Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse season

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shags
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Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse season

Post by shags » Tue Jul 24, 2018 5:00 pm

Received this today, may be of interest to some

Proposed Shortening of Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse Season

by Mark Parman

At its June 27 meeting, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) took the first step to shorten the state’s 2018 ruffed grouse season. The proposed season in Zone A (most of the state) would end November 30 instead of the traditional January 31.
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC), a citizens’ advisory group on conservation issues, raised concerns about low ruffed grouse numbers and asked the NRB to consider the extraordinary step of curtailing the 2018 season. No Wisconsin ruffed grouse season has ever been shortened.

The NRB’s decision followed, after hearing the results of the Wisconsin DNR’s 2018 spring counts, which were down 38 percent in the northern region and 29 percent in the central region. The 2017 fall ruffed grouse harvest was also down 30 percent from the 2016 harvest, from 262,942 to 185,356 birds. These declining numbers occurred when most hunters and biologists expected the cycle to be trending up.

Following public comment, which can be made via e-mail or phone until August 3 at 11 a.m., the NRB will vote to approve (or not) the abbreviated season at their August 7-8 meeting. The governor and legislature must then sign off on the measure.

"It’s a more conservative approach than what research might tell you," said Eric Lobner, the Wisconsin DNR’s Bureau of Wildlife Management Director. With a lack of data about what’s adversely affecting ruffed grouse population levels, the NRB is erring on the side of caution.

Lobner and the department will develop an official ruffed grouse management plan, another first for Wisconsin, which he stated will identify areas of critical research.

Although no ruffed grouse have tested positive for West Nile virus in Wisconsin, anecdotal evidence suggests that WNV is killing grouse, so the Wisconsin DNR will be asking hunters for blood samples of the birds they shoot in the 2018 season. According to Lobner, the department will use Pittman-Robertson funds to pay for some of this research. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota will also jointly study the West Nile virus in ruffed grouse in 2018.

"There is some data out that suggests late season hunting, winter hunting, has an effect on ruffed grouse populations," said Lobner. A Brett Sandercock study in 2011 on willow ptarmigan implies this.

At this time, however, the Wisconsin DNR does not have data on how much late season grouse hunting occurs in the state nor the harvest rates for that time period. Lobner felt that grouse making it through the winter to January and February were more robust and better able to manage the cold season.

Other studies have indicated that human hunting was compensatory and not additive on ruffed grouse populations and that birds cannot be stockpiled from one season to the next. A 2011 study of ruffed grouse in New York state led by Megan Skrip found that tighter hunting regulations would not keep ruffed grouse populations from further declining.

On social media, hunters have recommended other options, as well, such as beginning the season later (it opens September 15), and dropping the daily bag limit from five birds to three or even two birds.

Contact Laurie Ross, NRB Liaison, at 608-267-7420 or laurie.ross@wisconsin.gov to make comments about the proposed shortening of Wisconsin’s 2018 ruffed grouse season.

JONOV
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Re: Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse season

Post by JONOV » Wed Jul 25, 2018 7:46 am

WI seems to have a knee jerk reaction to these things...Especially in a bird that's population is known to cycle.

Its kind of like the knee-jerk reaction to CWD. I remember, as I was living in IL and hunting in Wisconsin in what they then referred to as the "DEZ" or Disease Eradication Zone, and they opened the season up for a year straight.

One would think that lowering the limit would be an easier step.

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Re: Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse season

Post by Mountaineer » Wed Jul 25, 2018 9:15 am

My initial thought is that WI’s reaction was overblown, due to the strength of the ruffed grouse’s population in that state and so, the ability of the bird to absorb kicks and stabs.
The decision may well be kneejerk...there.
While areas in WI have shown the standard decline thru succession, etc....in general, the population has plusses(snow, swamps and aspen, for example) not seen in other states outside the UGLs, NE, etc.,imho.
Other states where WN has been more of an issue, due to a much weaker viability from many factors, are another matter entire.
Good luck to the bird, WI and those tasked with a responsibility for it’s management....that is a tough gig and one made tougher when grouse hunters feel they are being infringed upon and begin to shed tears.

Neither the bird nor it’s struggles are equal across it’s wide range....we should consider not trying to make the square bird fit into every state or region’s round hole.
Lower bag limits are a waste....chop the season...IF.....a need is actually determined.
Fingers crossed for the bird and for we bird hunters...the order of mention, matters.

CWD is spreading wherever it is found. New areas of infection were found in WV just lately. Clean up those CWD areas and shut down the deer farm industry...in a few states that will help...a bit with the ongoing expansion of CWD. Make deer feeders illegal to prevent yet another manner of concentrating deer while at it, in order to help limit the spread.

JONOV
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Re: Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse season

Post by JONOV » Wed Jul 25, 2018 10:23 am

Mountaineer wrote:My initial thought is that WI’s reaction was overblown, due to the strength of the ruffed grouse’s population in that state and so, the ability of the bird to absorb kicks and stabs.
The decision may well be kneejerk...there.
While areas in WI have shown the standard decline thru succession, etc....in general, the population has plusses(snow, swamps and aspen, for example) not seen in other states outside the UGLs, NE, etc.,imho.
Other states where WN has been more of an issue, due to a much weaker viability from many factors, are another matter entire.
Good luck to the bird, WI and those tasked with a responsibility for it’s management....that is a tough gig and one made tougher when grouse hunters feel they are being infringed upon and begin to shed tears.

Neither the bird nor it’s struggles are equal across it’s wide range....we should consider not trying to make the square bird fit into every state or region’s round hole.
Lower bag limits are a waste....chop the season...IF.....a need is actually determined.
Fingers crossed for the bird and for we bird hunters...the order of mention, matters.

CWD is spreading wherever it is found. New areas of infection were found in WV just lately. Clean up those CWD areas and shut down the deer farm industry...in a few states that will help...a bit with the ongoing expansion of CWD. Make deer feeders illegal to prevent yet another manner of concentrating deer while at it, in order to help limit the spread.
My .02 on CWD, its always been there, to one degree or another.

Feeders are bad for transmission, mineral licks can't help, but the worst culprit seems to be deer farms.

averageguy
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Re: Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse season

Post by averageguy » Wed Jul 25, 2018 10:47 am

The correlation between High Fence Deer operations and CWD is abundantly obvious. The politics to shut them down are unfortunately onerous.

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Re: Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse season

Post by Mountaineer » Wed Jul 25, 2018 11:04 am

JONOV wrote:
Mountaineer wrote:My .02 on CWD, its always been there, to one degree or another.
Feeders are bad for transmission, mineral licks can't help, but the worst culprit seems to be deer farms.
Could be, not sure tho.....one does wonder. Certainly Blue Tongue and other such seasonal and cyclic issues have long been around the deer woods.

In too many states, the whitetail is being placed under the Agriculture department rather than Natural Resources, etc.
WV went that direction recently.
That power move is a strong step in nodding to the money trail of deer farms, creating commercial venison markets, elk introductions, Big Deer and so on.
Too bad really....the containment issues on Ohio deer farms is a continual issue wrecking havoc.
Deer viewed as a crop...bad juju.

averageguy
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Re: Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse season

Post by averageguy » Wed Jul 25, 2018 11:15 am

The high fence deer industry tried to move the authority over them from the F&G to the Ag Dept in my State. The effort came after F&G proposed a double perimeter fence requirement to provide a physical barrier against wild deer coming into contact with the fenced in deer. Fortunately we were able to shot down that end run effort but they will try again and the degree of ignorance with some Politicians for this issue is hard to overstate. The economic value of the wild deer herd absolutely overwhelms that of a handful of High Fence operations but too many do not seem to understand that.

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