WMA-State forests-frustrated newbie

[ezekiel]

I am looking for help. I am a new grouse hunter. I walked a couple WMA's all day this past weekend, I haven't seen anything. I would like to hunt in the Brainerd Aitkin area, but I can drive to the north shore if I have to. Can I get some suggestions for WMA's or state land where I can see grouse. I dont need specifics, but I need a place to start, its frustrating.

[djlong]

I know that Nemaji gets pounded but I have had a few good days there. If you are up for a longer trip, way up north east has been the best. Are you seing any birds? With grouse, for me anyway, I get a shot off 1 out of 5 flushes. Look for young aspens with some older growth surrounding it. Getting off the trails helps also due to the fact that they have been walked by a ton of people. With the dry weather, I have also found that finding water is important. Good luck..

[gurkster]

The Brainerd - Aitkin area should have some grouse. However, I think your chances are better if you go north a bit more. Grand Rapids, Bemidji, Baudette, Ely, Grand Marias. Lots of public land in those areas and a few more grouse. If you are set on Brainerd-Aitkin area look for edges, swamp/forest, trails/roads, forest/clearings, etc. Poplar stands are great, look for trees about the size of your wrist. There are birds out there. Good Luck.

[ezekiel]

Any suggestions for the NE?

[401TE]

My suggestion is pick an area, buy a plat book, find some roads going into State/National Forests or WMA's, drive those roads til you find a trail you want to walk, and repeat until you find birds. Aitkin, Bemidji, Grand Rapids, I-falls, Ely, Grand Marais, etc. all have birds around them you just need to put some time in and find some good areas.

It's been a very weather dependent season for me and the pup, birds aren't liking overcast days (unless there is a drizzle or fog) or windy days...and there have been a lot of those.

Put some miles on your boots and keep hitting new ground til you find some birds.

[gurkster]

Superior National Forest in the NE. Areas like Virginia, Ely, Two Harbors, Grand Marias.

[Acemac]

Lots of birds in Pilsbury try walking stick road...

Drive all the way back on walking stick road always keeping left. you will come to a sign that says no moterized vehicals past this point. park there and walk up the left trail (west) this will take you back to a poplar stand in a gully that will be packed full of birds.

[CNCMike]

ezekial,

Check your messages, I PM'd you

[Matt Breuer]

You should be able to do quite well around the Brainerd/Aitkin/McGregor area. When I lived in Aitkin I would find grouse on nearly every trip to the woods. Hitting them was sometimes a diff. story, but we never had trouble finding them. Around Aitkin there's Wealthwood, Timberdoodle, north up old 1 there's a ton of land, over toward McGregor there are a lot of birds too. North by Ball and down by the refuge, down by Dam Rd., etc... Pick up a PRIM map and hit the trail!

[brittman]

In any of these areas you need to be careful not to end up on a trail that is mostly maples and other hardwoods. Grouse are few and far between in these forests types.

In some of the forest areas mentioned above, I have had 25 - 40 flush days (actually usually that many in just an afternoon) and days where I have had a half dozen. Often the number of birds in the bag is about the same.

If you have a dog that runs off the sides of the trails you can be very effective. If you do not have a dog, you probably need to get off the trail and bust cover. Road hunters (ATV, car, truck) rely on putting on miles and miles to find their birds. Walkers can not cover that distance so they need to pick their trails better and be more effective on them. By the way I almost always see as many birds walking back as going in.

One thing that newbies need to be very careful with is maintaining a sense of direction when leaving the forest trails. It is easy to get lost (briefly or longer) if you are not careful. Cannot rely on sunshine. In the fall clouds can roll in and wind change direction on a dime. Carry a compass, but also realize that most logging trails do not run in a single direction - they curve and bend. Once you find promising areas I recommend that you hunt them repeatedly. Each time you venture further off as you learn the area. That said - never get too comfortable. Carry a small survival kit and let someone know the general area you are hunting if hunting alone.

[CNCMike]

GREAT advice Brittman!! I always have my iPhone for navigation and rescue, my garmin etrex GPSr for backup and an actual compass, just in case batteries die. The back country, off the trail areas, can get pretty difficult sometimes and they are very easy to get turned around in.

[ezekiel]

Thanks you so much, this is good info. I may be heading up near Duluth this weekend, are there grouse there?

[CNCMike]

Plenty of good grouse areas up that way. Use the MN DNR maps, recreation compass, or google maps, to give you the lowdown on state lands, wildlife areas, etc... Then go accordingly based on that.

[brittman]

GREAT advice Brittman!! I always have my iPhone for navigation and rescue, my garmin etrex GPSr for backup and an actual compass, just in case batteries die. The back country, off the trail areas, can get pretty difficult sometimes and they are very easy to get turned around in.

I believe the IPhone works off nearby cell towers to determine location. GPS runs off of satellites.

Iphone pull a navigaional signal in most places you hunt ?

[Acemac]

ya the iPhone even had a full signal this year all through SD those cell towers are everywere now.

[jjz]

Another large area that is good is north of Outing towards Remer and the surrounding area. Lots of public land and birds, just do some homework and you can have a lifetime of hunting in that area.

[tacklejunkie]

I may be heading up near Duluth this weekend, are there grouse there?

Yes

Canosia can be good and the BLMA is another along with the variety of county, state forests up here

[CNCMike]

iPhone has an actual GPS receiver built in, so it actually uses both cell signal and SAT... I have very rarely managed to be anywhere in the state of MN that I don't have usable signal with it. However, for the occasions when I do, I like to open google maps at home, go to the area on the map that I will hunt in, and put in a location, say where I will park. Then, when I am in that area, signal or no, I can access the map and see my current location by the blue dot as well as my vehicle location. Works like a champ even if you do not have viable cell service. Once the map is opened and you have waymarked or what have you, it will reopen and be usable. The blue dot will always come up, current location, but without the map it is impossible to see where you are, hence the need to open the map at home and add a point to base off of

[wdgold]

Looking for any general reports from the Hinckley/Nemadji area, may be going up this weekend.