Broods looking pretty good in the areas I hunt. Lots of chicks seen over summer. Counting the days now. 

Here you go

TNVOL - In fact, you're comparing the driftless area of Wisconsin...the southwest corner of the state...not the Northwoods. 

Here's the northern WI drumming counts for comparison with NE MN

MN drumming report just came out.  #s are up across most the state.  I know drumming counts aren't great predictors of the fall population but it still is useful information.  The attached graph is for the NE region.

I was thinking the first weekend in october. Now that I search back turns out  I misthinked

Woodcock always opens a week after grouse...been that way for as long as I can remember.

I see woodcock opens sept 24 earlier this year, just one week after grouse opens in zone A.  Good idea. I noticed migrations taking place well before last years opener.

I hunt basically private land, my wife's father and  I are the only ones that hunt it. It's around 400 acres of great habitat surrounded by other private land that is great habitat.  The birds there are skittish too sometimes.  Other years they're under your feet. No rhyme or reason. 

I had a technician helping me with my satellite dish last week.  He was from Montana.  We started talking about ruffles and hunting and dogs.  He said he only uses a dog for ducks because in Montana because he can walk right up to grouse on the trail and shoot them with a .22.  He hunts for the meat and doesn't like using a shotgun.  

I don't know that the grouse in Wisconsin are more jittery because of hunter pressure per se.  I find them to be super jumpy right at the opening week.  Maybe it's just different pressure from predators?  I don't know.  The King remains a mystery to me.  And yes, I too have invented new swear words many times after emptying my shotgun on a single missed bird only to have five more flush out right in front of me.