14 VIRGINIA FORESTS Nile as a likely culprit for declines in grouse, and new research is still emerging on this threat. The research into how West Nile Virus is impacting our grouse population is still in its infancy. What we know so far is that birds in a good habitat that provides better nutrition, better escape cover, etc., are more likely to survive while those in marginal habitats are more likely to die off. Unfortunately, as our forests have aged, more and more of our grouse range has become marginal for grouse productivity due to the lack of diverse stand age structure, lack of appropriate brood range, infiltration of invasive species, and other significant challenges. Here in Virginia, our grouse population has been hit hard by the one-two punch of habitat change and West Nile Virus. Since 2001, Virginia has lost in the neighborhood of 74 percent of our grouse hunters, while the harvest by those hunters has dropped a staggering 84 percent. Our few remaining hunters are hunting longer hours and finding fewer birds. Finding Hope and a Home for Grouse One of our better metrics to measure the long-term health of the population is data provided from grouse hunters. We ask them to provide us data on their hunts so we can see over their shoulders. In 2002, our grouse hunters averaged finding 1.11 grouse per hour of hunting. During the 2022 season, hunters reported finding just 0.36 grouse per hour of hunting. To put that into perspective, in a typical threehour hunt in 2002, a hunter would encounter just over three birds. In 2022, a hunter would have to hunt well over nine hours to find the same number of grouse. While it is easy to be defeated by these bleak numbers, there is a lot of hope on the horizon for ruffed grouse. We have a great blueprint for how to bring these birds back if we are willing to listen to their recent history. While previous highs may not be feasible in the face of West Nile Virus impacts, we can improve their numbers with some strategic landscape-level work. The outbreak of spongy moths and previous timber management work in the National Forest set our grouse up for great success through the 1980s and 1990s. While it is clear spongy moths are not something we desire to ever see return, we can mimic their impacts on the forest by opening canopy gaps strategically to promote increased diversity within our forests. There are a lot of benefits we can obtain through this work for a multitude of wildlife species (grouse are not the only animal that likes young forest), not to mention the benefits that will be observed by our iconic gamebird. The great news is that this work is directly in line with other initiatives that are gaining traction in our Appalachian Mountain region. Between the work of the Virginia Department of Forestry in their Hardwood Initiative, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Working Lands for Wildlife efforts, The Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture, and a myriad of other conservation groups working to promote forest diversity on public and private lands, we see many opportunities to join in on a common mission. The road ahead for ruffed grouse population recovery is not an easy one. Promoting active forest management is a fundamental key strategy to maintaining grouse populations here in Virginia. Active forest management and disturbance to our tree canopy is going to be the only thing that will keep this iconic bird drumming in our forests. As we relearn how to appropriately manage the flawed landscape we’ve inherited, we must consider the needs of all species. Our forests were once dynamic mosaics of age and structure, and we must regain that if we hope to restore our landscape to ecological functionality. While the drumbeats of the ruffed grouse may be fading, we can once again bring them back if we are willing to rethink our forest management decisions. Mike Dye is a Forest Gamebird Biologist with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
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