Ep. 64: Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock with Ben Jones

While at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic last weekend, host Bob St.Pierre snuck away from the show floor to talk about the uplands with Ruffed Grouse Society’s President & CEO Ben Jones. Joining the conversation were Jim Inglis, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s director of government affairs and Andy Edwards, Quail Forever’s regional representative, who also happen to have spent their college years with Jones. This is an incredibly fun episode that starts with college memories then dives into grouse and woodcock habitat management. Episode highlights include: · Jim Inglis talks about Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s letter to USDA Secretary Perdue requesting a CRP extension which occurred at the start of National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic · Andy Edwards talks about how a radio-collared turkey, mistaken as a dead radio-collared bear, led to meeting Jim Inglis, then ultimately resulted in Andy meeting Ben Jones playing a mandolin in the back of a bus. Chris Farley was not involved. · The Public Lands Pavilion at National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic and the partnership with Ruffed Grouse Society and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. · The difference between ruffed grouse drumming counts and pheasant/quail roadside counts. · The groups explore the biology of the woodcock migration and how Lake Superior influences the bird’s travels around the Great Lakes. · Jones provides an update on the impact of the West Nile Virus on ruffed grouse. · The crew discusses the regional nomenclature for the bird and where grouse, partridge and pats are the most common name.