Rookie grouse hunter questions

[MNpurple]

I used to hunt grouse in SE Minnesota alot but the birds just arent there anymore so last weekend I ventured towards grand rapids to find some birds in my first northern grouse hunt. There were lots of vehicles out so I chose to be by myself and get back into the timber rather than on the roads and trails. I flushed 21 grouse in 2 days of hunting bagging 3 grouse and 6 woodcock.

I tried a lot of different timber types and although the very young aspen 1-2 inch aspen held wood cock, no grouse in there. The 6-7+ inch aspen held a couple birds but very few. The vast majority of the birds I flushed were in the 2-5 inch wide aspens and unfortunately in the trees and not on the edges of it. Unfortunately, you just cant get shots off in that thick stuff!!! If your lucky enough to get a shot off in that stuff you've got great odds of bagging a beautiful aspen tree with your shot. I was pretty frustrated by the end of the weekend.

SO my questions for next time.... Is this really the prime stuff for grouse and the frustrations of getting a shot off are just part of the game. Should I have been looking in different kinds of timber that hold birds but offer better shooting and what is this timber? Do most people stick to the roads and trails to avoid the shooting frustrations? I enjoyed my time, I'd just like to learn more to be more succesful or else I'm going to need a logging permit next time for all the trees I shot down!

[Powerstroke]

Great job and great effort for all those flushes. That picture is perfect.

AS far as hunting the cover, I've found birds tend to huddle around evergreens near the aspen when its gets a little colder as well as around hazel, dogwoods and serviceberry. That being said, the birds need to be there. I hunted last week and found tons of dogwood and service berry with the berries still on and no birds anywhere.

Most people hunt the roads and trails because its easy. Plain and simple. Those who get off the trail and work hard will see more birds and get more chances, but you've noticed why most people avoid the thick stuff. Its tough shooting.

[CNCMike]

The 2-5" aspens are about as sure a bet these days as anything. They are my primary spots at this time of year, honestly. That said, I typically find the birds on the edges late afternoon. Morning and mid-day they seem to be "in the thick of it" more.

Kudos for adventuring north and slogging through the deep stuff. Though it can be difficult to shoot in, it can be very rewarding. As you saw yourself with the amount of flushes you had.

When I know I have to be in the timber and really bushwacking, I tend to use either my shorter and lighter 20ga or, on occasion, my .410. Both are much shorter and lighter which allows for a better shot opportunity and less hang ups with the brush.

As for the few/many shots that manage to hit a tree and not the bird, I refer to that as collateral damage... It's just, in my experiene, part of the joy of the hunt

Great job out there and fantastic pic!

[life=outdoors92]

agreed with above, its all part of it. just remember if u have a tough time walking, the birds have a tough time flying so they fly straight up at first to get above it. so be calm and expect that straight up flush most of the time. if u don't have a dog make sure to stop at more "open" spots and sit and wait. find a good shooting lane and wait, say in front of a balsam patch, or along the edges. if you have a dog, just make sure to position yourself the same way when the time comes. sounds like your doing just fine already! and sweet picture!

[MNpurple]

Thanks for the information guys. I had a ton of fun and have some ideas how to tweak things for next time. Starting with northern tree/shrub ID.

[Matt Breuer]

I have been out the last two days, and have seen 7 grouse fall. All but 1 of the birds was in the hazelnut bushes off the trail edges. When I say off, I mean that my face, hands, and arms are cut up pretty good. I probably look like I got into a fight with a cat. It's all about 5-8' tall and thick as a fence. The good thing about it is that once you get them to fly, it's typically straight up before they sail. The runners are a problem though... when they run in that thick stuff it's over. Every bird I've cleaned this week has been full of clover and dogwood berries, with a few catkins mixed in. Only found 1 hazelnut in a crop.

General rule of thumb is aspen bigger than your wrist, but smaller than your calf. That's the good stuff (so they say). I find a lot of birds in the pines and oaks, as well as mature woods with good undergrowth...

As for hunting trails, yes, it's easy, but I'll say it again. Grouse are the bird of edges... they love clover... trails provide them with both. Walk a trail until you find a nice edge of pine to poplar, or a nice ridge, swamp edge, etc... then bust off and follow it.