the late season closure is unknown. The Ruffed Grouse Society, for example, holds a “national grouse and woodcock hunt” each fall in Minnesota. If the late season were shortened to one week, some hunters who normally hunt later in January would shift their hunting to the open week. The Game Commission grouse biologist, region biologists, GIS specialists, land managers, and other foresters can immediately access this data and incorporate it into grouse habitat modeling, identifying critical management areas, informing comprehensive game lands plans, and planning and prioritizing annual work objectives. At this time, we cannot make explicit recommendations as to what portion of the landscape or management unit should be maintained as refuge or recreational. After reaching a population apex in the mid 1990s, the non-migratory bird that has little problem surviving the harshest of winters has fallen victim to the repercussions of human interaction. They also lack the incredible camouflage of a grouse. The record low grouse abundance seen in the 2014-2016 license years, coupled with the record low summer observations in 2017, indicate that short-term intervention is warranted to stem ongoing declines and support recovering populations. Special emphasis in our habitat management efforts will be creating secure and high-quality brood cover to increase grouse production. Follow him on Twitter @JohnRucosky. Cold, wet springs may reduce brood survival due to decreased insect availability and outright exposure. Hot dry summers benefit mosquitos that carry WNV because they breed in stagnant water. For the Fiscal Year ending in June 2017, Game Commission foresters accomplished 8,549 acres of actual harvest. You have permission to edit this article. Current address: WI DNR, 106 Sutliff Ave, Rhinelander WI. A responsive harvest framework is used for some migratory game birds (doves and woodcock) as a safeguard to prevent over-harvest. Comments are welcomed by the Commission at pgccomments@pa.gov. To support the desired population increase, the PA plan includes a habitat objective of Grouse Status report that includes issues affecting habitat management, and figures showing acreage created per year. What can I do to assist the recovery of grouse? The Likelihood of West Nile Virus Impact on Wild Turkeys, Woodcock, Quail and Pheasants. Many private landowners are loving their forests to death by neglecting them through hands-off management. (Information taken from Devers 2005: Population ecology of and the effects of hunting on ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) in the southern and central Appalachians). For the Fiscal Year ending in June 2017, Game Commission foresters accomplished 8,549 acres of actual harvest. In 2017, the PGC took an emergency measure by shortening grouse season for the first time since 1960, indefinitely postponing after-Christmas hunting. Williams said that “2017 and 2018 were horrible years for disease; 2018 was the worst year that we had ever seen, just because of the weather.”, So Williams developed a hypothesis: “Can we lessen risk by putting grouse habitat away from these mosquitoes?”, She hopes her new G-PAST (Grouse Priority Area Sighting Tool) can. In that short time and that small space, the grouse population has tripled. The state was largely clear-cut through the late 1800s, with forests regrowing during the 20th century. Hunting pressure, harvest rates, hunter success, and thus, hunting-related disturbance are all related to distance from roads or initial starting point (e.g., gate or hunting cabin; Fischer and Keith 1974, Gullion and Alm 1983, Broseth and Pedersen 2000, Gratson and Whitman 2000, Hayes et al. Certainly, some of these birds will die of natural causes prior to the breeding season, but current research indicates that monthly survival of grouse from January to March is 80-90% (with adult survival significantly higher than juvenile survival). Incorporating all critical variables into management decision-making gives Game Commission personnel much more power to weigh options and priorities. It’s what’s best for them.”. "Wildlife really want a mess. By enabling app-based data entry, the logistics of data entry, transfer, and analysis are stream-lined and will require much less time to complete. WNV shows strong indications as a significant mortality factor for Pennsylvania grouse. For assistance with forest management and wildlife habitat planning, consult with a: Game Commission In this example, SGL 176 (lower right on map) has long been heavily-managed for grouse and this SGL historically supported abundant populations. In the late season, we are harvesting survivors. Today, much of Pennsylvania's forest area is 90 to 120 years old. By replicating a recruitment study conducted in Pennsylvania during the 1970s and 1980s, we can determine if grouse recruitment has changed over time in northern and/or southern Pennsylvania. The data layer created over time will also further BWM objectives of conducting CART analysis to further identify critical variables and thresholds affecting grouse occurrence. Similarly, many songbirds and raptors are affected by WNV, while others seem to be unaffected. # WisdomWednesday Did you know The PA State Bird is the Ruffed Grouse, it was designated officially in 1931. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Historically, the Game Commission has identified grouse priority areas by chance (a forester in the past knew where a lot of birds occurred), by personal interest (a land manager had a unique interest in grouse management and initiated habitat work), by passive opportunity (aspen stands occurred in a site, so grouse management was prioritized) or by biologist interest. presentation on the Game Commission Forest Management program presented to the Board of Commissioners. View Priority Sites within SGLs to identify best areas of the Game Land to manage grouse habitat (Grouse Priority: Orange = “Good”; Blue = “Better”; Purple = “Best”). DO NOT mix different birds in one envelope. If you are passionate about grouse and want to assist, please educate your neighbors, your hunt clubs and fellow hunters about the value of active and responsible forest management. Submit feathers from one grouse in one envelope. Commission Meeting Jan. 2018 Presentation video (15:00)This presentation describes data and rationale leading to the recommendation of a 2018-19 statewide closure of the Grouse Late Season, and a description of the harvest framework that will guide season-setting in future – presented to Board of Game Commissioners on Jan. 29, 2018. Management of roads will require balancing sociological, ecological and economic considerations. 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