Grouse habitat on Catoosa/ restocking?

[Chickencoop96]

My papaw and a few of my uncles used to deer hunt Catoosa in the late 90's and early 2000's. They claimed to flush grouse regularly there back then. Then slowly stopped seeing them after the logging operations slowed down and all those timber cuts became old growth. There has been a serious negligence in ground nesting bird habitat on our WMA's. People used to complain about clear cuts and how terrible they looked but they didn't understand how important that all was for the wildlife there. Now folks seem to understand better but dang, it took nearly losing a hunt able population of birds to do it. Hopefully they make a comeback

 

[RoyalPrudent]

My papaw and a few of my uncles used to deer hunt Catoosa in the late 90's and early 2000's. They claimed to flush grouse regularly there back then. Then slowly stopped seeing them after the logging operations slowed down and all those timber cuts became old growth. There has been a serious negligence in ground nesting bird habitat on our WMA's. People used to complain about clear cuts and how terrible they looked but they didn't understand how important that all was for the wildlife there. Now folks seem to understand better but dang, it took nearly losing a hunt able population of birds to do it. Hopefully they make a comeback

Plenty of folks complaining about the current cuts on Catoosa. I honestly think the reminant populations may spread there again with the persistent cutting.

 

[Carlos Viagra]

Plenty of folks complaining about the current cuts on Catoosa. I honestly think the reminant populations may spread there again with the persistent cutting.

So far they evidently haven't. I mean I haven't taken a dog through those overgrown areas to check and see.

I'd imagine 15-20 years would be more than enough time for them to begin flourishing. So it looks to me like the problem isn't a lack of habitat.

 

[J.A.F.O.]

We've ran into a few of them during a few different trips this summer up in the mountains and they aren't too far from where Helene made her own clear cuts up some steep hollers.

 

[Iglow]

I'm too old and it's probably a burnt run but I'm gonna go see if we can find any this winter.

 

[tnpoorboy]

Iv got afew Brittanys puppies i need shed of

 

[Wrangler95]

Back in the ¹980's I turkey hunted in Overton Co and heard many grouse up on Alpine Mountain

 

[M T Pockets 000]

I'm 73 years old and have only shot one grouse. Although I doubt that I would hunt them I would like to see the next generation have a shot at them

 

[Antler Daddy]

https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Documents/grouse plan highlights FINAL for WEB.pdf

 

[DoubleRidge]

I have to hope grouse reintroduction would fare better than quail has. I hope (perhaps against the evidence) that they have exposure to fewer species of avian predators since they do not predominate in open areas and fields.

Late to the conversation but if we want quail the private land owner is going to have to get in the game and manage the habitat for quail (which is also good habitat for deer and turkey)...TWRA can only manage smaller WMA areas for quail but it will take more continuous connected habitat to see quail comeback...and there are quail in pockets....just nothing like when I was a kid....clean farms, clean fescue fields, everything mowed, manacured and sprayed...not great for wildlife in general.....I would love to see the quail and grouse make a comeback!

 

[ttfreestyle]

In my area our farm and the adjacent ones still have fence rows,grown up places, corn and beans are rotated yearly, we plant some millet and used to plant milo. There's plenty of briars and natural weeds. In the late 90's early 2000's I could leave out from the house walking and get into 4 to 6 coveys of quail , never shot them down only took a few. Yes there were plenty hawks , fox and coyotes at that time.
During this same time period we owned 900 acres in Grundy, I could get 6-10 grouse flushes on a regular basis and usually 4 or 5 covey of quail in the fields as well. There were an abundance of deer, hawk and coyote on that property as well. I had a exceptional wirehair during this period so i was all about bird hunting.
Unfortunately you can't find anything on these same properties with very good dogs or while on tractors.
Sooo all the quail and grouse are gone on these two properties, still the same amount of hawks and coyotes, But there are now turkeys everywhere, notice when the quail and grouse were great there were little to no turkeys on either of these properties. I have no idea if turkey are the reason or contribute to the disappearance of upland birds but they are the only difference on our properties since they are no more.

 

[younggun308]

I have no idea if turkey are the reason or contribute to the disappearance of upland birds but they are the only difference on our properties since they are no more.

Might be an issue of some disease transmissibility against which turkeys are more resilient than quail or grouse.

 

[tnpoorboy]

Turkeys and racoon ,coyote are problem

 

[DoubleRidge]

Turkeys and racoon ,coyote are problem

Racoons and Coyotes I can wrap my mind around...as well as Hawks...but how are Turkeys a problem? Honest question? I've heard this before but dont understand the issue?

 

[tnpoorboy]

Scratch in leaves break eggs all so eat bugs and such