The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ latest ruffed grouse counts found Minnesota’s spring 2026 population declined from its peak in 2024. Ruffed grouse drums per stop were 1.7 statewide, which is down slightly from last year. Drumming is a low sound produced by males as they beat their wings rapidly and in increased frequency to signal the location of their territory. Drumming displays also attract females ready to begin breeding.
The DNR and its partners have conducted ruffed grouse surveys for 75 years to monitor the state’s breeding population. Through decades of surveys, DNR researchers have found that ruffed grouse populations tend to rise and fall in a cycle that typically ranges from 8-11 years.
“Drumming counts alone are not an accurate way to predict the birds that will be present during the fall hunting season,” said Charlotte Roy, DNR grouse project leader. “Nesting success and chick survival during the spring and summer are contributing factors that influence the number of birds present in the fall. These factors can be reduced by heavy rain during June, when nests hatch and chicks are young.”
The ruffed grouse populations were surveyed by counting the number of male ruffed grouse drums on established routes throughout the state’s forested regions.
“In a typical year, we have 13 cooperating organizations helping us count grouse drumming,” Roy said. “We are grateful to our federal, Tribal and other partners for their assistance in completing routes.”
The 2026 ruffed grouse survey report can be found on the Minnesota DNR’s grouse management webpage (mndnr.gov/wildlife/grouse.
Sharp-tailed grouse population similar in the northwest, lower in east-central region
Minnesota’s northwest sharp-tailed grouse population is similar to last year, but the east-central population is lower, according to spring population counts conducted by the Minnesota DNR and cooperating organizations. The average number of sharp-tailed grouse per lek (dancing ground) in the northwest was 12.4 this year, compared to 12.0 last year. The average number of sharp-tailed grouse per lek in the east-central region was 8.1 compared to 11.9 last year.
The sharp-tailed grouse population level remains low in east-central Minnesota, and the DNR has kept the hunting season closed in the east-central zone since 2021. Low population levels in this area are thought to be driven largely by changing habitat conditions. The birds require 1-3 square miles of grassland and brushland, and establishing and maintaining suitable habitats of this size often requires cooperation between multiple landowners.
The Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, Pheasants Forever and others have collaborated with the Minnesota DNR on targeted habitat management — specifically on prescribed burns, mowing and tree shearing projects — for sharp-tailed grouse and remain committed to enhancing open-land habitats to the extent possible.
The 2026 sharp-tailed grouse survey report is on the DNR’s grouse management webpage (mndnr.gov/wildlife/grouse.
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