In late 1978, the field trial committee of the Minnesota Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society held it's first meeting. There had been a general interest in the RGS membership to offer activities for those who used dogs in upland hunting. The Board of Directors asked Ford Watson Bell and Reuel Henry Pietz to form a committee to develop a program to support the members' interest. Joining Ford and Reuel at the first meeting were Jim Tande, a professional dog trainer and avid grouse trialer, Bob Gove, an experienced horseback field trialer, and two other RGS members who had expressed interest, Ron Watson and Jeff Hintz. From this early beginning the Minnesota Grouse Dog Association developed into one of the country's most notable "grouse dog" clubs. Early in 1979, the MGDA developed a constitution and By Laws, elected officers and directors and began its search for permanent field trial grounds. Several public forest areas around the state were explored. The Rum River State forest was ultimately selected due to its diverse cover, apparent bird population, accessibility, centralized loacation and proximity to motels and restaurants. A team of MGDA members got together with the Department of Natural Resources and developed a plan for courses. Wading through two feet of snow, the entire forest was explored and the initial trails were cut. The first trial was conducted in the spring of 1980 with a significant level of interest to both the novice and experienced field trialer alike. Today, the MGDA conducts both spring and fall trials in the Rum River State Forest, as well as summer dog training seminars and other get togethers for its membership. Several National Amateur Grouse Championships have been held by the MGDA under the auspices of the Amatuer Field Trial Clubs of America. In 1989, the Minnesota Grouse Classic was given "Championship status by the American Field Publishing Co. and became the Minnesota Grouse Championship.