A sad farewell to Ruffed Grouse?

[Fenelon]

I'd like to here from others regarding the population status of Ruffed Grouse based on what you're seeing in the area that you live and/or hunt. You don't see much comment being made by mnr regarding the total crash in areas of the province.I'm pretty sure WNV is the culprit. I live in WMU 75 and I mainly hunt the southern ends of 60. Numbers have been declining over the past 15 to 20 years but now it's dropped to almost total exterpation. There are so few birds now where I live I feel the species should be considered for SARA listing. Next to zero drumming males now in the spring. There is no longer a huntable population. There are so few birds I think I'd feel guilty harvesting the bird if I did find one. You can walk for hours, focussing on good habitat, with a good dog, and you'd be lucky to flush a single bird. I'm not even seeing budding birds when driving hundreds of kilometers around home. How are things in your area?

[werner.reiche]

I'd like to here from others regarding the population status of Ruffed Grouse based on what you're seeing in the area that you live and/or hunt. You don't see much comment being made by mnr regarding the total crash in areas of the province.I'm pretty sure WNV is the culprit. I live in WMU 75 and I mainly hunt the southern ends of 60. Numbers have been declining over the past 15 to 20 years but now it's dropped to almost total exterpation. There are so few birds now where I live I feel the species should be considered for SARA listing. Next to zero drumming males now in the spring. There is no longer a huntable population. There are so few birds I think I'd feel guilty harvesting the bird if I did find one. You can walk for hours, focussing on good habitat, with a good dog, and you'd be lucky to flush a single bird. I'm not even seeing budding birds when driving hundreds of kilometers around home. How are things in your area?

Beyond bad. And I've done quite a bit of cutting to create good grouse habitat. Lots of thick conifer cover, oaks, overgrown farm - hawthorne, wild grapes, while clover.
The hawks and owls have been hard on them, but this year there are even less than the normal - even for a poor year.

This is in 55B - near Pembroke.

[Birdbuff]

I’ve been out plenty this year and have noticed good numbers everywhere I’ve tried. Numbers were good north of the French river. I was out in 60 well before deer rifle and found good numbers. Although I’ve been out after rifle and only flushed one. I haven’t noticed any drop.

[finsfurfeathers]

I hunt to the West of you and I seen some. Though by their behaviour I'd say they were all older adult birds. Something has been effecting nesting success that's for sure.

[Gilroy]

In my area of WMU 60 basically Wollaston Township numbers are extremely low, this trend has been going on for about 3 years but appears to be getting worse. The Spring weather should have been good for the chicks to survive as it has been drier. I think I put up less than 6 birds all two weeks of the deer hunt. Sitting on a several deer stands in good habitat for 6 hours a day most all two weeks did not see a bird. In the past I always had them around the open field cabin area, I saw them off my deer feeders using corn in the past but nothing this past few years. I get the usual hawks an owls and coyotes but they have always been there. The properties around me have been logged to the west east and south, I wonder if this has had an adverse affect taking away some canopy cover. But something is wrong, I feel the same, would not harvest a bird anytime soon.

[Fox]

I have never seen so many grouse in SW Ontario, they were coming out during many of our drives during the controlled hunt in 86A.

[rf2]

Currently I hunt in 64A and 63A. There is a fair number in 64A - I haven't noticed a significant change over the last 10 years or so. In the spring during turkey season I hear them drumming regularly.
I'm new to hunting in 63A. I've only been out specifically targeting grouse 2 or 3 times, and never with a bird dog. When I've been in good grouse habitat, I was able to find some birds, but the numbers don't seem to be as good as in 64A.

[Badenoch]

There are still grouse on our bush lot in south Wellington county but not nearly in the same numbers as when we moved here over 20 years ago. I stopped hunting them 15 years ago because numbers were so low. I still see the occasional flush and heard drumming this past spring and fall.

[Fox]

Currently I hunt in 64A and 63A. There is a fair number in 64A - I haven't noticed a significant change over the last 10 years or so. In the spring during turkey season I hear them drumming regularly.
I'm new to hunting in 63A. I've only been out specifically targeting grouse 2 or 3 times, and never with a bird dog. When I've been in good grouse habitat, I was able to find some birds, but the numbers don't seem to be as good as in 64A.

Totally type of habitat, I used to hike miles and get a couple birds, but that is because I did not have a dog, the numbers were not bad at all, just too many places for them to hide out.

[DanO]

There are still grouse on our bush lot in south Wellington county but not nearly in the same numbers as when we moved here over 20 years ago. I stopped hunting them 15 years ago because numbers were so low. I still see the occasional flush and heard drumming this past spring and fall.

I'm just North of you in 82a. The numbers were lower several years back. I'm starting to see more birds but as somebody said they're all mature birds. I'm wondering if WEst Nile reduced the numbers significantly and what were are seeing now is the repopulation with disease resistant birds. I stopped hunting them 7 years ago because I was concerned about their low numbers.