Grouse hunters are a notoriously opinionated bunch. Put more than two of them in the same room and sure as sunrise they’ll find something to disagree about. More likely, they’ll find lots to disagree ...

VANDERBILT, MI – Deep in the northern Michigan forests lives a legendary bird treasured by birders and prized by hunters – the famous “thunder chicken.” That’s the nickname for ruffed grouse, a game ...

This story, “Best Grouse Hunting in America,” appeared in the Sept. 1985 issue of Outdoor Life. Bob Barbo is known as a duck hunter. His family cars have never seen the inside of the ga­rage. It is ...

Duck season opened Sept. 1 for Reed Carlson in Alaska. His dog’s first retrieve, a mallard, came straight to hand that morning, followed by 11 more ducks. Carlson’s retriever, Harley, performed like ...

I’ve come to appreciate ruffed grouse more than any other bird, and its “shapeshifter” ability is a prime reason why. A male ruffed grouse is strutting in a declaration of self-importance. With tail ...

SOMEWHERE UP NORTH, Minn. — Like so many big things, it started small, this fall tradition, a father and son from the Twin Cities area venturing to a friend’s place “Up North” to try their luck at ...

Trying to predict ruffed grouse hunting prospects is an inexact science at best, but based on drumming counts, at least, Minnesota’s breeding population was down from last year. In a news release, the ...

Question: I was walking in the woods recently, and I was startled by a bird taking off next to me. Was this a grouse or even a pheasant? Answer: If it was in the woods of central and northern ...

Minnesota’s ruffed grouse hunting — widely considered the best in the nation — appears to be holding up this fall despite signs of natural population decline for the state’s most popular game bird.