Yeah definitely a hard bird bird to get in Georgia. I have walked over 30 miles in the mountains the last few weeks. Saw four birds and heard one flush but never saw it.
Do they have a small home range or do they move/re locate throughout the year ?
From what I understand mature males trand to have a small range/territory. Female and immature birds move around more. I think they also move to different food sources throughout the year. More berries insects and clover in the spring and summer early fall. Then they depend on acorns for late fall and winter. The bird I shot was full of acorns.
It's a shame. 25 years ago, I could walk out my back door and flush half a dozen in an hour or two. They were sitting all in the roads picking grit early in the morning. Then, they just disappeared. I don't see half a dozen a year now.
What do you think happened to them ? Humans , disease, habitat or a combination of many things
I don’t anything about grouse but probably like turkeys it’s a combination of many things. “Death by a thousand cuts”
@NC Hillbilly will have more insights but I have heard that the reduction in logging on national forest is a big culprit. Grouse love those cuts about 10-15 years after. I did a little bit of grouse hunting about 20 years ago and that was the type of stuff you found them in. Of course the gravel roads are important too.
Sweet bird! I’ve got a young pup that’s started pointing and really like to get him on a bird before the season is out.
Yeah, except they disappeared at the same time off of private land that the use hasn't changed. Quail disappeared about the same time. I'm guessing disease of some sort.
I’ve heard people say West Nile virus is the cause but I’m not knowledgeable on the subject
Thanks! Yeah it s trophy bird around here for sure.
I know they are doing studies for it. I have some tissues samples I'm sending to a UGA researcher . They gave out kits at a ruffed grouse society meeting this summer.
Please do, we need more samples! Thanks!
