Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 17, 1994 TAG: 9410200038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"No," says Gary Norman, the upland game bird research biologist for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The turkey population is growing - about 7 percent annually - and grouse numbers are struggling to hold their own, Norman agrees. But he doesn't see an adversary turkey vs. grouse relationship in these population trends. There is no evidence, for example, that grouse nests are being broken up by turkeys.
"About the only biological data I could point to would probably be the change in the ages of the forest in Virginia," he said.
Virginia's forests are maturing, especially the national forests, where restrictions have been imposed on timber harvest.
"I think in time we are talking about a forest that is maturing and growing out of a lot of grouse habitat," he said. "That maturing process, which we are going through right now, favors turkeys. Grouse are looking at less habitat available to them."
Turkeys do well in a mature forest that produces mast, although they also need open areas for nesting and for raising young chicks. Grouse do best in the thick understory of a regenerating forest, such as in an area that recently has been cut and the sun can hit the soil to stimulate new growth. When that type of cover declines, so do grouse.
"Turkeys are more opportunistic," Norman said. When there is a mast failure, they will range into clear-cuts and farm fields to find food. "Grouse are a lot more restricted in the habitats where they do well."
Grouse hunters have seen a slight improvement in the number of birds they have encountered during the past three seasons, but the flush rate, according to the Game Department's annual survey, remained below the long-term average last year.
In 1991, .98 grouse were flushed on the average for every hour a hunter spent pursuing this upland bird. In 1992, the figure rose to 1.01. Last season, it was 1.10. The long-term average is 1.13.
As for this year: "I am going to say that things are going to be about the same, or slightly better, in terms of the flush rate that hunters will experience," Norman said. "It looks like we have better flush rates in the southern part of the state than other areas."
Grouse numbers have been in a down cycle across much of their terrain, from the Lake States to the Southern Appalachians, Norman said. There are indications that the bottom has been reached in many areas.
"We fail to understand a lot about what is driving our population in Virginia," he said.
Norman doesn't believe hunting pressure is playing a major role.
"We have a fairly liberal fall season, and we really don't know the impact of that,'' he said. ``Most of the work has suggested that we just don't have the grouse hunters overall and the interest in grouse hunting to have that be a significant factor."
Earlier in the year, it appeared that grouse were having good nesting success. Broods began to show up, but as fall approached that trend appeared to tail off, said Norman.
"We need to do a lot more work to better know what is going on with our grouse population," said Norman, who is responsible for grouse and turkey research.
The grouse research conducted by Norman depends heavily upon the assistance of hunters willing to participate in the annual flushing survey.
"The number of people participating in our survey is dropping," he said.
Hunters willing to provide feather samples of the birds they kill along with a tally of hours hunted and birds flushed are encouraged to request a survey packet from Norman: Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, P.O. Box 996, Verona, 24482.
The grouse season opens Oct.31 and continues through Feb.11.
by CNB