| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 26 SEP – 31 DEC 2026 | 97d |
As publishedSeptember 26, 2026 - December 31, 2026
Statewide, all WMDs.Combined regulatory row with bobwhite quail in Maine's official table (same dates/limits apply to both).
MDIFW's own Ruffed Grouse Assessment states grouse are 'common statewide' with densities that 'vary across all of Maine,' and that the highest densities probably occur in the transitional zone between the northern 'big woods' and more developed areas, aspen-dominated forest with a good interspersion of age classes and abandoned agricultural land. This is a habitat-gradient claim rather than a simple north/south or named-region split: the Assessment's own WMD-group population tables (Industrial Forest WMDs 1,2,4,5,7-10,14,18,19,BSP vs. Forest/Agriculture/Residential WMDs 3,6,11-13,15-17,20-30) show the two halves of the state carrying roughly similar estimated grouse populations (roughly 450,000-900,000 birds each in the fall estimate), consistent with the transitional-zone habitat type running through the state rather than concentrating in either the deep north woods or the developed south alone.
MDIFW forecasts an average 2026 season. May and June precipitation ran close to long-term normal, which points to average hatch and brood survival. The one soft spot: minor drought across southern and central Maine could thin out food resources late in the season, worth factoring in if you're hunting that part of the state into November and December.
Near-normal spring precipitation supporting average brood survival, with minor southern/central drought as a late-season habitat caveat.
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