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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Grouse appear scarcer than usual

Season to get underway Saturday

Posted

REGIONAL— Ruffed grouse hunters will likely need to put on a few more miles than usual this year if they’re hoping to bag a few birds when the season gets underway on Saturday, Sept. 19. “There are very few birds around,” said Dennis Udovich, of Greaney, who has been guiding bear hunters for the past few weeks north and west of Cook. “I’ve only seen four birds in the last three weeks,” he said.

Tower DNR Area Wildlife Manager Tom Rusch was less definitive. “It’s kind of an unknown at this point,” he said. Field reports from DNR staff and others who have been mowing hunter walking trails in the area suggest fewer than expected birds in the area. Then again, said Rusch, ruffed grouse are often tough to find in the woods until later in the season.

Drumming counts this spring had tallied 1.3 birds per stop, pretty close to average. Ruffed grouse are supposed to be on the upswing in their cycle, but Rusch notes that springtime weather, particularly in June, can make a significant difference in the survival of hatchlings. June was moderately wet this year in much of the area, which could have reduced survival somewhat, although conditions were not as wet of June 2014. “This should have been a better year than last year,” said Rusch.

The early season is often a challenge for grouse hunters in the area, but conditions often improve significantly in October when the leaves fall, giving hunters much better visibility in the woods. Minnesota frequently is the nation’s top ruffed grouse producer. On average, 115,000 hunters harvest 545,000 ruffed grouse in Minnesota each year, also making it the state’s most popular game bird.