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/
