Ground habitat , benefits all game

[G-Man]

A few years ago I attended a workshop at hanging bog on creating habitat for grouse. Early succesional habitat creation was at its core. 

Block clear cutting, and aspen management were highly stressed . Grouse use Aspen as a main food source for most of the year winter and spring, with apple ,and others used in fall. Accessibility to buds is priority. As aspen mature they grow out of reach of grouse and deer , many of you have heard how a deer need food access from 0 to 8ft and think yep I plant food plots....  grouse are not plot eaters so having similar needs from 0 to 15 ft or so you need to create food. The bonus of managing for grouse is it also puts all the same preferred food in the browse area for deer ( bonus 2 for one) 

Cutting large Aspen close to the ground will cause them to clone from their root systems, rapid vigorous regrowth will result in a boom of easily accessible food for both game species( you can include rabbit here as well) 

I could write pages on this but I have found the study they printed out for us on line. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/bitstream/handle/1951/69797/0-Assessing_the_Quality_of_Ruffed_Grouse_.pdf%3Fsequence%3D2%26isAllowed%3Dy&ved=2ahUKEwj3-rDt3dPpAhWtknIEHTO9DWkQFjABegQIDRAI&usg=AOvVaw0uKEUzwhcbJXOZr6yYLHfd

Grouse are threatened and we may lose them as a game species if not helped. Before you cut and create a foodplot you may want to consider creating grouse habitat as it works for all game.species , deer,turkey, rabbit,grouse, songbirds, woodcock ,and numerous other species. 

Remember deer are browsers 1st not grazers , food plots are nice but natural early succesional habitat plays a vital role ,by simply adding a few conifers,and soft and hard mast trees/shrubs to an Aspen cut you create and benefit so many more species, it will be thick and guarentee you will see an increase in all game on your property, much more rapidly than with a simple food plot source.

[UpStateRedNeck]

Good post!

 

They're cool birds.  We have quite a few on our property.  At least 4 or 5 "old tractors starting" in the mornings.  Not a great picture but it's a grouse, he roosted every evening in the scrub by our high blind.  We also had one that was borderline tame a few years back.  He'd follow us around when we were building the cabin.

Coincidentally, I have about 25 mature Aspen in 4 groves I want to knock down this year to make deadfalls and open the canopy for some apple trees.

[corydd7]

I wasn't trying to increase grouse habitat when I bought land but I have numerous grouse on our property.  They hangout within 30 yards of my cabin and my dogs jump them all the time while walking trails. The more variety of animals the better.