Ruffed Grouse Society Announces 2013 Wisconsin Drummer Fund Projects

Record  15 Projects Approved For Funding
Coraopolis, PA – The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) has selected 15 projects to receive over $58,000 during 2013 through its Wisconsin Drummer Fund program.  The projects are designed to benefit habitat for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and other wildlife species that rely upon young forests for survival.  Partners receiving RGS funding for projects in Wisconsin in 2013 include county forestry departments in Douglas, Florence, Marathon, Oconto, Washburn, Wood, and Vilas Counties, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  Other partners providing support for these projects include the American Bird Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

According to John Eichinger, RGS President and CEO, “2013 is a record year for the Wisconsin Drummer Fund with the most funds being distributed to the highest number of projects that RGS has ever supported in Wisconsin. Our ability to fund these important projects is highly dependent on the dedicated efforts of the volunteer members of our local RGS chapters in Wisconsin.”

The Wisconsin Drummer Fund was initiated in 2010 and is the direct result of funds being raised specifically at Wisconsin RGS chapter fund raising events and through direct member donations.  Since its inception, nearly $157,000 has been made available through the Wisconsin Drummer Fund to support 40 Wisconsin grouse and woodcock projects.  These funds have been matched by other agencies and organizations and have resulted in over $350,000 worth of projects being funded in Wisconsin since 2010.

Wisconsin Drummer Fund Projects approved for 2013 include:

• Big Roche A Cri Alder Regeneration/Adams and Waushara Counties – Wisconsin DNR
• Clam Lake Wildlife Area Alder Regeneration/Burnett County – Wisconsin DNR
• Colburn Wildlife Area Alder Regeneration/Adams County– Wisconsin DNR
• Douglas County Alder Regeneration – Wisconsin DNR and Douglas County Forestry Department
• Hall’s Creek Hunting Trail Expansion/Florence County – Florence County Forestry Department
• Kubisiak Ruffed Grouse Management Area Aspen Regeneration/Wood County – Wisconsin DNR and Wood County Forestry Department
• Marathon County Alder Regeneration – Wisconsin DNR and Marathon County Forestry Department
• Oconto County Grouse Hunting Trail Development – Wisconsin DNR and Oconto County Forestry Department
• Parker Creek Alder Regeneration/Polk County – Wisconsin DNR
• Peshtigo Harbor Woodcock Habitat Restoration/Marinette County – Wisconsin DNR
• Vilas County Hunting Trail Rehabilitation - Vilas County Forestry Department
• Washburn County Wildlife Openings – Washburn County Forestry Department
• Woodcock Management Video Development – Wisconsin DNR
• Wood County Buckthorn Treatment – Wisconsin DNR and Wood County Forestry Department
• Young Forest Private Landowner Outreach – Wisconsin DNR

See the rest of the projects and the complete article

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It's Only Natural: Ruffed grouse overcome winter challenges

by Mary Holland


Dispersal, finding food, and survival on their own are three of the main challenges that ruffed grouse, also known as partridge, face every fall and winter. The manner in which they confront each of these tasks proves ruffed grouse to be one of the most adaptive species of overwintering Massachusetts birds.
The challenge of dispersing falls to the young of the year. By the time they are a little over four months old, grouse begin leaving their brood. Males are usually the first to leave, perhaps because they have a more rigorous search ahead of them. It is very important that they find a territory to claim before winter, as research indicates that males with established territories are the most successful at attracting females in the spring. Their quest is not a simple one. They must find an area that has not already been claimed by an older male, plus one that is suitable for winter survival (plenty of food) as well as spring drumming (a courtship ritual that males perform by beating their wings, often while standing on a log).
This is a formidable task, and it is not unusual for a young male grouse to return to its brood several times before finding an appropriate territory for itself.

Young females also are searching for territories, especially those with good nesting cover. Males tend to travel about 250 yards per day, while females wander roughly 500 yards at a time. Males usually travel one to two miles before finding an appropriate area, while females have been known to travel up to 10 miles (but usually less).

Finding food during the fall usually isn't very difficult–acorns, mushrooms and berries are abundant. But eventually grouse are forced to switch their diet from mostly fruits and nuts, which are either gone or buried by snow, to buds. By October or November, most grouse have returned to trees as the main source of their diet. Aspen buds and catkins (flower buds) of hazel, alder, and birch sustain them through the winter. Because a grouse stores very little fat, it must eat daily during the colder months. It confines its exposure to predators by rapidly feeding for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day, storing the food in its crop, and digesting it later, under cover.

Read the rest of the Harvard Press article for more information