Grouse feathers wanted

Spruce grouse hunters in northern Minnesota’s boreal forests are being asked to voluntarily submit feather samples for a genetics research project being conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in partnership with the University of Minnesota.

The study will use grouse genetics to form a baseline of data to establish how spruce grouse currently use the landscape and to identify changes in habitat connectivity over time.

Spruce grouse are a climate- sensitive species that rely on boreal forest habitats containing black spruce, jack pine and tamarack — all of which are expected to shift northward on the landscape as temperatures increase.

The feathers, GPS coordinates and the hunter’s name and telephone number should be mailed to: Grouse Research, DNR regional headquarters, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744. Harvest locations will not be made public. Hunters should mail samples from each bird in a separate envelope and not mix feather samples from multiple birds.