Report Nr. 2928 Review of the 1981 Grouse and Woodcock Season with Prospects for 1982

While no records were broken in 1981. the overall season was reasonably good for most hunters. Compared to 1980, the grouse harvest was down 4 percent with a take of 723,620 birds in 1981 versus·756,660 in 1980. The 1981 harvest of 251,440 woodcock represents a 16 percent drop from the 1980 figure of 299,590. Ruffed grouse hunter numbers in 1981 decreased 2 percent, and the average bag per hunter was down only slightly. During 1981, an estimated 1,741,470 hunter days were spent in pursuit of "old ruff." The ruffed grouse continues to be the number one game bird in the state.