Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 9
coming, but keyed and ready if it does.
Unfortunately, the delicately balanced world of the ruffed grouse is
off-center, and the King of Thunder is
suffering the consequences.
Out of Balance
Dense saplings, thick stands of
shrubs, and the unbridled mess of a
clear-cut provide grouse with the type
of cover that separates life and death.
Branches overhead disrupt the view of
a passing Cooper’s hawk, and dog-hair
thickets of saplings, with ample slash
on the ground, impair the nightly hunt
of a raccoon. Throw in a few weedy
clearings, bramble patches and perhaps
a sprinkling of conifers and you have
the perfect grouse production area.
What appears to be a “jungle” in the
eyes of many people is actually the
makings of a classic grouse covert.
But look around, really look around.
Many of our forests lack the structure
and species diversity needed to serve as
prime grouse habitat. Mature trees with
little on the ground beyond a carpet
of ferns or striped maple have limited
value for grouse. In fact, these “simplified” forest stands offer restricted opportunities for most wildlife. A drive
along Pennsylvania’s roadways in April
reveals miles and miles of forest that
would make better picnic areas than
wildlife habitat. You should not be able
to jog through a forest!
What is missing? Grouse cover today
and the forest of the future. “Young
forest” is composed of a thick and diverse mix of shrubs, tree seedlings and
saplings, along with openings where
grass, weeds and wildflowers grow. This
important habitat type is dwindling
rapidly throughout the commonwealth. Our state is now at a 50-year
OCTOBER 2013
low for young forest. The National
Grouse Management Plan recommends
increasing the amount of young forest
in Pennsylvania (and throughout the
Appalachians) by 10 percent to bring
grouse populations back up to target
levels by 2025. To meet this goal, Pennsylvania’s proportional share would
require creating more than 90,000 acres
of new habitat per year.
As a result of the loss of young forest,
more than 30 species of wildlife that
rely on this habitat type in Pennsylvania are declining. The amount of young
forest in Pennsylvania is far short of
what is needed to sustain species such
as ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe
hares, box turtles, whip-poor-wills,
regal fritillary butterflies, indigo buntings and an entire community of other
songbirds. This year, the American
Bird Conservancy identified “early succession forests” of the Northeast as one
of the Top 10 threatened habitats in
the United States. State, regional and
national partners now are struggling to
Jacob Dingel
9
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013
Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 2
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 3
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 4
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 5
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 6
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 7
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 8
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 9
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 10
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 11
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 12
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 13
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 14
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 15
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 16
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 17
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 18
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 19
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 20
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 21
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 22
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 23
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 24
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 25
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 26
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 27
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 28
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 29
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 30
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 31
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 32
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 33
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 34
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 35
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 36
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 37
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 38
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 39
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 40
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 41
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 42
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 43
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 44
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 45
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 46
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 47
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 48
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 49
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 50
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 51
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 52
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 53
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 54
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 55
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 56
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 57
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 58
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 59
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 60
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 61
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 62
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 63
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - 64
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - I1
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - I2
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2013 - Cover4
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