Trapping to increase bird numbers on your property...

[corny13]

Anyone other than myself trap to increase grouse, pheasants, turkey, or waterfowl numbers on their property?  This is the time of year that I set my trapline mainly targeting Skunk and Raccoons.  I use a combination of livetraps and conibears. I set along roads and trails so that I dont disturb nesting birds.    Delta waterfowl has proven that intensive predator management esp aimed at skunks and raccoons will increase the nest survival of ground nesting birds.   I usually run about a dozen sets starting right after turkey hunting and usually take a couple dozen of the varmits off my property.  I use 220 conibears and a livetrap made by the Snare shop of Lidderdale Iowa.  They work great for skunks and allow drowning without getting sprayed.  They are called Tuf live traps #6,  Sardines are the bait of choice for me.
I started doing this about 10 years ago and it does work.. I would bet it would work for ruffed grouse also.

[GRIZ]

Ground nesting birds are pretty vulnerable this time of yr. The predators also have young of thier own to feed thus by catching  a wet female you can take care of the whole litter.

In the past I have done this for a couple phesant farms and it does work.