Wisconsin wildlife officials plan to relocate 300 ruffed grouse to Missouri.
The state Department of Natural Resources plans to move about 100 birds annually over the next three years to east-central Missouri’s River Hills region.
DNR officials say ruffed grouse are native to Missouri but the population there has declined over the last several decades as forests aged.
News with a little more humanity
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
The DNR plans to conduct an initial round of trapping in Lincoln, Sawyer, Taylor and Rusk counties through Sept. 15. The goal is to capture 100 birds.
The Missouri Department of Conservation in return plans to give the Wisconsin DNR a donation to restore forest habitat in the trapping areas.
Missouri provided Wisconsin with the first turkeys to re-establish the state’s turkey population decades ago.
Wisconsin Public Radio, @ Copyright 2025, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
