I am putting in food plots for assorted wildlife I have done some select timber harvest and worked to clean a creek up pretty well. I would like to start attracting more Ruffed Grouse to the property any suggestion on habitat modifications or good food sources to put out that might help attract them to the property any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks

Well, I know that the majority of ruffed grouse I kill here are chock full of wild blueberries!

Thank you hntngirl always like to here from the female side. God bless your hunting season

No problem, rebel! The only other things I can tell you is that they like to eat tiny pieces of gravel to help with their digestion and they like to hunker down into the dry dirt and dust themselves, I' m not sure why. Maybe helps with mites?

Yeah I knew about the dusting I had some dirt hauled in and made about a 50 yard trail going into one of the select cuts just for that reason I forgot about the small gravel maybe I will add a layer on the path. I was going to add assorted berries and apple trees with honey suckle along with assorted trees for cover. Once again thank you for your input I appreciate it. Rebel Wolf. By the way how do you do that fish thing on your messages it is so cool.

rebel wolf -

The Ruffed Grouse Society has a very good publication on managing your land for grouse and/or woodcock. Check out their website for contact information (it actually might be the RGS of Canada that publishes it). Where are you located? Primary food sources vary a little with region. Also, it might take a while for the habitat to develop to be grouse-friendly - the cover has to be at the appropriate maturity level (I remember something like 10-15 year old forest is ideal). Good luck with your project! Ruffed Grouse are (IMO) by far the most rewarding upland bird.

Thanks Grizz I forgot all about the Ruff Grouse Society I will definitely look them up. I' m located in the eastern Upper Pennisula of Michigan we have a few birds now but I' m trying to make things a little better for them my son thinks they are the greatset bird around and he' ll tell ya so for a 9 year old. we also have starting to get an abundance of sharptail in the early fall so I think we are on track tahnks again.

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Brian thank you we have cut some of the aspen in certain areas that was part of the select cut we did crab apples and grape were planted last year and we have clover in our fields we hay for cattle. The drumming log I never considered so I' ll go out and and fell some logs for that. Thank you very much for your reply everything will help. Thanks again!!!

Some good suggestions all around.

In my area (northern Maine), ideal grouse cover is thick with alders. The preffered food sources are usually clover and beechnuts, alder buds, and of course wild berries.In the southern part of the state, they often inhabit grown-over farmland which holds apple trees, blueberries and other wildberries.

Planting clover, apple trees, chokecherries, etc. seems to me like a good start. Access to gravel is also a plus as stated before.

You didn' t mention what type of cover is available to them already. Partridge like to head for thick cedar swamps or spruce/fir thickets when winter approaches. It wouldn' t hurt to have a few thick evergreen stands on the property.