grouse-anybody see any ?

[lichen fox]

When I was driving into my yard yesterday evening one flushed out of a small grove on the edge of my yard, flew across my field and into the woods on the north side...I had some supper, grabbed my shotgun, shells and shorthair and headed out...the dog hit the brush about 20 yards to my right and imediatly put up about 6....doves....they flew right over me but I decided not to shoot...so, Beej comes out of the brush and looks and me, like, "what is wrong with you?"...I got him to hit the heavy brush and I walked the more open poplars...20 steps later, he put up a ruff and for a second I thought I wasn't going to get a shot, then it cleared the high brush, and the 20 gauge swung and Poof! Bird down!!...I'm officially 100% for the year...I couldn't get the dog to go home until I'd worked the whole 20 acre patch...I guess I'll have to head out this weekend now that they got me goin'

[tcumd]

i was hunting north of Park Rapids opening weekend...put up 7 birds, ending up getting 3 (none thru the air yet ) good start for me, i think that the dnr might be a little more accurate with their counts this year than they have been in the past...still early tho. Casey

[GSP4EVER]

Anybody hunt around Evansville/Lake Christina area or Battle Lake?

[kobear]

I'm right in the Evansville Battle Lake Area and there are a few in the hills. There does seem to be more than other years but I would call it a marginally huntable population.

Generally we get them as incidental to pheasant hunting.

[Dooley87]

Our cabin is in NW wisconsin and this last weekend we got three birds, all yearlings, we flushed 6 other birds while hunting, my aunt flushed 3 when she went on a walk and we saw one off the road on our way back from fishing but he ran into the woods and flushed behind lots of cover and i never had a shot. lots of grouse up by us this year. two of the birds gullets were chalk full of aspen or pople (however you prefer to say it) leaves and berries, and the third bird was full of maple tree seeds.

[GSP4EVER]

I'm right in the Evansville Battle Lake Area and there are a few in the hills. There does seem to be more than other years but I would call it a marginally huntable population.

Generally we get them as incidental to pheasant hunting.

Cool Thanks for the info. I have family that live just east of lake christina. My dad, uncle and myself are heading there on the 17th. Check on the deer stands and maybe chase some grouse.

[kobear]

Drove to Foot Hills State Forest in Cass County. Walked five miles or more and pushed good numbers. Better than last year. Almost exclusively coveys of 3 or less birds. Birds bagged were pretty small with pinfeathers.

After the days of wind they were ready to move yesterday.

[Matt Breuer]

I've hunted pretty much every day this week, and have seen birds on every trip. This morning I took the pups for a run, and had two solid points on two "easy" birds. Didn't get a shot off at either because they were smarter than they led on...

I agree, take advantage of the calmer days, because w/ all of the wind we've had as of late, they're moving heavy on calmer days.

Every bird I've shot this season has been full of snowberries and/or clover.

For the adult vs. juvenile discussions, I've only shot one juvenile bird this season, and only 2 of my birds have been female. I've been lucky enough to tag big males for the most part. I've bumped into several covey's of younger birds, but haven't had much luck on them. Most of them are running instead of flushing, making it nearly impossible to get to them in time.

[Darrell Larson]

I live in the Tower area, went Walleye fishing this morning and decided to try a little "Taconite Turkey" hunting this afternoon, results of the hunt, 4 flushes and not one shot fired, still alot of leaves, my new Chessie 8 months old has way to much energy. but she is fun to hunt with. When we are in the woods she always looks at me like "where is the water" and where are the ducks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rmkod]

Hunted four hours this morning. Put up 12 grouse and 1 woodcock. Ended up with 2 grouse. Grouse had some sort of leave (clover?) and acorns in their crop.

[CRAZYEYES]

I have been hunting up near I falls everyday since opener. Its been kind of spotty. There are areas that I have seen a lot of birds and areas where I have not seen any. All together i shot 31 in 13 days. I probobly walked for a good 4 to 5 hours a day and last week during the heat most of the birds came from shady ridge edges along swampy areas where you could feel that the air was cooler and water was nearby. Another thing is I deffinately shot more mature birds that young ones and did not flush many large groups. I was tlaking to one of the local bear guides who is out in the woods everyday and he thinks that with the cool wet spring the hatch might have not been very good this year. We'll know in a couple weeks when all the leaves come down.

[wannafish2]

hmmm, you must be eating alot of grouse since the possession limit is 10. maybe you want to check the regulations.....

[crappiekiller77]

Hunted a little south of Grand Rapids this weekend. Still pretty thick up there. Over the weekend flushed between 12-15 birds, most of which we never saw or had any chance to take. Ended up getting 3. Not to bad despite the cool rainy conditions. The first of the three was probably the smallest grouse I have ever seen in my life. The breast will make a good grouse nugget.

[hightower]

Can you say GAME HOG!

[TylerS]

hmmm, you must be eating alot of grouse since the possession limit is 10. maybe you want to check the regulations.....

I don't think you can assume this guy has 31 grouse in his freezer. 31 over 13 days is less than three grouse a day. Between the wife and I, we could easily eat two grouse every meal. It's not like their Golden Plump chickens. You probably get less than half a pound of meat per bird.

If I had a chance to shoot more than 30 grouse a season, you bet I would! We love grouse so much, it's saved for special occasions. In fact, we just ate the last of last year's grouse a week ago. Time to replenish the freezer!

[benbosh]

hmmm, you must be eating alot of grouse since the possession limit is 10. maybe you want to check the regulations.....

where in his post does it say he is breaking the law?

[Matt Breuer]

Annually I shoot between 30 and 50 birds, and we eat grouse A LOT. If I were to shoot 31 in 2 weeks we'd be over-limit easily. It's one thing to talk about a season, and another to talk about a 2 week timeframe...

I'm sure CRAZEYES was eating grouse like mad, and was within his limits. If not, shame on him. If so, nice shooting, way to pile up the feathers!

[SneakAttack]

Hunted in the Park Rapids area all day Saturday with only 2 flushes and one downed bird, very thick yet in that area

[Dilly]

Game Hog?? Get real, you obviously don't get out much!!

[S.D. Ice Angular]

Game Hog?? Get real, you obviously don't get out much!!

Ditto!!

[wannafish2]

seems like you just made my case TylerS, if you just now ate the last of your 08 grouse and love it that much you probably had over the possession limit in your freezer too. Just making a point....there are rules for a reason, most of us abide by them, some think they don't apply. We all are responsible for which side of the line we fall on. Just my .02

[wannafish2]

and benbosh, no one said he is breaking the law, I just did some 4th grade reading of the limits and some simple math...31 birds over 13 days and only a possession limit of 10(thats 5 in the freezer and a limit in the field) adds up to breaking the rules or eating alot of bird.....

[wannafish2]

oh, and thanks Matt!

[john.wells]

Huh. It seems like every thread turns into some kind of finger pointing [PoorWordUsage] whatever you want to call it. No wonder I don't visit the site much anymore....

[CRAZYEYES]

Hey Wannfish, not everone breaks laws! I was up at my cabin for first 2 weeks during the hunting season. I probobly grilled birds 5 or 6 nights, I sent a few home with some friends who came up fishing for the weekend and dont hunt very hard and I also gave a few to my uncle that lives up there. I came home with exactly 10 birds and did'nt even have my limit in the freezer until the final morning I was there. I NEVER break fish and game laws and you should not assume that people do.