Ruffed grouse population increases by 10 percent in northeastern Minnesota, impacts of June flooding on chick survival unknown
The past few years have been favorable for ruffed grouse in northeastern Minnesota.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently released the 2024 spring ruffed grouse population count results. The results show that population numbers remain relatively stable and are improving in some regions of northeastern Minnesota.
Each April and May, the Minnesota DNR partners with 13 cooperating organizations to conduct drumming surveys across northern Minnesota to monitor the ruffed grouse breeding population. 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 and attract females. The Minnesota DNR surveys ruffed grouse populations by counting the number of male ruffed grouse drums on established routes throughout the state’s forested regions.
“This is a useful tool to be able to get an index on how the population is doing at that time of year,” Charlotte Roy, the Minnesota DNR grouse project leader, said.
The northeast region of Minnesota is the core of the ruffed grouse range. Roy said the results of the spring drumming counts show that “in the northeast, we’re seeing about 10 percent up from last year.”
While the northeast saw an increase, it was a slightly different story in northwestern Minnesota. Roy said the northwest region results show a slight decrease in the drumming counts. Despite the slight difference, the 2024 ruffed grouse survey states that the 2024 drumming count is the third consecutive year of statewide counts cycling upward.
Roy said that although the drumming counts show an upward trend in the northeast, the wet spring conditions in June across much of the Northland may have impacted the survivability of nesting chicks.
“In areas where there’s been these heavy rainfalls when the chicks are young,” Roy said. “In those areas, I think, probably, we’re going to see a lot fewer young birds than we would expect.”
She said the heavy rains and flooding conditions in isolated areas may have washed out nests and the loss of broods. “So we might not see as many young birds in the fall.”
In comparison, in the areas spared from the heavy rains, she said, “We might actually see really nice numbers.”
As for spruce grouse population numbers, Roy said the Minnesota DNR will be wrapping up and releasing the results of the 2024 population survey in the coming weeks. She said in recent years, the spruce grouse population has remained “relatively stable” in the core of the spruce grouse range.
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Charlotte Roy, the Minnesota DNR grouse project leader, about the 2024 ruffed grouse drumming population counts. The audio from the interview is below.