http://www.outdoornews.com/2017/06/16/kentucky-puts-forth-resources-help-ruffed-grouse/
In a message dated 12/10/2017 6:09:53 PM Eastern Standard Time,
jjamarsnyder@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Mary,
This echos my conversation with Jeff Sole this afternoon. I am not sure what to
say except that it was RUGR and they were not too far inside the entrance of
VDSP.
Jennifer
On Dec 10, 2017, at 17:56, Mary Yandell <mtwyandell@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I am forwarding the response from John Brunjes, with KDFWR, about the recent
Ruffed Grouse sightings. And, I let him know the abbreviation was for the
Vernon-Douglas SNP.
Mary Yandell
Louisville
Mary:
I’m struggling a little with all the places where Ms. Snyder is seeing grouse
in her email. I can’t place VD state park. In any case, here is my take.
Ruffed grouse are extremely hard to keep in captivity (unlike quail which are
easy and widely kept). Anyone keeping them/raising them would be required to
have a captive wildlife permit which according to Terri (who issues the
permits) nobody in Kentucky has. To our knowledge nobody is legally releasing
grouse for hunting. Due to cost to raise it would be incredibly expensive. I
believe any grouse she is seeing is wild birds.
There was a time when KDFWR released grouse but those were wild caught birds
being captured and relocated. We have long ago learned released captively
raised birds just don’t do well. We have not relocated/released birds in the
15 years I have been in KY.
Ultimately grouse are a victim of the lack of timber cutting which occurs in
our eastern forest. They need early successional habitats which we just don’t
get much any more. We have developed a plan to promote forest industries in
eastern Kentucky and hopefully create more grouse habitat. Grouse are outside
my program so I’m definitely not the expert. More info on our plan to recover
grouse can be found here https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Pages/Grouse.aspx
John
John H Brunjes PhD
Migratory Bird Program
Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife Resources
John.brunjes@xxxxxx
