| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 19 SEP – 30 NOV 2026 | 73d |
As publishedSept. 19-Nov. 30, 2026 (Northwest Zone only; East-Central Zone closed)
Northwest Zone only (Sept.19-Nov. 30, 2026). East-Central Zone is closed this cycle due to significant population declines and changing habitat. This date reflects an Aug. 5, 2026 DNR errata correction to the originally printed regulations booklet; confirmed current via cross-check with the live DNR grouse web page.
Minnesota surveys sharp-tailed grouse in two named regions, Northwest (NW) and East-Central (EC). The NW region is open to hunting, with the species reportedly expanding southward in recent years into range historically held by greater prairie-chicken in western Minnesota. In the western part of the NW region (e.g. Roseau, Thief River Falls) sharp-tailed grouse occur at high enough density that surveys use 20-25-mile driving routes rather than visiting individual leks. The EC region has been closed to hunting since 2021 following a sustained multi-year decline, with remaining leks concentrated primarily in the Aitkin work area.
2026 spring lek counts, published July 6, 2026 (same MN DNR release as ruffed grouse): northwest region 12.4 birds/lek, essentially unchanged from 12.0 in 2025 (the primary actively-hunted population); east-central region 8.1 birds/lek, down sharply from 11.9 in 2025, but east-central has been closed to hunting since 2021 due to already-low population levels, so this decline doesn't affect the open season. Rated flat overall on the strength of the stable, actively-hunted northwest population; the east-central decline is called out explicitly since it matters for the state's broader conservation picture even though it isn't a huntable zone.
No zone-specific driver named for the east-central decline; MN DNR attributes regional variation broadly to habitat — sharp-tailed grouse need 1-3 square miles of contiguous grassland/brushland, which requires multi-landowner cooperation that's harder to sustain in some regions.
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