Ruffed grouse and woodcock seasons start October 1

CONCORD — The hunting season for ruffed grouse — New Hampshire’s most sought-after upland game bird — starts Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 31. Woodcock season also opens Oct. 1 and concludes Nov.14. Karen Bordeau, the state Fish and Game Department’s Small Game Project Leader, notes that better than 66 percent of small game hunting effort in New Hampshire targets ruffed grouse, and that over half of that effort takes place in the North Country.

Hunter survey data from 2018 indicates that North Region grouse observation rates were 143 grouse per 100 hunting hours with the aid of a dog, an increase from the reported 136 grouse per 100 hunting hours in 2017. It is noteworthy that grouse observation rates increased in all regions. Roadside drumming routes are distributed throughout New Hampshire and are surveyed annually in mid-April through mid-May by wildlife biologists and volunteers. Data are used to assess regional trends in ruffed grouse breeding populations. In 2019, the number of drumming events heard per stop decreased in all regions.