The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s spring lek surveys produced a statewide tally for sharp‑tailed grouse that matches last year’s total, but the counts hide notable regional variation, officials said this week.
Mixed results across the state
Jesse Kolar, upland game management supervisor, said the department completed its annual spring counts of male sharp‑tailed grouse dancing on leks, along with observations of greater prairie chickens, greater sage grouse and male ruffed grouse drumming where aspen habitat is present. Those counts are used as relative indices of breeding populations and to help guide management and hunting outlooks.
“Usually the statewide trends tell the story, but this year we had discrepancies across the state, so the story varies depending on your location,”
Kolar said the overall unchanged statewide number surprised some staff members because roadside surveys last summer showed signs of poor reproduction and reduced adult densities. Hunter harvest was also lower last fall, down about 24%, but a comparatively mild winter likely helped the birds survive through to spring.
Regional survey figures
Survey blocks across the state showed differing densities of male sharp‑tailed grouse per square mile:
- Southwest: 4.9 males per square mile, down 8% from 2025.
- Prairie potholes: 5.0 males per square mile, up 2%.
- Drift prairie: 2.9 males per square mile, up 10% from last year.
| Region | Males per sq. mile | Change from 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest | 4.9 | -8% |
| Prairie potholes | 5.0 | +2% |
| Drift prairie | 2.9 | +10% |
Local notes: Grand Forks County
In the Red River Valley, the only remaining survey block is in Grand Forks County. Though not a primary area for sharp‑tailed grouse, observers counted an increase there of about 9% compared with last year. Kolar cautioned that such a rise is modest, noting that populations can swing dramatically — sometimes by more than 40 to 50 percent — after episodes of heavy mortality or strong reproduction.
He also pointed out a long‑term shift in species composition around Grand Forks: sharp‑tailed grouse have become more common over the past three decades and have largely supplanted greater prairie chickens, which were more abundant through the mid‑2000s.
What this means for the season and habitat management
Kolar said the spring counts reflect surviving adults that will form the base for nesting. If this spring’s adults experience successful hatches, managers and hunters could see improved fall numbers. Meanwhile, wildlife managers will weigh these regional differences when making habitat and harvest recommendations.
The department’s ruffed grouse indexing — calculated as a statewide average where suitable aspen occurs — was also conducted but the full statewide figure was not released with the sharp‑tailed results. The agency emphasizes that lek and drumming surveys are relative measures useful for tracking trends rather than precise population censuses.
For landowners, hunters and conservation groups, the regionally divergent findings underscore the importance of locally tailored habitat work and monitoring. Conserving lekking grounds and maintaining mixed grass and shrub habitats remain central to supporting lek‑forming grouse populations across North Dakota’s varied landscapes.
Reported from Grand Forks.
