# Ruffed and Sharptail Spring Conditions



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

*Spring Ruffed Grouse Population Shows Increase*

North Dakota's spring ruffed grouse survey indicated a 37 percent population increase statewide compared to 2004, reports Stan Kohn, upland game bird biologist for the state Game and Fish Department.

To conduct the survey, observers tallied the number of male grouse heard drumming on 196 miles of spring survey routes in the Turtle Mountains, Pembina Hills and McHenry County (J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge).

All three areas had at least a 30 percent increase in the number of drumming males compared to 2004, Kohn said. The statewide average number of ruffed grouse drums heard per best stop was 1.07, up substantially from last year's 0.78.

Ruffed grouse populations run in 9-10 year cycles, and have been low for the last three years. "Hopefully, this is the first sign that the cycle in ruffed grouse numbers has bottomed out in North Dakota and we are on a slow movement upward in the population," Kohn said.

*Spring Sharp-tailed Grouse Census Tallied *
Preliminary reports from the 2005 spring sharp-tailed grouse census indicate a slight decrease in the number of male grouse recorded compared to last year.

Statewide, observers counted 5,114 sharptails on spring dancing grounds this year compared to 5,465 in 2004, a 6 percent decrease, according to Jerry Kobriger, upland game management supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at Dickinson.

More than 700 square miles were censused. Male grouse recorded per square mile decreased from 7.3 in 2004 to 6.7 this year.

An indication of the fall season won't be known until mid-August, Kobriger said, upon completion of brood surveys.

Source: ND Game & Fish Dept.


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