estimated 384,353 breeding adults, which
is the highest level since 1999 and 6 percent above the 1989-2006
average. The harvest of MVP geese is shared by several other
states and provinces so harvest quotas are set to protect the
breeding population and distribute harvest among several states.
The Mississippi Flyway Council, which is made up of waterfowl
specialists from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin and the provinces of
Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan of Canada, and the Mexican
states within the Mississippi Waterfowl Flyway will meet later
this summer to advise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
on waterfowl conditions before the federal agency establishes
a framework under which states and provinces can set waterfowl
hunting seasons.
Following the flyway council meeting and after the USFWS sets
a season framework, public hearings on Wisconsin's proposed waterfowl
seasons will be held in August. The final Wisconsin seasons will
be set by the state Natural Resource Board at its Aug. 16 meeting.
Ruffed grouse population appears to be on
upswing in 10-year cycle
Wisconsin's ruffed grouse population appears to be on the upswing,
according to preliminary data state wildlife managers collected
during the 2006 spring drumming counts. For reasons not well
understood by biologists, grouse populations cycle up and down
over an 8- to10-year period. The previous high population point
was in 1999.
Each spring, biologists, wardens, foresters, members of the Ruffed
Grouse Society and other volunteers travel |
survey routes recording the drumming activity
they hear. Drumming is the sound produced by a male grouse during
the spring breeding season. The male will display on a drumming
log then rapidly beat his wings producing a drumming sound with
the intention of attracting a female.
"Overall, drumming counts increased by 27 percent over the
last year, a welcome indication that populations may be growing,"
said Andrea Mezera, assistant upland game ecologist with the
Department of Natural Resources. "We won't have actual brood
data until later in the summer, after eggs are hatched and the
young birds make it through the critical first month or so. Brood
success depends a lot on the weather between now and late July."
The statewide average was 0.76 drums per stop along the survey
routes in 2006 vs. 0.60 in 2005, said Mezera.
"The largest increase was in the northern part of the state
where drumming activity was up 58 percent," she said. "The
southwest also was up by 53 percent compared to last year. Interestingly,
while the southeast was the only region to show an increase in
drumming activity last year, it was down 11 percent this year
and the central region was down 23 percent."
It's likely weather had some influence in this year's survey,
said Brian Dhuey, a DNR research scientist.
"Survey conditions were not as good this year compared to
last with only 37 percent of the survey takers rating conditions
as excellent compared to 47 percent last year. Survey conditions
do influence drumming activity and may cause grouse numbers to
be over or under estimated," said Dhuey, who emphasized
that the final drumming numbers could change a little once all
the recorded data are checked and verified.
More birds generally lead to more hunting days in the field and
higher success rates, say wildlife managers. During the 2004
grouse season, about 98,000 hunters reported spending 636,000
days in the field hunting grouse.
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"Hunters reported harvesting roughly 211,000 grouse
in 2004," said Mezera. "At the time of the last population
peak, back in 1999, they reported taking about 768,000. This
year's upward drumming trend is most noticeable where we would
expect it to be, in our two most important breeding areas
the north and southwest. The most successful counties for ruffed
grouse hunting in 2004 were Oneida, Forest and Marinette."
Ruffed grouse drumming surveys have been used since 1964 as an
indicator of ruffed grouse population trends. Beginning 30 minutes
before sunrise, the surveys are conducted by driving established
survey routes and stopping at 10 points lying approximately 1
to 2 miles apart, listening for four minutes, and recording the
drumming activity.
Because the survey technique measures changes in trends of number
of drumming males heard on randomly established routes, location
of the routes coupled with the drumming count results do not
necessarily give a good picture of actual grouse populations
in the area. They are used to index annual change at randomly
selected sites. The routes do not run through areas identified
as being high or low quality ruffed grouse habitat.
The ruffed grouse season runs this year from Sept. 16 through
Dec. 31 in the northern zone; Sept. 16 through Jan. 31 in the
western zone; Oct. 14 through Dec. 8 in the eastern zone. The
daily bag limit is five birds in the northern and western zone
and 2 birds in the eastern zone. The possession limit is twice
the daily bag limit.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrea Mezera (608) 261-8458
That's it for state news... now get the dogs
ready, it's hunting season!
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