“There’s a sweet spot for dogs in these situations,” Kolter said, “and the better bred dogs will take fewer birds to figure out where it is.”
Ted Dick of Cohasset, Minn., a Department of Natural Resources forest habitat supervisor and avid ruffed grouse hunter, with his English setter, Ace. (Provided by Ted Dick)
Ted Dick, a Department of Natural Resources forest habitat supervisor living near Cohasset, finds comfort, inspiration — and challenge — trekking Minnesota’s North Woods in fall.
Like other grouse hunters, Dick often steps over deadfalls while following his two English setters, while simultaneously getting whacked in the face by aspen or other tree branches.
Shouldering a gun in this environment is difficult enough. Connecting a load of chilled 8s with a fast-disappearing grouse is even more so.
“I’m biased,” Dick said. “But to me, the ruffed grouse is the king of game birds. That’s not to say the prairie game birds — sharptails and Huns, for instance, or pheasants for that matter — aren’t fun and challenging. But the cover where ruffed grouse are hunted, and the difficulty of shots, and the speed required in shooting, that’s the difference.”
In July, the DNR reported ruffed grouse drumming counts this spring were lower than they were last year, with 1.8 drums recorded per stop, compared with 2.3 in 2024.