Chippewa National Forest Hunter Walking Trail Project 2021 – Pre-harvest Results
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Chippewa National Forest Hunter Walking Trail Project 2021 – Pre-harvest Results
Published Date
2021-12
Publisher
University of Minnesota Duluth
Type
Technical Report
Abstract
Minnesota’s managed forests provide critical habitat for hundreds of resident and migrant bird species.
Forest management provides an important opportunity to conserve and cultivate critical habitat for
species of management and conservation concern. Recent declines in upland game populations in the
state have generated a renewed interest in using forest management to create habitats that not only
support breeding adults but also those that maximize juvenile survival and increase recruitment into the
populations. Conservation concerns regarding Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) and American
Woodcock (Scolopax minor) have been extensively documented:
● North American populations of American Woodcock have declined by over 30% in the last 50
years. In Minnesota, American Woodcock are a Species in Greatest Conservation Need.
Approximately 10% of the global population breeds in Minnesota.
● Ruffed Grouse populations in Minnesota are significantly declining. Recent declines in harvest
numbers of Ruffed Grouse and potential issues with recruiting birds into the population have
caused concern range-wide, including in Minnesota.
American Woodcock and Ruffed Grouse require a matrix of forest size classes throughout the breeding
season. Historically, periodic natural disturbances would create habitat for these species—wildfires or
flooding from beaver dams produced a patchwork of shrubby openings amid a largely forested
landscape. Currently, the major mechanism of disturbance is harvest; this provides an important
opportunity for habitat management for these species.
There is increasing interest from forest managers to promote heterogeneous forest matrices that can
optimize wildlife occupancy and diversity over time. Chippewa National Forest is planning a long-term
habitat improvement project by implementing small-scale, frequent harvests (<5 acres, 5-year intervals)
adjacent to hunter walking trails. Currently, there are more than 600 miles of hunter walking trails in
Minnesota, and maintaining and enhancing these areas as productive hunting grounds is a priority. The
goal of this project is to create and maintain a long-term matrix of habitat in the region that is suitable
for Ruffed Grouse while supporting additional game species such as American Woodcock and breeding
forest birds.
The primary objective of the Chippewa National Forest Hunter Walking Trail Project is to assess the
effects of experimental harvesting on Ruffed Grouse and breeding bird species. The results from the preharvest study will establish baseline data for future reference. Here, we report the results from preharvest line transect and ARU (Autonomous Recording Unit) surveys conducted during the 2021
breeding bird season. These two survey methods are complementary to one another and provide a
comprehensive assessment of Ruffed Grouse and breeding bird communities. Specific objectives
include:
1. Assess Ruffed Grouse abundance and characterize breeding bird communities before harvest
treatments planned for 2021-2022; and
2. Summarize preliminary results as a part of the National Forest Bird Monitoring Project annual
report and provide data to Chippewa National Forest.
Description
The Pre-Harvest Results reports from 2020 and 2022 and the 2023 report for this project can be found at the URLs under "Related to" above.
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USDA Forest Service, Chippewa National Forest
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