7/8/09 – Out hiking yesterday in the Superior National Forest, I came across a female ruffed grouse protecting its young. It became agitated as I approached on the trail, puffing up the feathers around its neck, strutting and flapping its wings, hissing and clucking. I snapped a few quick photographs and kept moving to avoid further fuss. The Minnesota DNR reports that spring drumming was up 44 percent over the 2008 counts, which it records as an indication of the overall population. That’s a good sign for the bird, and a compelling development for fall’s small game hunters. – Lee

Angry mother grouse.

A shot of the grouse, ruffled feathers and all.

The grouse, upon closer inspection, turned to run off the trail.