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Alberta · Season dates by Wildlife Management Unit

Ruffed grouse season in Alberta

Bonasa umbellus

Status today

As of October 29, 2026, a ruffed grouse season is running in 177 of the 179 Alberta Wildlife Management Units North Ground evaluates, under the rules it has certified from the official regulations. By unit: in season in 177, closed in 2.

  • In season177
  • Closed2
Status for in Alberta · rules last verified · a running season is not a licence
Check your exact location in HuntRuffed grouse profile

Certified season dates

Ruffed grouse seasons by Wildlife Management Unit

Units are grouped where every certified season — legal animal, methods, dates and material conditions — is identical. Different opportunities are never merged because their dates overlap.

171 Wildlife Management Units

In season

WMU 102, WMU 104, WMU 106, WMU 108, WMU 110, WMU 112, WMU 116, WMU 118, WMU 119, WMU 124, WMU 128, WMU 130, WMU 132, WMU 134, WMU 136, WMU 138, WMU 140, WMU 142, WMU 144, WMU 148, WMU 150, WMU 151, WMU 152, WMU 156, WMU 158, WMU 160, WMU 162, WMU 163, WMU 164, WMU 166, WMU 200, WMU 202, WMU 203, WMU 204, WMU 206, WMU 208, WMU 210, WMU 212, WMU 214, WMU 216, WMU 220, WMU 221, WMU 222, WMU 224, WMU 226, WMU 228, WMU 230, WMU 232, WMU 234, WMU 236, WMU 238, WMU 240, WMU 242, WMU 244, WMU 246, WMU 247, WMU 248, WMU 250, WMU 252, WMU 254, WMU 256, WMU 258, WMU 260, WMU 300, WMU 302, WMU 303, WMU 304, WMU 305, WMU 306, WMU 308, WMU 310, WMU 312, WMU 314, WMU 316, WMU 318, WMU 320, WMU 322, WMU 324, WMU 326, WMU 328, WMU 330, WMU 332, WMU 334, WMU 336, WMU 337, WMU 338, WMU 339, WMU 340, WMU 342, WMU 344, WMU 346, WMU 347, WMU 348, WMU 349, WMU 350, WMU 351, WMU 352, WMU 353, WMU 354, WMU 355, WMU 356, WMU 357, WMU 358, WMU 359, WMU 360, WMU 400, WMU 402, WMU 412, WMU 414, WMU 416, WMU 417, WMU 418, WMU 420, WMU 422, WMU 426, WMU 428, WMU 429, WMU 430, WMU 432, WMU 434, WMU 436, WMU 437, WMU 438, WMU 439, WMU 440, WMU 441, WMU 442, WMU 444, WMU 445, WMU 446, WMU 500, WMU 501, WMU 502, WMU 503, WMU 504, WMU 505, WMU 506, WMU 507, WMU 508, WMU 509, WMU 510, WMU 511, WMU 512, WMU 514, WMU 515, WMU 516, WMU 517, WMU 518, WMU 519, WMU 520, WMU 521, WMU 522, WMU 523, WMU 524, WMU 525, WMU 526, WMU 527, WMU 528, WMU 529, WMU 530, WMU 531, WMU 532, WMU 534, WMU 535, WMU 536, WMU 537, WMU 539, WMU 540, WMU 541, WMU 542, WMU 544

Legal animalMethodsDates
Not applicableNot established
  • –
Running today
Check WMU 102 in Hunt

5 Wildlife Management Units

In season

WMU 404, WMU 406, WMU 408, WMU 410, WMU 841

Legal animalMethodsDates
Not applicableNot established
  • –
Running today
Check WMU 404 in Hunt

2 Wildlife Management Units

Closed

WMU 728, WMU 730

Legal animalMethodsDates
Not applicableNot established
  • –
Check WMU 728 in Hunt

WMU 936

In season

WMU 936

Legal animalMethodsDates
Not applicableNot established
  • –
Running today

Conditions apply

  • Hunters, including bowhunters, require a firearms discharge permit to hunt in WMU 936 (Cooking Lake–Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area). — Government of Alberta
Check WMU 936 in Hunt

Questions

Ruffed grouse season in Alberta: answers

Is ruffed grouse season open in Alberta right now?

As of October 29, 2026, a ruffed grouse season is running in 177 of the 179 Alberta Wildlife Management Units North Ground evaluates, under the rules it has certified from the official regulations. By unit: in season in 177, closed in 2. A running season is not a licence: licensing, legal hunting hours and local restrictions still apply.

When does ruffed grouse season close in Alberta?

The ruffed grouse seasons running on October 29, 2026 close on Jan 15, 2027 in every unit where one is running. Later seasons, where certified, are listed by unit on this page.

How are ruffed grouse seasons set in Alberta?

Government of Alberta sets them by Wildlife Management Unit. North Ground evaluates 179 of them (the authority publishes 189). This page lists what the certified rules state for each of them.

Where do these ruffed grouse season dates come from?

From 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations, last verified by North Ground on Sep 20, 2026. The authority's own regulations are the law; confirm with them before you hunt.

Before you rely on this

What this page does not decide

  • Each status is the whole-unit answer for October 29, 2026. A season running in a unit is not a licence, and it does not tell you about restricted areas, municipal by-laws, land access or legal hours at a particular spot — Hunt checks an exact location.
  • A unit marked "Not covered here" has no certified rule for this species. That is a gap in North Ground's coverage, not a closed season.
  • This page describes sport hunting seasons. It does not describe harvesting under treaty or Aboriginal rights, which is a separate legal context North Ground does not evaluate.

Provenance

Official sources

Government of Alberta sets these seasons. North Ground reads the regulations, structures each rule and cites it here; the authority's own text is the law.