Date: 1/22/26 3:05 pm From: Brenna <dbgaldenzi...> Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] State Wildlife Action Plan
Hi Charlie,
I’m very familiar with ruffed grouse—they routinely startle my dog and me
when we’re walking our dirt road and are suddenly met with a loud flutter
from the brush. We've been lucky to hear them drumming right in our
driveway.
Regarding spruce grouse, I would hope every ruffed grouse hunter would
happily support changes prohibiting hunting grouse in those few areas of
Essex County where spruce have been documented. Simply advising hunters not
to hunt there is not enough. For a state-endangered species, spruce grouse
should be left in peace to thrive—without dogs and without the risk of a
hunter, perhaps less skilled than others, mistaking one for a ruffed
grouse. This is a simple 'ask' of hunters who care about conserving
endangered species and should not be viewed as a slippery slope.
Humans have a tendency to believe we must have dominion over every wild
place and wild life and recreate however we wish. Now more than ever, we
should rethink our priorities. Vermonters can come together on these
issues— not everything needs to be political.
*Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if
we help shall they be saved.*
~Jane Goodall
On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 5:22 PM Charlie La Rosa <charlie.larosa...>
wrote:
> Spruce grouse habitat in Vermont is indeed limited to a few well-defined
> areas in Essex County, most notably the Moose Bog region in the town of
> Ferdinand. If you poke around for a while near Moose Bog off the South
> America Rd., you will eventually come upon or flush a spruce grouse. You
> can often find them across Rt. 105 from the official Moose Bog area. Ruffed
> grouse also frequent the area where their habitat type overlaps with that
> of the spruce grouse. It's unusual to find a spruce grouse outside of it's
> favored dense spruce habitat.
>
> On the other hand, ruffed grouse can be found virtually throughout Vermont.
> They tend to gravitate more toward mixed hardwood and conifer forests,
> especially those with successional habitat. Mature hardwood forests are not
> the greatest habitat for grouse. In addition to younger
> successional growth, they prefer places that offer cover from predators and
> safe roosting spots. Areas with old apple trees, blowdowns, aspens, and
> mixed growth are likely spots in which to find them. One reason they may be
> regarded as under concern is that the forests of Vermont are maturing in
> many areas. While acres of maturing maples on a hillside make a great
> sugarbush and are home to sugarmakers, they are not so comfortable for
> grouse. In areas where timber has been cut and new growth has been pushing
> up for a few years, grouse are quite at home. Opening up areas of woods
> around old apple trees and creating forest openings ripe for regeneration
> are among the techniques used for improving and enlarging grouse habitat.
> Allowing forests to mature to end stage leaves less suitable habitat and
> cuts down on the number of grouse.
>
> Currently, if you spend a day or two in Vermont in even marginally good
> grouse habitat, your chances of flushing a ruffed grouse or, in summer and
> early fall, encountering an entire covey with their mom are good. In
> ideal habitat, the odds are easily in your favor. There are plenty of
> grouse, and they are not in grave danger. The concern is more a recognition
> of changing habitat due to aging and also to development which may create
> an outright loss in some areas.
>
> The penalty for killing spruce grouse is well-known to most grouse hunters.
> It is clearly signed where spruce grouse may occur and is always clearly
> stated in the Vermont Hunting Digest or rule book for hunting along with
> photos for comparison and information about where spruce grouse and ruffed
> grouse may overlap. There are acres and acres of habitat where ruffed
> grouse can be hunted, so hunters are advised to simply avoid areas where
> spruce grouse are likely to occur for conservation reasons and in order to
> avoid a mis-identification and a possible fine. Since the fine for killing
> or wounding a spruce grouse can be $2000 with additional penalties, most
> hunters will avoid the possibility.
>
> While spruce grouse are endangered in Vermont due the limited habitat, the
> species itself has a wide range in North America across the boreal forests
> of Canada and Alaska and is not in any grave danger. Closer to home, they
> can be found in Coos County in NH and in the White Mtns. and in the
> coniferous forests of Maine. If you're hiking in those areas and there's a
> dark grouse on the trail that shows little interest in running away, it's
> most likely a spruce grouse. They don't call them 'fool hens' for no
> reason. If you're in spruce grouse country, keep an eye out for
> black-backed woodpeckers, boreal chickadees, gray jays, crossbills, and
> pine grosbeaks, too.
>
> As for the bag limit on ruffed grouse, I doubt that it puts the overall
> state population in any danger. To regularly take four in a single day
> requires time, knowledge of good habitat and where to find it, a good
> pointing dog, and the ability to hit the darned things when they rocket
> away upon being flushed. To take four birds in a day without a dog is like
> a hole-in-one or a grand slam in my opinion. They make excellent
> table fare, so the time and energy spent can be worth it. In addition, many
> acres of suitable grouse habitat probably never get walked by a hunter from
> one year to the next.
>
> Grouse tracks are easily spotted on snow. They have some fleshy growths on
> the edges of their toes that act like snowshoes in the winter. It's easy to
> find long lines of tracks of one or more grouse in the snow, and it's
> interesting to see the paths they follow in and about the woods and under
> balsam branches and blowdowns in their search for something to eat. You'll
> also see the marks where they have alighted on the snow and where they have
> taken flight. Don't forget to look up. You can often find them eating buds
> near the ends of branches high in aspen trees and other hardwoods where
> there is also coniferous cover.
>
> Get out there and have fun in the snow.
>
> Charlie LaRosa
> So. Washington
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I would like to see every single soldier on every single side, just take
> off your helmet, unbuckle your kit, lay down your rifle, and set down at
> the side of some shady lane, & say nope, I ain't gonna kill nobody. Plenty
> of rich folks wants to fight. Give them the guns. - *Woody Guthrie, 1939*
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 12:50 PM Sue Wetmore <
> <000006207b3956ac-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
> > Moose Bog east of Island Pond is one place to find spruce grouse.
> > Sue Wetmore
> >
> > Sent from my iPod
> >
> > > On Jan 22, 2026, at 12:28 PM, Jared Katz <
> > <000003825c43bc1a-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi Brenna,
> > >
> > > Thanks for clarifying. I would love to see a Spruce Grouse. I also
> would
> > have no problem reducing the bag limit of Roughed Grouse though, in my
> > experience, I would be under any limit. I am absolutely in favor of
> > protection and conservation over hunting.
> > >
> > > Jared
> > >
> > >> On Jan 21, 2026, at 8:14 AM, Brenna <dbgaldenzi...> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Hi Jared,
> > >> Sage was a typo. Spruce grouse are found in a few pockets in Essex
> > County. Perhaps prohibiting hunting of ruffed there would protect spruce
> > from being mistaken.
> > >>
> > >> Also, it seems that Vermonts bag limit on ruffed exceeds neighboring
> > states but that’s a separate issue.
> > >>
> > >> Brenna
> > >> www.ProtectOurWildlifeVT.org
> > >>
> > >> Sent from my iPhone, which has been known to mess with me.
> > >>
> > >>>> On Jan 21, 2026, at 6:11 AM, Jared Katz <jdkatzvt...> wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>> Hi Brenna,
> > >>>
> > >>> You mention Roughed, Spruce and Sage Grouse in your email. Do you
> mean
> > Roughed and Spruce?
> > >>>
> > >>> I “hunt” Roughed Grouse, which means my dog and I flush them and I
> > shoot approximately 3 per ten years if I’m fortunate. In Richmond, I
> think
> > there are no Spruce Grouse. I’ve never seen one here or, for that matter,
> > anywhere in VT. They look distinctly different to me, but I can
> understand
> > how one might confuse them. I didn’t think there were any instances of
> Sage
> > Grouse this far east.
> > >>>
> > >>> Thanks for your thoughtful message.
> > >>>
> > >>> Kind regards,
> > >>>
> > >>> Jared
> > >>>
> > >>> Sent from my irresistible flat thing.
> > >>>
> > >>>> On Jan 20, 2026, at 21:32, Brenna <dbgaldenzi...> wrote:
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Hi all,
> > >>>> As a group of folks who share a passion for birds, it's important
> for
> > us to
> > >>>> be aware of Vermont Fish & Wildlife's state wildlife action plan.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Ruffed and spruce grouse are listed as Species of Greatest
> > Conservation
> > >>>> Need (SGCN). Spruce grouse are listed as a high priority and there
> is
> > no
> > >>>> hunting season on them. Even though ruffed grouse are listed as a
> > medium
> > >>>> priority SGCN, VT F&W still allows a very generous hunting season
> that
> > >>>> lasts three months and allows hunters to possess eight sage grouse
> > DAILY.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> The problem is that it's next to impossible to differentiate
> between a
> > >>>> ruffed and a sage grouse in the field. F&W needs to close the season
> > for
> > >>>> ruffed grouse to protect the imperiled spruce grouse.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Vermont's Spruce Grouse population is very small, state-endangered,
> > and
> > >>>> exists in an isolated area (Nulhegan Basin in Essex County), with
> > estimates
> > >>>> fluctuating from around 100 to 300 birds, facing threats from
> habitat
> > loss
> > >>>> and fragmentation.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> You can read the Wildlife Action Plan here:
> > >>>>
> >
> https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/sites/fishandwildlife/files/documents/About%20Us/Budget%20and%20Planning/WAP2025/6.%20SGCN%20Lists%20%26%20Taxa%20Conservation%20Summaries%20(2025%20Draft).pdf > > >>>>
> > >>>> You can share your concerns here:
> > >>>>
> >
> https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=O5O0IK26PEOcAnDtzHVZxihNRyJb-odNvvBQA0ZXNFlUQVhYVU1ZT08xNkk4QkRZN1FVSUlTUEtSMC4u&route=shorturl > > >>>> I had only been reviewing mammal species since that's my area of
> > >>>> focus/expertise, but when a colleague raised the spruce grouse
> > concern, I
> > >>>> took a look and shared his concern. Maybe you will as well.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Brenna Galdenzi
> > >>>>
> > >>>> *President*
> > >>>> *Protect Our Wildlife **POW *
> > >>>>
> > >>>> *A Vermont Non Profit Organization*
> > >>>>
> > >>>> *www.ProtectOurWildlifeVT.org <http://www.ProtectOurWildlifeVT.org > >*
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> *Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help.
> > Only if
> > >>>> we help shall they be saved.*
> > >>>> ~Jane Goodall
> >
>
