Is DEC doing any studies of Ruffed Grouse in New York?
In an effort to answer some of the common questions about grouse populations, DEC has initiated two new surveys and a research project. The Cooperator Ruffed Grouse Hunting Log asks grouse hunters to record the number of birds flushed per hour of hunting effort. The Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey asks turkey hunters to record all drumming male grouse observed while they are afield during the month of May. We hope that, when viewed over time and various spatial scales, both of these surveys will help us identify trends in grouse distribution and abundance. In fall 2007, DEC initiated a cooperative research project with SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry to determine fall-winter survival and mortality of ruffed grouse in two areas of New York State with relatively high hunting pressure and different degrees of habitat fragmentation. This study will provide the first assessment of ruffed grouse survival and harvest mortality in New York in more than 50 years. This is needed to evaluate
