We don't have many grouse in Indiana anymore. I used to hunt them years ago but never had much luck. We've since lost our season for them.

Anyway, I was hiking in far northern Michigan last week and heard a drumming sound that I supposed to be a grouse. However, I thought grouse only drummed in the spring. Do they sometimes do it in the autumn also?

I'm guessing that it has to do with photoperiod being similar in the fall as it is in the spring, and it messes with ruffed grouse psyche. I assume they are not in breeding mode, but the daylength has them a bit confused. Yes, they certainly do some drumming in the fall, at least here in Idaho and in Alaska.

Jack

Yes, I think it is just wishful thinking on their part though.

Yup hear them often this time of year.

The male grouse actually establish their spring breeding leks in the fall, so what your hearing are males letting the other fellas know that lek is spoken for. It is quite common to hear in my area of the Northern Lower Peninsula.

Yes they do ,at least here in upper Michigan

If not actively drumming in the fall male ruff's will be on or near their territorial drumming sites(they often have more than one) until snow fall and not return until gone as they become to overexposed to predators. Just play a recording of a drumming grouse in their territory and they will respond as quickly as they can get to a drum log or investigate in person.

That must be what I'd heard then. We used to have some in Indiana but I never heard them drumming in the autumn. And, I was in the woods where I hunted them in autumn a great deal back when we had them hear.

I was hiking last week around Grass River to the east of Torch Lake. That's where I heard them. I'd never heard grouse drumming before.

I sure do love those northern forests.

I sure do love those northern forests.[/quote]
Lots of room up here

A memorable hunt from my springer’s first season a few years back. Heard the bird drumming when we got out of the truck. Hard to tell exactly where the bird was drumming from, but we walked him up, flushed him off his drumming log with no shot, I connected on the second flush.

I hear a few every fall but this is the only time I’ve hunted a drumming bird. Heard photoperiod as the cause as well, also birds establishing territory as the family groups disperse.

I’ve heard many grouse drumming in fall in north-central PA.

I’ve seen males strutting around all puffed up in fall too.

I’ve seen and heard turkeys displaying and gobbling in fall too.

Man what to boys gotta go through to get a piece of (.)

I’ve heard them drum in the fall, sometimes so much so that it’s annoying. That was then and this is now though, not much to offer in PA for the grouse hunter. Sad, it’s our State Bird.

For the last twenty years I’ve hunted a 3,500 acre timber company holding. It has been actively logged during that entire time and longer. As a result hundreds of acres of ideal grouse habitat exist. Ten years ago twenty-flush days were common, thirty-flush days were less common but happened. Any more we are lucky to flush six or seven a day. The decline is more than grouse’s normal population cycle. The best working theory I’ve heard from the experts is that it is due to West Nile virus.

If you leave your 4 wheeler , sit idling . Quite often a grouse will show up. Sounds like drumming, I guess. old243

Yes.

Yepper.

hear them every morning at my house, also hear turkeys gobble ,

saw 11 in my riverbottom yesterday mornin,2 family groups i think.