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October 2015

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From:
Haans Petruschke <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Haans Petruschke <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 4 Oct 2015 14:49:55 -0400
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Hi,

I think one thing to keep in mind here is that Ruffed Grouse have never
been common or abundant in Ohio, (in spite of market hunting in the swamp
forests of the NW).  Also keep in mind that our human perspective in very
short in terms of the natural scheme of things.  What we think of as an
overpopulation of deer is only a contemporary perspective.  Daniel Boone
made a fortune shooting deer, sometimes getting 100 animals in a single day
(According to his claims)  Also American Bison would range in Ohio and move
through our forests and forage in meadows.

Other changes that we never really consider are things like the loss of the
American Chestnut which was once an abundant tree species in our forests
and provided a food source for many animals and we may never know what
other aspects of forest ecology were dependent upon that tree species.

Haans

On Sat, Oct 3, 2015 at 8:53 PM, David Brinkman <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I've always suspected overpopulated deer to be partially responsible for
> the decline in Kentucky warblers. Haven't had time to check the literature
> to see if research backs up this hypothesis.
>
> David A. Brinkman, M. Ed.
> Cincinnati, OH
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Oct 3, 2015, at 9:01 AM, Barrett,Robert P <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > I have not seen a single ruffed grouse in Ohio since I moved here in
> 1995.  I have seen plenty of raccoons (mostly dead on the road), and
> turkeys.  I also wonder if the overpopulation of deer could be a factor,
> through their changing the vegetation of the forest floors.  Any other
> prime suspects we should add to this list?
> >
> > Dr. Bob Barrett
> > Department of Geosciences
> > at
> > University of Akron
> > now rebranded as "Ohio's Polytechnic University"
> >
> > Teaching Fall  Semester 2015:
> > Introduction to Geography
> > World Civilizations: Latin America
> >
> >
> > ________________________________________
> > From: Ohio birds <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Haans
> Petruschke <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Saturday, October 3, 2015 8:37 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] ruffed grouse, habitat, yard sightings
> >
> > As a boy 50 odd (gasp) years ago I would sometimes flush Ruffed Grouse
> here
> > on Gildersleeve Mountain. But in that time the forest has changed. The
> land
> > here in Kirtland has hundreds of acres of old growth forest that remain,
> > and preserving the old growth forest on Gildersleeve mountain was one of
> > the first conservation causes in the early 20th century.
> >
> > We still occasionally find Ruffed Grouse at the Holden Arboretum but
> always
> > in less mature areas.
> >
> > All of the above said I also wonder how much the explosion in Wild Turkey
> > populations has effected the populations of Ruffed Grouse? Turkey were
> > completely absent 50 years ago and are common today.
> >
> > Haans
> >
> >> On Fri, Oct 2, 2015 at 8:39 PM, Dan Best <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> 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.
> >>>
> >>> ______________________________________________________________________
> >>>
> >>> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
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> >>>
> >>>
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> >>>
> >>> ______________________________________________________________________
> >>>
> >>> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> >>> Please consider joining our Society, at
> >> www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
> >>> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> >>>
> >>>
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> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________________
> >>
> >> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> >> Please consider joining our Society, at
> >> www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
> >> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> >>
> >>
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> >
> > ______________________________________________________________________
> >
> > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> > Please consider joining our Society, at
> www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
> > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> >
> >
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> > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________________
> >
> > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> > Please consider joining our Society, at
> www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
> > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> >
> >
> > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
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> > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> Please consider joining our Society, at
> www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php.
> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
>
>
> You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
> listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
> Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
>

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