Restoration efforts are to thank for the return of the sharp-tailed grouse hunting season in Wisconsin.
The Department of Natural Resources has announced that the application period for the season is now open until August 1st.
The sharp-tailed grouse season will then run from October 18th through November 9th across the state.
This comes as a major milestone for the DNR and conservation groups, as hunting of the birds had been halted in 2018 due to a sharp population decline.
Fragmenting and loss of their core habitat, pine barrens, was believed to be the primary cause of this decline.
However, the DNR has stated, “After several years of uncertainty about the health of the state’s sharp-tailed grouse population, the season’s reopening is a culmination of years of interagency cooperation and extensive habitat restoration.”
Hunting permits will be handed out in a lottery-style draw for a limited number of hunters.
Those interested in learning more about the resurgence of the sharp-tailed grouse or those looking to apply can do so by visiting dnr.wisconsin.gov.
