12 VIRGINIA FORESTS In the early 20th century, ruffed grouse were the second most commonly hunted species here in Virginia, only falling behind wild turkey. The reason was simple—they were widespread and very common. That is not to diminish the value of grouse as table fare or their sporting challenge (exquisite in both regards), but a simple fact of abundance. The industrial logging boom of the early 20th century was very harmful to many species of wildlife. The land was cleared and recut over the course of several decades to provide charcoal for iron furnaces and other assorted uses. As if this wasn’t enough, the emergence of chestnut blight also changed the landscape, resulting in the further setbacks of the regenerating forest landscape. Many wildlife species struggled to overcome these setbacks, but grouse were able to take this in stride and even increase in number and spread across the landscape. You see, grouse are a species of disturbance. They thrive in young, regenerating forests, preferring forest land that is eight to twenty years old. As if the boom in habitat of the early 20th century wasn’t enough, human catastrophes that we collectively call the Great Depression and the Great War further cemented the status of this iconic bird. As farms began to fail and families were forced to find other means of support, these abandoned farms and orchards made prime habitats for ruffed grouse. Soldiers returning from the war were quick to move their families to cities and take advantage of the new modern booming economy. Again, these farms were gradually left to wither and eventually fall into disrepair, becoming just the places where grouse were able to thrive. These trends kept grouse populations booming well into the 1970s. Signs of Decline In the early 1980s, biologists and some hunters began to see changing trends. Discussions about potential grouse population declines began rather quietly. Grouse populations often fluctuate and tend to be somewhat cyclical so many were quick to brush off the declines as natural variations and fluctuations of a population. However, some biologists and hunters noted that this cycle wasn’t responding the way it usually had in the past. The discussions over declines were largely cast aside, as there were plenty of grouse to be found. Forest management on Virginia’s National Forest was hitting its peak in the mid-1980s with new grouse habitat being added in the core of Virginia’s grouse range. Meanwhile, grouse populations in the Piedmont began to shrink as the habitat changed. You see, many Virginians began to see logging as detrimental to wildlife. Many thought that simply letting the forests grow was the best thing that they could do for wildlife. They slowed the pace of logging on their private lands, and when they did log an area it was quicky replanted in pine seedlings, which are of little value to a ruffed grouse. Entering the 1990s, another bird in the western United States would also largely dominate the discussions over forest management, particularly on public lands—the spotted owl. Virginia’s Forgotten Gamebird By Mike Dye
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