Have you ever walked in the woods and heard a mysterious thumping sound, like someone trying to start an old engine that won’t quite turn over? You probably heard the unique behavior of a ruffed grouse drumming! Starting around this time of year, male ruffed grouse will jump up on a log, stump or rock and drum. They trap air between their wings and bodies, flapping in faster and faster succession, creating a vacuum of air that creates the characteristic thumping noise. Males use this behavior to

It is officially sage grouse mating season in large areas of Oregon and Washington! Tips on how to keep special areas, or leks, undisturbed: ☑ Sage grouse live in the plains among the sagebrush, a plant they eat all year, so be aware if visiting a sagebrush habitat (central Oregon and Washington, and much of southeast Oregon). ☑ The lek, or mating ground, can be “an old lakebed, a low sagebrush flat with excellent visibility, a ridgetop with little vegetation, even a landing strip, road, croplan

Check out this grouse hunting video that gives a few quick tips for bagging more grouse this fall. It also provides a brief overview of the new Forest Fliers Grouse Slam! For more information on Utah's upland game slams, visit https://wildlife.utah.gov/upland-game-slam.html | Utah Division of Wildlife Resources