I was running a new dog last year so I got to see plenty of birds light out after she pointed them way out ahead of me.  She figured it out toward the end of the trip and put three birds in the bag for me on our last day.  Did a lot of work after grouse season and I "think" she understands that she doesn't get to retrieve if I don't get a shot.  

I too saw a lot of wild flushes and I'm sure the birds were pressured.  I shot better last year than I have in a long time so managed to connect more reliably.  

I seen and heard plenty birds last year and 95% flew up 40 yards away making 95% of the potential shots impossible. 

Save a lot of ammo that way  

Thanks gentlemen. I appreciate the help. 

In other news, we have family up in Mercer right now and they have seen a few broods running around. My buddy lives full time next to a huge piece of public land and he has seen a lot of hens on the nest in the spring and heard non stop drumming.  I think we should see at least as many birds as we did last year and we saw a lot in what was supposed to be a down year. 

In the past 2 weeks I've seen 2 broods of chicks which appeared just a few days old. Both had about 6 little ones that I saw but there could have been more in the brush that I did not see. It seems pretty late to me for chicks that small. Maybe a second nesting? I did not think our spring was that cold and rainy that they would have lost the first batch. Price County.

Odd. In the past a easy google search yielded at least a couple news stories on the most recent drum counts.  Last night I did a search and yields info going back from 2021 to 2005

Birdy, they've made it harder to find.  2% decrease in the Northern WI from last year.  I find the brood survey to be a better indicator of hunting success but they haven't conducted those surveys in a few years.  Here's the link 

widnr.widen.net/s/rvhq6xvltv/ruffed_grouse_2022 

Did the DNR publish a drumming survey for 2022 yet?  I checked the DNR website and can’t find one. I think it’s usually out by now 

High hopes for Iron County this year.  Reports of lots of drumming and females on the nest.  I'm already excited.

Lots of drumming in Sawyer County too!

Up in the Iron river mi area this weekend on our land. Non stop drumming all weekend.