New Jersey cancels grouse season for 2019

[whacko]

Less than 1% of new Jersey is early successional forest. At least they acknowledge that hunting was not the cause of the decline. They need to get clear cutting and get that percentage of early successional back up. Southern New England will see this happen soon if forest management practices keep favoring selective timber harvesting.

NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife - Grouse Season Closure Announced

 

[rocket500]

The landscape of New England continues to change. What was once mostly cleared for farmland became young forest and has now become mostly mature forest. Mature forest doesn't support nearly as much wildlife.

 

[AHM]

The landscape of New England continues to change. What was once mostly cleared for farmland became young forest and has now become mostly mature forest. Mature forest doesn't support nearly as much wildlife.

Luckily some kind of dangerous creature is eating acres of trees in a single bite
down in Miles Standish State Forest.

 

[Mountain]

Not much for moose to eat in a mature forest either.

 

[Mark from MA]

The landscape of New England continues to change. What was once mostly cleared for farmland became young forest and has now become mostly mature forest, hoursing and condo developments, strip malls, highways, stupid solar farms, and golf courses. All of that stuff, doesn't support nearly as much wildlife.

FIFY

The golf courses and forest areas in between 2-5 acre lots will support wildlife as it is very good edge cover, everything else including most mature forest is a negative.

I also think the grouse thing has a lot to do with Turkeys and Coyotes, Hawks, Owls, Fisher Cats,etc that have increased exponentially in numbers while the grouse have been declining steadily. The Turkeys generally are thriving and overtaking habitat, plus people tell me they have seen Turkeys actually destroy grouse eggs. The predators...well they are just out of control.

We didn't have near the amount of Turkeys, Coyotes, Hawks and Owls in numbers we have now in the 50's and 60's and 70's. Plus the forest was much younger, more farming, less development. Grouse will continue to decline here.....no doubt about it.

 

[rocket500]

Unless you’re going to clear cut timber and let it grow back up grouse will struggle. Predators are definitely a factor.