BDA Articles

Bird Dogs Afield host Paul Fuller is the gun dog columnist for Northwoods Sporting Journal. The Journal has granted permission to re-print Paul’s articles. Thank you Northwoods Sporting Journal.

Grouse Scarce

In my December column, I wrote how poor the ruffed grouse population was this past hunting season. I also mentioned that there was an abundance of woodcock throughout Maine and New Hampshire. Most input I received from hunters and observers, blamed the scarcity of grouse on the cold rain during the nesting and hatch season for grouse. One long-time resident of Allagash, Maine, told me that during prime hatching time, there was non-stop cold rain. Which killed the chicks. He then said that if the grouse tried to rebreed, which is often the case, it rained during that hatch period also. There was never a break in the weather for the broods to grow and remain healthy.

With the above conditions in mind, I’ve been asked several times why were there so many woodcock this year. Weren’t they affected by the same weather conditions? I didn’t have a solid, take to the bank, answer. So, I went to couple of sources who know much more about the biology of the American woodcock and the ruffed grouse. One was Andy Weik who for many years was the Northeast bird biologist for the Ruffed Grouse Society. Andy knows grouse and woodcock as well as any person I’ve ever met.

Here’s a synopsis of what I learned. The woodcock and grouse peak hatch is at different times. The peak hatching period for the woodcock is three to four weeks earlier than the grouse peak hatch. In fact I’ve had friends who have found woodcock nests on top of snow. According to Andy, the hen woodcock helps her brood find food. She wants her chicks to have a good start. I’ve seen woodcock return to New Hampshire, from their Southern winter homes, in late February and early March. The males start their courting ritual almost immediately. That means the nesting period (19-22 days) could easily be in late March and early April. And, that means the woodcock clutch would have been old enough to survive the May-June rain.

Now, we’ll look at the ruffed grouse. If the woodcock nest in April, that means the grouse nests in May. The clutch usually hatches in 23-26 days. That puts the hatch right in the heart of the 2023 spring rain in northern Maine. Even if the hen tried to re-nest, she still had rain. According to Andy, the chicks must grow or they die. They most likely died from both starvation and exposure.

So, Mother Nature both gives and takes away. She gave us an outstanding woodcock season and a not so great grouse season in Northern Maine and New Hampshire. Susan and I saw enough mature grouse this season to provide a decent breeding season in 2024. Your author has always been a glass half full person rather than a glass half empty. I should also mention that grouse numbers in New England weren’t necessarily bad throughout the area. After our hunt in the North Maine Woods, we went south to Tim Pond Camps in Eustis, Maine. Although not like 2020, grouse numbers weren’t too bad at Tim Pond Camps. I think 2024 will be better in the Northeast.

So where was there good grouse hunting in the United States this past fall? I recently spoke with Jerry Havel at Pineridge Grouse Camps in Minnesota. Jerry reported that they had an outstanding year. He reported that the other Great Lakes States (Wisconsin and Michigan) were also very good.

Susan and I are already planning our 2024 New England grouse hunts…you should too.

Paul and Susan, his wife, host the Bird Dogs Afield TV show. All past episodes are on his YouTube Channel (www.youtube/birddogsafield.com) or his website (www.birddogsafield.com). Contact: paul@birddogsafield.com.