Just a few thoughts . . .
The NWTF estimates that pre-Columbian turkey populations may have been as high as 10 million birds, but that number declined to as low as 200,000 in the 1940s. I believe current estimates are somehwere around 5-6 million birds, so I think we can be encouraged on that front.
As for whitetail deer, after nearly being decimated in the market hunting days, populations appear to have actually surpassed the estimates of hundreds of years ago. That is, these are the "Good Old Days" as far as whitetail and turkey hunting go.
I care most, however, about the state of ruffed grouse, as that is the upland bird I hunt here in southern Appalachia. Todd is right, with qualifications, about logging benefitting grouse. Grouse prefer young forests, and young forests are found where logging happens. The lack of active management in our Southern forests, certainly in addition to other causes, has led to a sharp decline in grouse numbers over the last few decades. We aren't talking about habitat loss when we talk about active management; this is habitat generation in the form of increased stem density providing food and cover for grouse and many other species. Old forests are empty forests, and I advocate strongly on behalf of management practices that increase wildlife habitat.
|
Threaded Mode