REGIONAL— Wildlife managers with the Department of Natural Resources say it’s still too early to say how many birds hunters will see when they head to the woods this weekend for the opening of the ruffed grouse season.

“Heavy summer rains probably had a negative impact,” said Tom Rusch, wildlife manager in the DNR’s Tower work area. The rains would have had little impact on adult birds, but heavy precipitation, particularly in June, can reduce survival for young of the year. Young birds typically make up a sizable percentage of most hunters’ take, particularly early in the season.

“Cold and wet is a problem for grouse,” said Rusch. “They’re not ducks.”

In general, the ruffed grouse population trend is positive, notes Rusch, as grouse are now in the upswing of their roughly 11-year cycle. Grouse drumming counts were up 13 percent in the northeast this spring, compared to 2015, while drumming was up 18 percent on a statewide basis. Northeastern Minnesota still enjoys the highest ruffed grouse population of any region in the state and saw an average of 1.5 drums per stop on this year’s spring survey, compared to the 1.3 on a statewide basis.

DNR officials predict grouse numbers should peak as early as next year and remain relatively high for the next few years. While the ruffed grouse cycle is a well-established phenomenon, weather variations and other factors from year-to-year means that the ups and downs don’t always track exactly from cycle-to-cycle.

Ruffed grouse hunters typically struggle to see birds early in the season, when leaves are still on the trees and brush, making the grouse tough to spot. Hunter success usually picks up in October as the leaves fall, and that’s when DNR wildlife managers often get their first real look at the health of the population.

The ruffed grouse seasons runs through Jan. 1, 2017.