Ruffed Grouse Hunting Pressure and Harvest on an Ohio Public Hunting Area. Ohio211 Fish and Wildlife Report 12

摘要

Hunting pressure and harvest rates were obtained over 12 years (1971, 1975, and211u001e1978-1987) for ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) inhabiting a predominately oak-211u001ehickory (Qercus spp.-Carya spp.) forest on 4,893 acres of the Zaleski State 211u001eForest, Vinton County, Ohio. Ohio's grouse population has been at low levels 211u001esince 1983. Some studies have implicated hunting mortality as a causative factor 211u001ein suppressing grouse abundance. These studies and all others addressing grouse 211u001ehunting mortality have been conducted at latitudes well north of Ohio, primarily 211u001ein aspen (populus spp.) dominated habitats. Our purpose was to obtain comparable 211u001einformation on grouse hunting mortality and pressure as a first step in 211u001eevaluating the relationship between hunting and grouse abundance in Ohio. Study 211u001earea fall populations were reconstructed from complete counts of drumming males, 211u001ea correction factor for non-drumming males, adult male survival, and fall sex 211u001eratios. Monthly and seasonal estimates of hunting pressure and harvest (including 211u001ebirds hit and not retrieved) were obtained by car questionnaire surveys conducted 211u001eon randomly selected day of the mid-October through February hunting season. 211u001eReward band recovery rates provided supplemental information on harvest rates.