The ruffed grouse and American woodcock seasons are well underway, and we want to hear how your season is going so far. Share information on your hunt and submit flush counts through the new Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock Dashboard.

The dashboard lets you quickly record the number of grouse and woodcock you flushed and view near-real-time results from fellow hunters statewide. It’s simple, quick and helps everyone track how the season is shaping up.

How to report

1. Open the Michigan Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock Dashboard.
2. Click Submit a Report.
3. Add your hunt details: date, county, hours hunted, whether you used dogs and flush counts for each species.
4. Submit, and then check the dashboard to see statewide flush rates and county-by-county trends.

The data in the dashboard changes as more hunters submit reports. By sharing your results, you help other hunters make the most of their season.

Find grouse and woodcock season details in the 2025 Michigan Small Game Hunting Regulations Summary.

Report Flushes

Last month, HuntStand, the No. 1 hunting and land management app in the country, announced the launch of HuntStand Ultimate. This all-new membership tier unlocks advanced tools not only for whitetail hunting but also for western big game animals, including mule deer, elk, and black-tailed deer.

Developed with input from leading wildlife biologists based on real-world research and data, HuntStand Ultimate offers all the powerful features of the original HuntStand Pro subscription, along with several exclusive tools that help users hunt smarter, including the following: Read more

More to the Score—Volume 20

Drop Tines, stickers, and kickers. Whale-tails and Wild country. We’ve got all that and more in this installment of More to the Score. 

Presented by Fiocchi 

We receive hundreds of field photos every year, and some of them are truly outstanding. The whole point of More to the Score is to showcase fair chase hunters in the field, filling their freezers, making memories, and bringing home a little something for the bragging board.

All data compiled using B&C’s Big Game Records LIVE! Click here to learn more about searching our online trophy database.

---

Want to see the score charts too?

It’s easy. First, you’ll need to register on B&C’s website. It’s FREE and takes less than a minute to complete. If you already have an account, simply login to gain access.

 

---

NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL

B&C SCORE: 253-3/8 B&C points
LOCATION: Nickle Lake, Saskatchewan
YEAR: 2024
HUNTER: Kim R. Brady

 

---

NON-TYPICAL WHITETAIL

B&C SCORE: 297-6/8 B&C points
LOCATION: Boone County, Indiana
YEAR: 2024
HUNTER: Wes W. Nicley Read more

Vermont is one of the most rural states in the country, and Vermonters have a proud heritage of living close to the land. Hunting is highly regulated and provides a way to connect with the land, connect with nature and connect with a healthy, sustainable food source that is rooted in Vermont.

Making the most of the meals provided by deer taken in hunting seasons starts with processing them quickly and correctly which is why the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has three online videos demonstrating how to process deer. Finding the videos is easy on the Fish and Wildlife website. Click on “Hunt” and then “White-tailed Deer” and “Processing Your Deer.”

The educational videos are titled Field Dressing a Deer, Skinning a Deer and Butchering a Deer.

“Correctly processing game can make a big difference in the taste of the meat,” said Hunter Education Program Coordinator Nicole Meier with the department. “Taking the time to do it correctly assures that you and your family will have many enjoyable meals ahead.”

The point of this quick and dirty elk hunting forecast is to help guide hunters who may be picking up the rifle or muzzleloader later in the season.

Sure, some might argue that the peak of elk season spans the first and last days of September while you traipse around the woods with a compound bow in your hand, listening for bugles. I’m not going to dispute that; however, there are several opportunities throughout the fall to go after elk, and the point of this quick and dirty elk hunting forecast is to help guide hunters who may be picking up the rifle or muzzleloader later in the season.

For those looking for regional-specific elk info, head to the bottom of this article—but hold off just a second. While elk conditions and populations can vary from region to region, there are a few general truths to elk hunting I’d like to highlight before diving into more localized information.

First off, a little background for context. Read more

The hunter called the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able to report the incident.

On the morning of Oct. 18, a big game hunter shot and killed a male grizzly bear in self-defense after it charged him from a short distance away while hunting in the North Antelope flats area of Island Park on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

The hunter was hiking through thick timber when the grizzly came out of the brush, charging directly toward him. The man used the hunting rifle he was carrying to shoot the bear, killing it before contact was made.

The hunter called the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able to report the incident. Idaho Fish and Game was notified and immediately responded to the report. After conducting a thorough investigation, it was determined that the hunter acted in self-defense as he was being charged by a bear from a close distance. Read more

Rooster pheasants will be released on 13 state game/wildlife areas throughout southern Michigan this fall. Releases will take place today-Nov. 14 and Dec. 1-31, coinciding with pheasant hunting seasons.

Adam Bump, Department of Natural Resources upland game bird specialist, said, “For seasoned hunters and newcomers alike, this is a great opportunity to connect or reconnect with upland bird hunting in Michigan.”

Directions to parking lots at release sites are provided online.

Parking Lot Directions

Releases will take place during the regular pheasant season at locations below. Locations include: Read more

Pope and Young, America’s leading bowhunting organization, is proud to announce a new Pope and Young (P&Y) World Record Non-Typical American Elk. A special panel was convened by both the Pope and Young Club and Boone and Crockett Club consisting of experienced measurers from each organizations in Lacey, Washington, on October 13th to verify the scoring of this exceptional animal—and it has officially been confirmed as the new Pope and Young World Record. This was the first ever joint special panel with both Pope &Young Club and Boone & Crockett Club convened for a potential World Record for both organizations.

On December 31, 2024, Casey Brooks shot this record-breaking bull in Kittitas County, Washington. The bull has an official score of 478 2/8”, surpassing the previous Pope and Young World Record by an astounding 28 6/8”. This incredible bull is less than half an inch from the Boone & Crockett World Record, which would be the largest bull ever taken or found in North America, and Casey killed his bull with archery equipment, which an outstanding accomplishment.

Casey pursued this bull for two years before finally getting him within bow range. Undeterred, he dedicated himself to the chase, ultimately releasing a well-placed arrow on the final day of 2024—culminating a remarkable two-year pursuit. Read more

In this episode of the award-winning “Wildtalk” podcast, we talk about the Hunters Feeding Michigan program and habitat in northern Michigan’s bear country. Then, we fly away with a discussion about wood ducks and wrap things up with a chat about the striped skunk.

Don’t forget to participate in the wildlife quiz part of the show for a chance to win a “Wildtalk” podcast camp mug. The deadline for submission is October 15, so don’t delay. These mugs are exclusive and not available for purchase, so be sure to listen and submit your answer via email to DNR-Wildlife@Michigan.gov with the subject line “Mug me.” Keep an ear out for the November episode, when we will announce the lucky winners.

You can be on the show

If you have a general question about wildlife or hunting, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to DNR-Wildlife@Michigan.gov, and we might play it on the air. Don’t worry if you make a mistake recording your audio. We’ll be sure to edit your voice memo to help you be as concise and articulate as possible with your question. Submitted questions are not guaranteed to end up on the show, but we’ll do our best to work in as many as we can.

Listen and Subscribe