In addition to echoing Cheryl's call for protection of old growth forest tracts, I also agree that there is lots of young growth forest habitat available, at least in the glaciated Allegheny Plateau region.  While I used to hear ruffed grouse drumming in Geauga Park District when I started working there almost 30 years ago, it's been many years since I've heard it and I can count the number of grouse sightings in the past 25 years on one hand.  Even though woodlands have matured beyond ideal grouse habitat, other old field habitat has come into grouse habitat with aspen groves and young growth woodlands.  Therefore, I  have never fully subscribed to the oft-touted habitat loss explanation for the lack of ruffed grouse.  I assert that the extensive nest predation by the over-abundant population of raccoons is the foremost reason for the virtual disappearance if ruffed grouse, at least in Northeast Ohio.

Dan Best


On Oct 2, 2015, at 11:06 AM, Cheryl Harner wrote:

> Birding Friends,
> 
> Sorry to read of Mark's report and a lack of ruffed grouse in Zaleski.  If
> successional habitat alone created grouse, Zaleski should be teaming with
> them.  ODNR even advertises "Excess Lumber For Sale to Public at Zaliseski
> State Forest" on their Forestry website.
> 
> There is no shortage of successional habitat* in Ohio.  The private lands
> which provide the 95% of timber products produced in Ohio are all
> successional.  Private property owner are certainly encouraged to manage and
> produce timber products on their lands- if they choose.  However, old-growth
> habitat is arguably the rarest habitat in Ohio. One would hope our State
> Forests would be managed for the needs of the future, not as the 1950 models
> dictate. Let's leave the timbering to private land owners. Ohio needs our
> contiguous forests to provide for biodiversity- like box turtles and
> bobcats.
> 
> Mohican Forest has one small parcel of old-growth trees protected as a State
> Nature Preserve.  Other lands at Mohican are schedule to be timbered this
> year.  Timbering will not help Mohican's tourist base. Those successional
> lands created by timbering will not produce grouse either, as we have not
> seen a grouse in Mohican for at least 20 years.
> 
> This year Hocking Hills' Forest came very close to losing a large old stand
> of oaks and mixed hardwoods to the saw.  However, the Hocking Hills Tourism
> Association challenged Forestry's idea of management and the timbering is on
> hold for a year.  Tourists now have a little time to go and enjoy a last
> view of these trees, in case Forestry decides to follow through with the cut
> next year.
> 
> Ohio Ornithological Society (the owner of this list-serv) as well as Black
> Swamp Bird Observatory, Mohican Advocates, Ohio Environmental Council,
> Flora-Quest and North Central Ohio Land  Conservancy have been joined by the
> Hocking Hill Tourism Association in calling for rededicating Ohio's State
> Forestry System.
> 
> If you are under the mistaken assumption that Ohio's Division of Forestry is
> strictly protecting forests lands, you need to know O.D.F. is timbering
> them, too.   Let's find better ways of raising funds for local schools and
> fire departments than cutting down our natural heritage for a short term
> profit.  The tourism tax dollars in Ohio's most visited State Forests far
> out produces timbering as an economic driver.
> 
> "Hugging" our old trees makes good economic sense and drives eco-tourism
> commerce.  More importantly to this list-serv, the birds like trees too.
> Nature will provide for natural succession, it always has.
> 
> Cheryl Harner
> OOS Conservation Chair
> 
> *Seen today in my succession sub-urban yard:  Northern Cardinals, Tufted
> Titmice, Downey Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robins,
> American Goldfinches and others.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marc Behrendt
> Sent: Friday, October 02, 2015 9:39 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [Ohio-birds] ruffed grouse
> 
> As a follow up for ruffed grouse reports, I spent Sunday, Sept 27 in Zaleski
> State Forest, and did not hear any drumming, nor did I flush any birds.
> I remember "the old days" when grouse were common.
> 
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