grouse reports

[grousemaster]

Curious if anyone has any substantial reports now that the season has been open a couple solid weeks. So far the best numbers I've encountered were this past weekend north of Cloquet. The dogs were pointing about 3-4 grouse per hour with a few woodcock thrown in the mix. The road "hunters" were out thick....so were the ATV's with shotgun cases buzzing around the woods. I did see about 6-7 birds per day off of the roads, so I guess the road hunters aren't complete chumps, their just after meat more than sport. To each their own.

[Shipyard]

i'm REALLY REALLY hoping i can find a good spot to hit up in about two weeks or so. i'm dying to get into the woods with my 20 gause!!!!!!

hope you guys are having fun and luck!!!

[smurfman]

I've been hitting spots from Duluth south to Hinkley, west to HWY 65 and have found spotty hunting. I have been running 2-4 ruffed grouse contacts per hour with most of those being singles or paired birds at most. Broods have been much less common than in the past along with fewer birds per brood. The largest brood I saw was 6 birds and that was just before the season opened. As always, the best coverts hold good numbers of birds with birds few and far between in the less than optimal habitats. Cherry picking coverts will still lead to decent numbers of contacts but one has to remember to pass through the less desireable covers rather than hunt them as if the numbers were better. I am running about 1:1 juvie to adult whihc is much more than the norm.
Sharptails have been similar, more adults than the norm and what broods I have found have been small. All my fields have birds in them though some are less than optimal. I am about donw shooting them, I'll run the dogs on them for practice but I won't shoot them.

[grousemaster]

I've been hitting spots from Duluth south to Hinkley, west to HWY 65 and have found spotty hunting. I have been running 2-4 ruffed grouse contacts per hour with most of those being singles or paired birds at most. Broods have been much less common than in the past along with fewer birds per brood. The largest brood I saw was 6 birds and that was just before the season opened. As always, the best coverts hold good numbers of birds with birds few and far between in the less than optimal habitats. Cherry picking coverts will still lead to decent numbers of contacts but one has to remember to pass through the less desireable covers rather than hunt them as if the numbers were better. I am running about 1:1 juvie to adult whihc is much more than the norm.
Sharptails have been similar, more adults than the norm and what broods I have found have been small. All my fields have birds in them though some are less than optimal. I am about donw shooting them, I'll run the dogs on them for practice but I won't shoot them.

2-4 contacts per hour is outstanding grouse hunting by any measure. Nice work.

[nyffman]

I can't claim to be real knowledgeable on the subject but I have been hunting grouse for probably 15 years or so. Mostly because it's just plain fun getting out into the woods. Lumpjaw and I are going out to the usual spot outside Hill City toward the end of the month. By then, leaves shouldn't be much of a problem.

[grousemaster]

I can't claim to be real knowledgeable on the subject but I have been hunting grouse for probably 15 years or so. Mostly because it's just plain fun getting out into the woods. Lumpjaw and I are going out to the usual spot outside Hill City toward the end of the month. By then, leaves shouldn't be much of a problem.

That's an excellent area, I spend a few days a year in the area.

[smurfman]

In populations like this I spend as much or more time traveling between the best spots as I do actually hunting. There are areas that tend to have birds in them every time one goes there and when populations are down I go directly to those areas and hunt the 5 or so acres around there. If the dogs don't produce a bird in several mnutes, its off to the next place. I don't hunt the marginal areas around these hot zones as they seldom hold birds in down years and it is not worth the time and dog power to hunt. This is an awful lot like run and gun turkey or crow hunting and is the most productive way to spend one's time.

[FJ540]

How do you repel grouse? I seem to attract the noisy buggers with my blind.

[nyffman]

How do you repel grouse? I seem to attract the noisy buggers with my blind.

Not enough information to give a good answer. Your "blind" what? I mean, it makes a difference if it's your dog or your date.

[FJ540]

Har har.. :p My ground blind - seems like every grouse within 900 yards thinks it's the audition site for "bird's got talent."

BTW grouse splatter pretty good when hit with .223 @8'

[DeanC]

Didn't hunt a whole lot, but the woodcock I saw while mowing trails outnumbered the grouse by about 3:1.

[Joe Camo]

Spent the last 4 days in the Smoky Hills SF wearing out my boots; only flushed 12 that whole time but got 6 of 'em. Highlight of the trip was stumbling upon a deer carcass on one trail being fed on by 5 Bald Eagles (and a dozen crows hanging around waiting their turn). Truly an awesome sight to see those massive eagles take flight down the trail right and pass a mere 15- 20 feet over our heads. I gotta buy a small digicam to carry in my vest!

JC

[mjbreuer]

I have encountered birds every time out, whether walking with the dogs, road-hunting, etc... Well over 150 encounters this season as of today. Nearly all of the birds I'm seeing are still holding in/near hazelnuts, which are still hanging in most areas, and are getting their catkins picked over quickly. Crops are still full of clover with some catkins mixed in, and the occassional rosehip, dogwood, etc...

I have not shot a juvenile bird this year. Most years I'm up over half of my birds harvested by mid-Oct. are juveniles. I fear for the future in the areas I hunt. I think they had a rough go this spring...

Someone mentioned hunting only productive spots, and that's what I've been doing this year. I've pretty much given up on areas that held small clutches of birds the last two years, and I'm working over my bread and butter areas hard. Some spots I'm flabbergasted that I can't find a bird...

Woodcock have made a big push. We're finally seeing some northern birds in this area, after a LONG drought. The locals bugged out early, and we didn't get much back until recently. I think they'll pass through quickly though.

Sharp-tailed grouse hunting has been nothing less than stellar this season. We're putting up 20-60 birds per hunt, and harvesting an easy few each outing. We have quota's on the fields we hunt, and I've maxed out two of the fields, which will go un-hunted until next season.

Haven's seen a single covey of huns this year...