Field ID of Grouse Foods

[Scott M]

I vowed to do this some time back. I want to put together a list and photos of plants in the field that are attractive to grouse. Everyone knows that you can walk miles and miles of forest and flush birds in just a few sweet spots, the question always is, what makes those spots so special? Now, it wouldn't be practical to take out a couple hundred HSO members to do a tutorial in the bush, but maybe we can put up some descriptions and pictures that show what these foods look like (fall foods only). Photos from up close and distance will be helpful if they are available. I'm just an occasional weekend grouse hack, so I'm counting on the real experts to come forward with information.

The obvious submission is aspen, both bigtooth and quacking aspens. Most of us are familiar with the paper birch trees whose leaves shimmer in the breeze.

I have heard that the best aspen trees are no larger in diameter than your ankle, but I also read once that the older mature aspens have the most nutritious buds.

[Scott M]

Birch and alder can be good too.

Yellow birch and paper birch are found in north central Minnesota.

Birch leaf stems are shorter and the trees have seperate male and female individuals, unlike aspen. Males have catkins that grouse like.

Speculed alder is a smaller shrub that grows thick in low lying areas and wet spots (alder swamps). When its really windy or cold I have flushed more birds out of these areas.

Catkins of alder look similar to birch catkins, but this plant has female inflorescences that look like little pinecones. Here's a picture of both the male and female parts.

[Scott M]

still to come: high bush cranberry, clover, wild grape, wild rose, wild plum, elderberry, chokecherry and pin cherry, currant or gooseberry, red osier dogwood, your suggestions!

[brittman]

Apples and crab apples will pull them in too.

If hunting the central hardwoods: acorns.

[Scott M]

By all means, anyone, jump in, put up some pics, take a stab at any of the foods to come that have already been listed or others you can think of, or tell others about your experiences with some of these plants/foods.

[Matt Breuer]

How about an obvious one? The woods are filled with these neat looking morsels of deliciousness, and grouse can't resist... Rose Hips.

How about something less obvious. Most people probably walk right by Hazelnut bushes and don't pay any attention. In the fall the casings are as brown as the nut itself. Grouse move into hazelnut stands in the late fall and even moreso after the first good snowfall. I can't tell you how many birds I've shot from hazelnut stands during snowstorms....

[dogs]

Come snow thorn apples

[life=outdoors92]

clover, clover, clover, clover, and more clover. they love it, especially right next to some gravel (low maintence dirt roads)

[Ely Lake Expert]

clover, clover, clover, clover, and more clover. they love it, especially right next to some gravel (low maintence dirt roads)

this is what I was coming to post. I see more birds by clover covered roads than anything

[cribbageboy]

Small spruce/balsam saplings located in or near medium aged quaking aspen are dynamite. Especially in winter or on windy/rainy days. Grouse love these spots for their shelter.

[Scott M]

Flushed a bunch of grouse out of my clover and rape plots this weekend, good to see them in good shape.

Came across a ripe wild plum bush. Popped a few to taste...still kind of tart but it was the first I had seen in that area.

[life=outdoors92]

clover, clover, clover. next to a low maintence dirt road. also lined with small balsams. and behind them aspen

[TylerS]

A couple years ago, I walked the same trail three times in two days and, like clockwork, flushed grouse nearly every time when we came to this small shrubs with red berries. I have no idea what they are, but they were pretty prevalent. I'll bring a camera this fall and take a pic if I find some more.

[Redlantern]

Clover, winter berries, clover, rose hips, clover, poplar catkins, clover. I think you get the idea. Also, a source of fine gravel is attractive to them. In dry years, a place near water. Do you ever open up the crops on them? You'll find what they are eating. I've found the clover, rose hips, catkins, strawberry leaves, poplar leaves and a bunch of stuff I couldn't identify.

[Matt Breuer]

I open every crop...

[zdmiller]

Opening morning I took a limit of birds, and every single one was full of aspen leaves and mushrooms. I was surprised to see that in all the birds being the first time I found mushrooms in a crop.

[TylerS]

HIGHBUSH CRANBERRIES!!! I just did an online search for those because they were required for a recipe. Once I saw the picture, I realized they were the berries I always see when grouse hunting, and which just so happen to seem to draw the birds, too.

[JayinMN]

Birdsfoot Trefoil, grows in sandy places, often along dirt roads. This grouse preferred it over the clover.

[Matt Breuer]

Prove it, Jay! Wait... you just did...