It's just too early in the game for anyone to say 2009 was the grouse ppopulation peak, not with adult numbers still high.--Photo By The Author

Don't write off
the grouse peak just yet

By Kurt Krueger
In The Outdoors

WILDLIFE experts with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) say it appears that Wisconsin has reached the peak of the current ruffed grouse population cycle, and may now be on the downswing.

Mark Twain once wrote, seeing his obituary in a newspaper, that news of his death had been “widely exaggerated.” At this point, the same could be said of premature guesses on the grouse cycle.

Part of the problem is that the previous high was in 1999, so it makes sense that the next high in the approximate 10-year population cycle would occur somewhere around 2009. Spring drumming counts did peak last year and the DNR has reported that the counts are down about 6% this year.

The scribbler is no grouse expert, but I can give you a bunch of reasons on why it’s too early to guess whether grouse numbers have again reached a peak. First and foremost, it is my belief that, despite a slight drop in the drumming counts, hunters will find more grouse in the woods this fall.

WANT TO READ MORE? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!