Come early spring in the forests of the Upper Midwest is when you listen for them.
Through the songs of warblers, loons, blue jays and nuthatches, your ears detect the drumming of male ruffed grouse beating their wings to attract females and repel rivals. It’s breeding season in this part of America, and the low-frequency, rapid-thumping broadcast permeates the hardwood, conifer, jack pine, chestnut and aspen trees of the male’s territory. For wingshooters, scientists and naturalists the intensity of the drumming through the woods foretells of the season’s hunt – and habitat work that still needs to be planned for the to birds thrive.
For the rest of us, the telltale drumming signals that it’s time to clean that side by side, waterproof those boots and stock up on shells.
