Free: Contests & Raffles.
Nice to see them still spending money on birds that seem to find having a hard time making it, while their other grouse species in many of those areas are in a big decline (the ones that they actually make money on--"open season"). Mis-management at its finest.
What would you suggest they do to improve blue grouse and/or ruffed grouse?
I agree they need predator control. A big problem is that birds of prey are likely a large part of the predation, there's not many ways to control birds of prey except if their food sources (including grouse) run out.I wonder if the area they introduced the grouse has some cover for escapement?I do think it's a good thing they are trying to recover those grouse populations. If they continue to decline and are listed as endangered, then federal intervention will likely occur (reference wolves and grizzlies in Montana and Idaho). For this reason it's probably much cheaper if they try to recover these grouse now. You don't want to know how many millions have been spent on wolves.Voters in the 90's speeded the decline in caribou when they stopped cougar management. Now wolves spilling over from neighboring areas will likely seal the deal on extinction. What is amazing is that the WDFW fails to properly address this in the wolf plan.So there's an example why I hope they succeed with the grouse plants.
This is absolutely worthless if they don't incorporate aggresive predator control. WAY too many yotes, coons and skunks! Worthless!!