After years of careful population management and habitat restoration, Wisconsin sharp-tailed grouse enthusiasts can mark their calendars for a return to hunting this fall. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has set dates for a sharp-tailed grouse hunt, the likes of which haven't been seen since 2018. According to the official announcement, hunters will have from October 18 to November 9, to participate in the season.
An application period for a limited-drawing lottery is now open, running from today, June 30, until August 1. Those who have accrued preference points in the past, will find them honored in this year's lottery. The DNR's decision comes after years of sharp-tailed grouse population decline, a trend biologists have been tracking since the 1990s, largely due to habitat fragmentation and loss. Recent efforts to boost population numbers seem to have paid off, leading to the current announcement of open season.
The Sharp-tailed Grouse Advisory Committee, made up of DNR biologists, federal agency staff, and conservation group representatives, has long awaited an uptick in population numbers to endorse a hunting season. After years without a hunting quota, set to protect the declining species, the committee felt the numbers had finally rebounded enough to support limited hunting, as indicated by data and demonstrated commitment to conservation. Restoration work done on both public and private lands has been key in this resurgence, particularly in northwest Wisconsin.
"The Sharp-tailed Grouse Advisory Committee used several criteria to evaluate whether the population could support a hunt," Bob Hanson, a DNR wildlife biologist and advisory committee member, told Wisconsin DNR. "We looked at lek survey numbers, winter survivability, nesting and brood rearing success, weather forecasts and habitat metrics," said Hanson. The species' encouraging population metrics now indicate that these birds can withstand a controlled harvest again.
With the return of the season heralded as a success for conservation, the DNR is hopeful for continuous growth in sharp-tailed grouse numbers. According to the announcement, ongoing habitat creation and connectivity should foster further increases in the population. Information on the sharp-tailed grouse hunting specifics, managing efforts, and how the public can get involved can be found on the Wisconsin DNR's dedicated webpages for sharp-tailed grouse hunting and management.
