As publishedOct 3, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027
Restricted to the Ruffed Grouse Hunting Zone: northeast Iowa bounded by US Highways 63, 20, 151 and Iowa Highways 13 and 64. Blaze orange required. Shooting hours are sunrise to sunset -- unlike pheasant/quail/partridge, which use 8am-4:30pm.
Confirmed absence: despite a real, zone-restricted open season (northeast Iowa Ruffed Grouse Hunting Zone), Iowa DNR runs no dedicated ruffed grouse population/drumming survey. Re-confirmed via fresh search 2026-08-19 (targeted for NE Iowa/DNR drumming-count data specifically): no Iowa-specific results found, only neighboring-state (Minnesota, Wisconsin) survey programs that don't extend into Iowa.