Ruffed grouse counts up

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Minnesota’s ruffed grouse spring drumming counts were up 57 percent statewide this year compared to last year, according to a survey conducted by the DNR.

For grouse hunters, the large increase in drumming counts this year is sure to be a signal of good times ahead during the fall hunting season.

The grouse population is nearing its 10-year peak, and grouse populations tend to rise and fall on a decade-long cycle, with counts this year typical for what’s expected as the population nears peak.

Drumming is a low sound produced by males as they beat their wings rapidly and in increasing frequency to signal the location of their territory. Drumming displays also attract females that are ready to begin nesting. Ruffed grouse populations are surveyed by counting the number of male ruffed grouse heard drumming on established routes throughout the state’s forested regions.