No matter where you are in Ontario, one thing seems consistent: hunters love ruffed grouse.
What is less consistent, however, is the condition of the province’s grouse populations and, critically, their habitat. Despite a relatively positive prognosis for the province overall, southern, and parts of central Ontario have seen marked declines in ruffed grouse for some time.
It’s true that many factors might contribute to the fluctuations of any given grouse population. These birds are heavily influenced by weather, predation, and disease. The single greatest source of trouble for today’s ruffed grouse, however, is habitat loss.
With less than 30% of southern Ontario’s forests remaining, urbanization can naturally be blamed for much of this issue. On the other hand, so too can the matter of forest succession. Ruffed grouse require early successional habitat — the type of young forest that grows in the years after a fire or logging operation. With fewer of these large disturbances occurring in the south, many woodlots have simply matured beyond the point of being valuable to ruffies.
In Ontario, Crown land is managed by the province and forestry allowances are leased to private logging companies. As you might imagine, this means decent early successional growth in areas with ample Crown land. Where private land is king, however, landowners must take it upon themselves to emulate the disturbances of old.
Former Canadian coordinator of the Ruffed Grouse Society of Canada John Lockerbie says that private landowners can help grouse populations and make a little money while they’re at it.
“We ask private landowners to cut their land, sell the lumber, and allow it to come back naturally.” John works directly with landowners in his home province of New Brunswick to improve property suitability for upland birds.
Techniques range from planting food sources to forest mulching and various successional harvest practices. They even place drumming logs at some locations.
“We’ve seen a measured increase in the number of drummers on a property immediately after these projects,” he said.
Aspens are the king of trees as far as ruffed grouse are concerned. A few properly managed stands of aspen can provide almost everything a grouse needs from chick to adult. That said, species like birch, oak, and even maple can also be managed to support your local ruffy population.
Keep these things in mind:
The perfect grouse habitat is diverse — it has high densities of young trees for cover, patches of older trees and shrubs for food, and some type of thermal cover (e.g. conifers). Getting this right can be challenging, so it’s wise to work with a professional when planning your management strategy.
Ontario’s ruffed grouse are in a state of divergence — healthy numbers in some regions, steady decline in others. While there’s no silver bullet, habitat must be central to any attempt to address the problem. So, if you do have a patch of land at your disposal, don’t be afraid to make a bit of a mess of it.
Our birds — and future seasons — may depend on just that.
Originally published in the August 2025 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS
Contact Information
PO Box 2800 / 4601 Guthrie Dr.
Peterborough, Ontario Canada K9J 8L5
Phone: 705-748-OFAH (6324)
Fax: 705-748-9577
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