3 WI Ruffed Grouse hunting with the Ruffed Grouse Society

Ever heard the woods thump to life in spring? 🪵🥁 That deep, rhythmic beat echoing through the forest isn’t a machine—it’s a ruffed grouse drumming to impress. Drumming is how male grouse attract mates, defend their turf and remind us why healthy young forests matter. Keep your ears open this season—you might be closer to a display than you think! Photo Credit: Tim Flanigan #ruffedgrouse #uplandhunting #wildlifefacts #birdwatching #drumminglog #springinwoods #forestwildlife #conservationmatters

The male Ruffed Grouse performs a unique drumming act in the fall and spring. He will stand on top of a fallen log or stone, so he can be high above the ground. Then he will beat his wings against the air making a deep, thumping sound that can be heard up to a half mile away. All to get across the message that this is his territory so other males should stay away while also welcoming any females to come closer. The male in this video was performing for visitors at Stony Man summit last Monday fo

Male ruffed grouse “drum” in springtime as a way to establish territory and to attract females. Although it looks as if the sound is caused by the bird’s wings hitting its chest, the sound actually comes from small sonic booms. The wings beat up to 5 times per second, causing the sound waves to stack up until they create a penetrating shock wave that creates the boom. Male grouse usually perform on a “drumming log,” which might help project the low-frequency sound. Drumming exerts a remarkable a

Sound on to hear the drumming 🔊 This is the breeding display of the ruffed grouse, the analogue to sage-grouse strutting or sharp-tailed grouse dancing. They are similar to dusky grouse in that they are not in a concentrated lek, but instead form territories. Ruffed grouse will generally find a downed log, their drumming log, and use it to drum on much like a stage. They are not actually hitting the log. But it can sound a little like it if you hear them in person. The sound is just from moving