Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed grouse occur in forested counties of eastern and southern Ohio.  The preferred habitat of this popular game bird is young forest cover that regrows following logging, the reclamation of surface mines, and abandonment of pastures and farmland.  Roadside drumming counts of males declined from 3.8 to 2.3 drummers/100 stops on comparable survey routes in 2010.  Few observations of hens with broods were reported in summer 2010 (n = 11), but reproductive success (5.0 chicks per hen) was similar to 2009.  Grouse numbers have declined in Ohio since the early 1980s as forests have matured into older age classes.

Survey details and historical data can be found in the Forest Wildlife Overview section of the 2010-2011 Wildlife Population Status and Hunting Forecast.