Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Society

06/21/2026

Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful fathers out there who enjoy being mentors. Celebrate your day from the prairies and uplands!

06/18/2026

06/17/2026

1900 ACRES OF PRAIRIE-CHICKEN HABITAT ADDED IN MINNESOTA

The Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society, Pheasants Forever, Nature Conservancy, MN DNR, and USFWS recently partnered on a major conservation project east of Moorhead, Minnesota, protecting prairie and wetlands while reconnecting more than seven miles of habitat in the Red River Valley.

The land includes 530 acres of native prairie and supports 15 rare, threatened and endangered species, including the greater prairie-chicken and Dakota skipper. And thanks to strong partnerships, the land is in long-term conservation ownership and open for hunting, hiking, birdwatching and outdoor recreation.

- 480 acres will be added to TNC's Blazing Star Prairie Preserve
- 320 acres will create the new Keene Wildlife Management Area
- 1,100 acres will expand the Flickertail Waterfowl Production Area and Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge

This effort was made possible by Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund. It’s a lasting win for wildlife, people and one of the best remaining prairie systems in our state.

Learn more about this project, the Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society, and the Outdoor Heritage Fund at -
https://nature.ly/4dAeEJ4
https://www.prairiechickens.org/
https://www.legacy.mn.gov/outdoor-heritage-fund

06/12/2026

NO WISCONSIN HUNT EXPECTED for sharp-tailed grouse in 2026 after population decline

by Paul Smith in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 21, 2026

Key Points -
- Wisconsin wildlife officials have recommended that no sharp-tailed grouse hunting season be held in 2026.
- The recommendation follows a 22% statewide decline in the male grouse population, with a 45% drop in the main hunting area.
- Poor weather and nesting success are considered the most likely reasons for the population decrease.

A sharp decline in Wisconsin's largest remaining population of sharp-tailed grouse prompted Department of Natural Resources wildlife managers and an advisory committee to recommend no hunting season be held for the species this year.

The department conducts lek, or breeding ground, surveys in spring to assess the species' population. The work is done by counting male grouse as they dance and joust at 12 public properties and a handful of other sites with known or suspected populations of the species.

In 2026 DNR staff and volunteers counted 214 male sharpies in the state, a 22% year-over-year decline.

Importantly, the data showed the largest drop – from 119 birds in 2025 to 65 in 2026, or 45% – at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area near Grantsburg, the property that in recent years has hosted the most sharpies in the state.

In addition, it was the only management area open to sharp-tailed grouse hunting in 2025.

The state's Sharp-tailed Grouse Advisory Committee met May 18 to review 2026 lek counts and other information related to the species...

Read the full story at https://www.htrnews.com/story/sports/outdoors/2026/05/21/sharp-tailed-grouse-decline-leads-to-recommendation-for-no-hunt-in-wisconsin-in-2026/90174831007/

Help support the Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society, a key force behind this bird's management, at https://www.wisharptails.org/

06/10/2026

05/30/2026

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms out there!
From the Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society.