New York Catskills grouse report

[Big D]

I don't buy the predation answer. There is a natural balance between predators and prey. If there is a lot of prey, predators will move in. If there is a lack of prey, the predator population will drop or move out. Perhaps man has been too efficient, and therefore the game population is dropping. Now, following my thoughts above, the hunter population is dropping I always look first at habitat

[Kingston Wulff]

Originally Posted by John Dallas

I don't buy the predation answer. There is a natural balance between predators and prey. If there is a lot of prey, predators will move in. If there is a lack of prey, the predator population will drop or move out. Perhaps man has been too efficient, and therefore the game population is dropping. Now, following my thoughts above, the hunter population is dropping I always look first at habitat

Well put.

[James L. Martin]

I can understand natural balance but let's look at the northern New Jersey and southern New York area, 40 years ago you could expect to have 20 plus grouse flushes a day on average. Today you can hunt all season and not see a grouse, New Jersey just closed there grouse season. As to cover and food it's as good as it was 40 years ago. What changed? It was very rare to see a turkey or a coyote, but the big change was the increase in hawks and owls. It's not just the grouse that disappeared also the pheasants and rabbits. I don't have the answers, just going by what I have seen happen over my lifetime.

[mobirdhunter]

I think we all have our theories and what we think is empirical evidence. I know that there has been almost no cutting of trees on public (especially federal) forestlands for quite some time in places like Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, and the bird numbers have decreased. I feel confident that New Jersey has not been cutting on its lands to create early successional forests. In the end, no matter what the cause, there are fewer and fewer birds, especially in places like New Jersey, Ohio...etc.