The bell around the collar of Lily, a German wirehair pointer, rang with every step her paws made through the tangle of young aspens. It grew faint as she cast farther through the thick forest, her nose to the ground. She was in search of the King.
I ducked and dived my way through the thick undergrowth, listening for Lily’s bell to stop ringing—and then it did. “She’s on point, 50 yards to our left,” Chad Bloom, Director of Regional Development for the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) and American Woodcock Society (AWS), said from somewhere to my right. Jon Zinnel, Director of Conservation for Federal Premium Ammunition, rounded out our trio of grouse hunters. His voice was faint and far away as he exclaimed, “I think I’m behind you! You two go ahead and flush that bird for her.” The cover we were hunting deep in the Chippewa National Forest of Minnesota was so thick and healthy, we couldn’t see each other even when standing a mere few yards apart.
Lily’s bell was silent, but her collar beeped, echoing throughout the woods, helping us navigate to her. I used both my gun and my free arm to beat away branches as I hurriedly tried to reach the GWP before the grouse ran too far. As the locator beep got louder, I still couldn’t see the dog in the thick undergrowth before I heard the all too distinctive sound of a bird flush. It had flown to safety, never to be seen again—confirming why the ruffed grouse is the King of the Northwoods.
Ruffed grouse and woodcock demand our respect and are truly the king and prince of the Northwoods. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) The Annual National Grouse and Woodcock Hunt I have a lot of respect for the Northwoods ruffed grouse and woodcock hunters. The covers of the Northwoods are not something to take lightly. From Minnesota, to Michigan, to Maine, hunters find themselves trekking through thick stands of alders, hardwoods, and conifers. In all directions, the landscape looks the same, lacking distinctive landmarks to keep yourself from getting turned around and lost. Dense undergrowth of hazel traps your legs and boots, while a spiderweb of leaves and branches leaves close to zero visibility. Good luck getting a clear shot off at a flushing bird—you have a split second or less for an open shooting lane.
This type of hunting is not for the faint of heart, and the King is well deserving of his name. For those lucky enough to bag a ruffed grouse, you feel like you’ve earned your place on the throne. Dedicated grouse and woodcock hunters respect these birds and the pursuit, so much so that they’re willing to throw their time and hard-earned money towards conservation. An effort to ensure that the King stays atop his throne for generations to come.
Despite the cool October morning in Minnesota, sweat trickled down my face as I busted through the brush to reconvene with my hunting party. Zinnel and I had been partnered with Bloom, our “huntsman” for the 2023 Annual National Grouse and Woodcock hunt held by the RGS and AWS. “That’s 14 flushes,” Bloom said, as he turned a dial on his flush counter.
In its 41st year, the National Hunt is an important event that is meant to not only raise money for the mission of RGS and AWS, but to bring donors and supporters together to celebrate the hunting of these iconic species. It also serves as a hunt that provides vital scientific information regarding these bellwether birds.
Over two days, RGS and AWS supporters flock to Grand Rapids, Minnesota to hear what conservation projects the nonprofit has focused on for the past year. In addition, attendees spend both days hunting the Northwoods, specifically in habitat RGS has helped conserve and keep healthy. “Huntsman” from across the country volunteer their time to take attendees hunting, giving them the opportunity to not only hunt the species they love, but to also see the nonprofit’s conservation mission truly at work.
“The event is an opportunity for the largest supporters of RGS and AWS to come together and talk about our mission and what we’re working on,” explained Jon Steigerwaldt, Forest Conservation Director for the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society. “There is also a cool science aspect to the hunt that provides information to state agencies in regard to ruffed grouse and woodcock populations.”
During the hunt, huntsman keep detailed records, such as how many grouse and woodcock flushes they encountered, how many grouse were pointed with dogs, how many shots were taken at the birds, and how many birds were bagged. After each day ends, hunters check in their quarry to biologists who determine sex of the birds, as well as weight and age. The data gathered isn’t strong by itself, however, after 41 years of collecting this type of information, a lot can be learned from it.
Biologists can track the health of the birds through the weight and age data, but more importantly, they can determine the recruitment ratios of the grouse.
“In the spring of each year, drumming surveys are conducted by state agencies to look at index population over time, to see if they are going up or down,” said Steiger-waldt. “Since this information, as well as the Annual Hunt data, has been gathered for decades, it gives us a snapshot in time—what is the population doing?"
The National Hunt data measures the ratio of adults to juveniles that are shot, providing a better understanding of how many birds survived from spring drumming to the fall. The age, sex, and weight of the birds help biologists determine how good the birds did that year in terms of recruitment. In all, the National Hunt is more than just filling your bird bag, it’s in the name of science, and it protects ruffed grouse and woodcock for years to come.
The annual National Grouse and Woodcock Hunt has been running for 41 years, and provides great information for conservation. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) Science Based Forest Management Benefits Ruffed Grouse “Bellwether,” an indicator or predictor of something, is a term associated with ruffed grouse, as they tell us trends in forest health, according to Steigerwaldt.
“Ruffed grouse require diverse forest to fulfill all of their life cycles,” explained Steigerwaldt. “They need young, middle age, and old forest, and they need them in close proximity.”
Grouse have a home range of just 10 to 40 yards. Yes, when broods break up in the fall they may travel several miles before settling down, but they then won’t leave more than 10 acres. This means it is vital to have healthy forest habitat to ensure the success of the species.
RGS recognized the importance of this, and in 2020, they unveiled a new model of forest conservation. The model focuses on working directly with landowners and government agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service and state agencies, to develop critical habitat utilizing scientific management practices. This new initiative includes utilizing U.S. Forest Service grant agreements to leverage how the bulk of the work gets done: through the forest industry such as loggers and mills.
Through a shared vision for wildlife conservation work, RGS and the U.S. Forest Service utilize unique opportunities to chart management strategies to advance sustainable forestry. Through Forest Service stewardship agreements with local timber mills, RGS partners with the mills to sell timber. The proceeds of which are reinvested back into forest conservation—it’s a win for both industries.
“We have stewardship agreements from Minnesota to Maine, all the way down to the Mason Dixon Line, and throughout the eastern United States,” says Steigerwaldt. “We work closely with the U.S. Forest Service to promote science-based recommendations on what should be harvested to ensure a diverse habitat for ruffed grouse.”
RGS works closely with state agencies to map out timber harvests, indicating exact stands that need to be cut to ensure an abundance of diverse and healthy forests.
“Our mission is so important,” explains Steigerwaldt. “We are advocating for diverse forests, because when we have healthy forests, birds are better able to withstand things such as climate change, disease, heavy rains, and more. With healthy, diverse forests, birds can find escape cover and abundant food sources.”
Hunter participation and forest management are important parts of ruffed grouse conservation. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) Ruffed Grouse Conservation with the Ruffed Grouse Society Making my way through the aspens, I came across what could only be described as a scene from George Bird Evans’ book, An Affair with Grouse. Bloom and Zinnel stood side by side with their guns cracked open, a light breeze rustling the yellowing aspen leaves around them. They stood admiring a ruffed grouse in Zinnel’s hands. He spread the tail fan, showcasing a beautiful grey-phased color bird.
Our voices echoed through the forest, reminiscing and laughing about how this bird came to be. The flushes before, the epic whiffs, and the excellent dog work.
Over two days of hunting the Northwoods with both Bloom and Zinnel, and huntsman Scott Johnson and Federal Premium’s Brian Kelvington, we moved more than 50 grouse. For an uplander used to the wide-open prairie or chukar mountains where a few coveys a day is the norm, moving that many birds in two days was something one can only dream of.
“The National hunt allows you to see RGS’s mission truly at work,” said Zinnel as we made our way back to the truck. “The Ruffed Grouse Society is a true leader in forest management and that’s why Federal Premium is a proud supporter of them and AWS. Our money is fully going back to the birds.”
Back to the birds indeed. Out of the over $5 million raised in 2022 from banquets, grants, membership, and more, RGS and AWS used 90 percent of those funds for conservation programs.
As a bellwether bird, the ruffed grouse is more than just the King of the Northwoods. The bird represents diverse ecosystems and the sustainability of our forests. If the grouse are thriving, forests and other species are thriving. As a champion for this bird, the Ruffed Grouse Society understands what it means to protect their King for generations to come.
Federal Premium Upland High Velocity is a great shotshell for grouse and woodcock hunting. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) Shotshells for Ruffed Grouse In the Northwoods, the thick cover only allows you small windows of opportunity to shoot a flushing grouse or woodcock. That means you need a hard-hitting load, with patterns that stay uniform throughout the shot.
The Upland High Velocity load from Federal Premium is copper-plated lead shot that helps keep your shot string tight. In addition, the copper-plated lead flies from the muzzle at high-velocities, so it’s not only quicker to your target but hits with more downrange energy. It’s a perfect combination for the grouse woods.
