Drumming is performed by “cocks” or male ruffed grouse as a means to defend territory. In the spring, drumming becomes more frequent and it is used to court females, or “hens”.

 –audio clip, provided by the Ruffed Grouse Society

1854 Resource Management staff participate in a survey each spring to monitor ruffed grouse population trends. Coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the survey is made possible by many cooperators across the state.

How the Survey is Conducted

The survey procedure is fairly simple. Each year, shortly before the woods start greening up we drive an established ten-mile survey route. At every mile the survey vehicle is stopped and shut off, and participants get out to spend four minutes listening for, and counting, drumming male grouse. The data is then returned to the DNR where they compare drumming rates from year to year to ascertain trends in the grouse population. Interestingly, ruffed grouse numbers appear to cycle over time with peak populations occurring roughly every ten years.

See the DNR's MINNESOTA SPRING GROUSE SURVEY REPORT, 2015.

Environmental Director Darren Vogt nabbed a shot of this Ruffed Grouse around the Twin Lakes area during the annual survey.