Grousing about...

[mmcnx2]

I'm by St. Michael/Albertville. Mille lacs or Brainard are an easy 1+ hour drive.

[lenny7]

I spent a few hours hunting grouse up near the gunflint trail Sunday. I had no idea what I was doing. I picked an old logging road, parked the truck and we started walking. No birds, but we saw a porcupine, moose tracks and some wolf turds. Luckily I saw the porcupine before the dog did and got him on a leash until we were well past that spot. Later, on the way back to the cabin we saw three moose in the road and at different times saw three fox.

I didn't know what I was doing, and don't if the spot I went to even held birds, but I came to realize that grouse hunting is a great sport. At the very worst you get to take a nice hike in the great outdoors. I like those odds. I just have to get smarter about grouse hunting and make it a regular event.

[westberg]

I spent a few hours hunting grouse up near the gunflint trail Sunday. I had no idea what I was doing. I picked an old logging road, parked the truck and we started walking. No birds, but we saw a porcupine, moose tracks and some wolf turds. Luckily I saw the porcupine before the dog did and got him on a leash until we were well past that spot. Later, on the way back to the cabin we saw three moose in the road and at different times saw three fox.

I didn't know what I was doing, and don't if the spot I went to even held birds, but I came to realize that grouse hunting is a great sport. At the very worst you get to take a nice hike in the great outdoors. I like those odds. I just have to get smarter about grouse hunting and make it a regular event.

You now have realized the essence of Grouse Hunting. It's nothing more then a nice walk in the woods, the only difference will be when you do flush a bird it will a momentary ooh sh*t what was that oh ya pull the trigger........

[bensdad]

Update:
I've been hunting grouse since college (met a friend from Grand Rapids). I'm 42. I know others have been at it longer, and they may recollect happier times, but I don't remember a year like this. I honestly think I saw over 20 birds on Thurs. Put three in the bag. I put four in the bag on Fri. and one cripple got away, for a self-imposed daily limit. I tried to hunt this morning, but my legs and ankles were shot. Called it quits and headed back home. For a mediocre wing-shot, 7 birds in two days is spectacular, if you ask me (which you didn't, but I told ya anyway).

[bensdad]

when you do flush a bird it will a momentary ooh sh*t what was that oh ya pull the trigger........

Word. I don't choke on grouse anymore (too often anyway). The thing that gets me are the damn woodcock. It takes me a couple flushes every year to reprogram my brain to throw the gun up on them. It's cuz they fly "up". I look at it for a second and wonder what it is. The hell of it is, I love um in the pan. I only got one woody this year. I think that by the time I get back up, they'll be out-of-state (They migrate, so if you're gonna hunt them, you gotta say "yes" to the HIP cert question when you get the small game license).

For the uninitiated, woodcock (timberdoodle) is a gamebird that lives in roughly the same habitat at grouse. They have purple breast meat that tastes vaguely like liver. It's blood-rich and gamey as hell. They're smallish. One bird is two mouthfulls (left and right breast).

[sochr000]

I got out a little east of Bemidji this last week and did okay. Got two on Tuesday on my parent's land, then on Friday I hit some public land and saw some, but was so impressed with my dog's hunting I was forgetting to shoot (or at least that's how I remember it).

[1911fan]

I have been out four times, twice near Aitken, twice near mooselake, saw very few birds, shot none. Biggest thing was on our property near mooselake, we saw eleven feather bowls, meaning something has been eating them, and I think its hawks, GRRRRRRRR.

[nyffman]

We did ok up by Hill City. Three birds between two of us. There seemed to be a few more birds than last year. Leaves were still falling but, for the most part, visibility wasn't a problem. The grouse seemed kinda flighty, though. Lots of birds that we could hear but not see. Maybe I shouldn't stumble through the brush so much.

[Pat]

I spent most of the day hunting the Mille Lacs WMA, mostly the north end, but also along the east side. Never saw or flushed a Grouse. I think you guys are all fibbing...

I did manage to kick up two deer, though. A young buck in the morning, and then a single doe later in the afternoon. Both were sleeping in tall grass along a marshy area.

[Spearhead]

I was up just north of Aitkin this weekend and the hunting was wonderful. 3 guys, 3 dogs, 35 flushes and 9 in the game bag in two days. It's been a long time since I remember seeing birds at every stop we made. These are the kind of weekends that have had me addicted for life.

[DeanC]

I'm almost ashamed to tell you guys we bagged a dozen in a couple days of just setting up deerstands and clearing trails.

[Pat]

I don't have a dog to hunt with. With all the leaves on the ground, the tasty little devils have plenty of places to hide. Maybe that's my problem...

[DeanC]

I don't use a dog either.

[Ironbear]

I don't use a dog either.

How many kids do you use instead?

[DeanC]

I only bring one with me at a time. Gets too dicey otherwise and they talk too much.