sharps

[Jim McCann]

I would be remiss to not mention something on behalf of ADF&G. There are several biologists who care about grouse and ptarmigan, but the little work they do on these gamebirds is pretty much extra work beyond their regularly assigned duties. ADF&G has no dedicated small game biologists; they are not funded for any. The money goes to commercial fishing, sport fishing, and big game hunting.

Jim

[Jim McCann]

Well, not long after I wrote that last post I learned that ADF&G may have an opening for a "small game specialist." Good news. Anyone out there looking for such a job is encouraged to get on it right away!

Jim

[Hoyt]

This has been a great thread! Thanks a ton for the info everyone!

[SkinnyD]

I agree. I had no idea where this was going when I asked the initial question. I honestly had no idea that they were so widespread (and dare I say prevalent?). I guess it was from one of these threads back in the fall, but at some point in time I got the idea that they are not really native gamebirds and that they would need farmland to survive. I'm so happy to find out that they are real and wild and that I can hunt them.

What steps does a club or organization or group of people have to take to work with the state on habitat improvement projects? I would think FG doesn't want random folks out in the tundra with weedeaters and chainsaws to create sharptail habitat, but if it were something quasi-official.... I guess the point is that if any of you hear about a chance to work with birds, I'd be very interested in doing so.

[Jim McCann]

Although I tend to sometimes get folks fired up about doing something on behalf of sharptails, I must confess to not knowing exactly what we should do? Since wild fire really makes plenty of habitat with no effort on our part, I suspect the best things any group could do is to work on public awareness of the birds and their habitat needs; raise funds to finance ADF&G studies/radio collaring; finance some grad student work on sharptails; just document their present day distribution. Not sure.

I remain the consummate student of all things grouse, ever since I was 12 years old. Went out chasing ptarmigan with 3 of my dogs today,broke my aging butt on snowshoes for several hours, came home, fed the dogs, cleaned birds, jumped in my Jeep and spent the last of the daylight searching for migrating willow ptarmigan not far from home. I just like to learn more about them, watch them, photograph them, and remain the student after all these decades.

Life is good. Very good.

Jim

[SkinnyD]

I wonder if Fish & Game would like to sponsor my Ph.D? Unfortunately I'm a geographer and not a biologist, but I think I could work up a pretty good dissertation about fire effects, remote sensing, and grouse. If I could find a biology grad student who could help me with identifying plants, I'd be in business. I see no Quercus alba so my plant IDing would be severely limited.

[kylemac]

Great thread - great info.

In my first season chasing the elusive AK grouse this year, my two most successful outings included sharpies. Each time I found them, the birds were feeding in old blueberry patches in knee to waist high brush southeast of Fairbanks.




http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/...ferrerid=29766

I sent Max off for some formal schoolin' this winter and we hope to have some more great bird adventures this year.

I have offered my limited time and assistance to RGS on a couple of occasions without much affect - but would like to stay engaged in some form with similarly minded folks. I felt similarly after my readings on habitat work done by the Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Society -- seems we have a lot of that terrain already existent all around us. But the other benefits of such a group, like Jim mentioned, might be enjoyable. Or just some informal efforts/gatherings might do just as well. For anyone so inclined, keep me in mind.

Thanks again for the all the info.

Regards,
Kyle

[Hoyt]

Kyle great photo! I remember it from this past fall! Where did you send Max? Paxson is outside learin as we speak! LOL so from reading this, I figure we all just need to go out and start a bunch of wild fires! Just kidding...please don't start wildfires! I was a member of the RGS until recently. I was never contacted, or was never really informed about what was going on in the area. I guess I'd rather spend my time and money helping out in a local group, other than sending it to a national organization (not that I don't think they do great stuff).

[LuJon]

We could put together a pamphlet titled the "Benefits of Unsupervised Campfires" Follow that up with a July edition "The Positive Attributes of Firework Deregulation"

[PG13]

New Journal Article

Hey gang, just got a Table of Contents notification for the Journal of Wildlife Management. Has a sharp-tailed grouse paper in it.

Sharp-Tailed Grouse Lek Attendance and Fidelity in Upper Michigan. By: DRUMMER, THOMAS D.; CORACE II], R. GREGORY; SJOGREN, STEPHEN J.. Journal of Wildlife Management, Mar2011, Vol. 75 Issue 2, p311-318, 8p

Should be able to go to this website to see the abstract, but I can sum up the main take-away points.

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=1b1fbede-2ff7-4f61-9e64-a2a529e2b8b0%40sessionmgr14&vid=1&hid=25&bdata=JnN pdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=60146886

1. Peak dancing ground attendance in Michigan was the 2nd and 3rd week in April. Expect mostly males before and after those dates but in fewer numbers and with less vigor.
2. Males were there earlier and stayed later in the day, on more days, than females. Males are always anxious and ready, females only need the males for one reason so no reason to visit socially.
3. Activity is inversely related to time of day and wind speed. If you want to see birds on the lek, get there when it's calm, and get there EARLY.

Still time this year to see them, usually there is a secondary peak in female lek attendance about 3-4 weeks after the "prime" April peak. This is due to nest failure and hens will return for a second attempt at producing babies for the year.

[SkinnyD]

Attaboy PG13, I knew there was some scholarly research out there somewhere. I'm not sniping your work, but I am going to attach the pdf version of that paper so everyone can get ahold of it without too much consternation. Now we need some work done in Alaska, and I believe I know just the PhD candidate to do it... unfortunately I'm not going to be researching grouse until I get myself a bit more comfortably situated in the world. I'm not too far removed from being a broke college student and I am not anxious to go back to that lifestyle very soon. Also, I'll be needing a trusty assistant to identify flora and fauna, as I haven't been formally trained in that area. Maybe Joefish will be an eager undergrad by then and won't mind helping out for little compensation.

[SkinnyD]

I'm getting forgetful in my old age... said the same thing a month and a half ago.

[PG13]

Indentured Servantude

I should graduate this fall, finally. Full-time employment has taken over seasonal adventures studying cool critters in diverse places. There are tons of undergrads that would apply just because the posting says "Alaska." If you can get a research assistantship, graduate stipends aren't necessarily that terrible and on campus housing can be cheap compared to "real" rent. I have too many dogs and babies and a wife to go back to school (again) now. When the result of the Small Game Biologist search is out, that person will probably be implementing an upland research program. Depending on the person and the agency, they might try to hire their own technicians and do the work or farm it out to graduate students and the biologist can coordinate as a committee member or something.

[PG13]

I'm getting forgetful in my old age... said the same thing a month and a half ago.

Just means you are committed to the pursuit. In fact, the blend of field biology and GIS analysis is all the rage right now. Depending on what period of the life cycle a person studies, you could have falls off for hunting. Hmm, maybe that's why my thesis still isn't submitted. I did eat well and made lots of memories.