A Note from the Editor
This year I'm writing the
Editor’s note while on a
November hunt for upland
game birds in North Dakota.
I’m blessed to be on my
30th western trip to hunt upland game or
big game over the last 25 years. For me,
these trips are cherished and anticipated
from month to month over the course of the
year and often involve my entire family.
A friend of my parents once asked, "Why
do you go all the way out west to hunt birds?
We have plenty right here in the Virginia
mountains.’’The kind lady was referring to
ruffed grouse, which I first hunted at age 9
back in the 1970s. Sadly, despite her percep¬
tion, my childhood grouse coverts no longer
actually have "plenty" of grouse or any other
upland game bird for that matter. Crouse are
rare, and quail are practically extinct in the
southwestern Virginia County where I grew
up, and most counties in North Carolina
show similar trends.
After moving to North Carolina, I first
hunted wild quail in eastern North Carolina
almost 30 years ago. At that time, quail could
be found on most farms in the central Coastal
Plain, and I had a good run of about 10 to 15
years of decent quail hunting. Today, there are
vast areas of the entire state, and even the
Coastal Plain, where quail no longer persist in
huntable numbers. Most of my eastern North
Carolina quail haunts are gone.
Many hunters have ideas regarding what has
happened to our upland game birds. Answers
include sunspots, fire ants, weather, predators,
wild turkey predation, pesticides and many
other factors. However, ail these factors, or
some combination of them, can be found
across areas of the West. So, the question
becomes "why are there still huntable num¬
bers of upland game birds across vast areas
of the West while most areas of North Caro¬
lina (and really almost the enti re South ) have
seen dramatic declines?" Despite all the theo¬
ries to the contrary, both my professional
knowledge and personal experiences as a
continued on page 68
RfcBU.CA JONtS
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Planning ahead provides opportunities for strategic practices to be implemented to improve wildlife
habitat. For example, removing more trees per acre during a commercial thinning can increase benefits
to many species by allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor.
JOHN 1SENHOI R/\C WR<
CONSERVATION CHRONICILES
Clear Intentions and Specialized Guidance:
The Formula for Management Success
Written by John Isenhour, wildlife conservation biologist, District 6,
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
If you grew up in a small town, chances are there was at least one place that had an air of
mystery or spurred curiosity. In my hometown of Richfield, one such place that intrigued
many folks was “Ritchie’s Lake.”
The Ritchie’s Lake property has played a long and substantial role in the community. In
fact, the same Ritchie’s that owned the lake also owned “Ritchie’s Field” that I have always
heard was the namesake of Richfield, which was established in 1893. There was a pavilion
and paid access swimming area at the lake in the 1930s, 40s and early 50s which made it a
hotspot of local activity. In the 1980s, the mystique of the property made it a target of local
trespassers and ne’er-do-wells looking to illegally access the property to hunt and fish. To
be honest, my curiosity almost drew me across the property line a time or two, but my
morals and the legendary vigilance of the landowners and a key neighbor or two kept
me where I had permission to be.
Fast forward about three decades. As a technical assistance biologist, 1 was formally intro¬
duced to the current owners of Ritchie's Lake, Tom and Hannah Heame. Tom is a descendant
54 WINC 2021 SPRING FISHING & BOATING GUIDE
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