Ruff Grouse chick report-broods

[laker1]

Anybody seeing anything?

[muskiemanAD]

In SE MN I kicked up 4 different groups on 1 ridge last weekend. We all commented that was a lot of grouse to see for us down there. No reports other than that...

[tacklejunkie]

I've seen a few but I live out in the country and frequently hike around the northwoods

[Dusty]

drove a few back roads the other day in NE mn and never seen a bird

[tacklejunkie]

drove a few back roads the other day in NE mn and never seen a bird

They're a few out there around and about but I 'm thinking it will be down this year

[Matt Breuer]

This spring while hunting morels I was seeing a bird or a brood almost daily. Thing went down after that... didn't see a bird for 1.5 months. In the last month I've been seeing some decent clusters. 4 were in my bear bait the other day. I almost dropped my buckets and ran...

Birds are out there!

[CANOPY SAM]

Ha ha ha.... I had that happen to me too, Matt! A few years back out south of Grand Rapids, walking into a remote bait station I knew was being hit...a family group of probably 8-10 birds explode off the bait station just as I round the last corner! Scared the "you know what" outta me! Exact same thing! Nearly dropped my buckets and ran!

[TylerS]

Good grief, I can not wait for grouse hunting! I'm locking in the second weekend of October! Hopefully the fall colors are as vibrant as they were last year at the time. The wife and I nailed the peak for the first time every grouse hunting. It was spectacular...and the birds cooperated pretty well, too!

[Matt Breuer]

If I had to wait until the 2nd week of October I would DIE! Pretty sure I'm using it in a literal sense....

Slated for 3 days at the cabin over opener, and then pretty much every other weekend thereafter!

Canopy, we going to get out again this year? Let me know when you want to spend a weekend up at the cabin... fires, football, and good grub!

[TylerS]

Just from past experience, I hate hunting grouse early season. They're a frustrating enough bird already when the leaves are down, nevermind the thick underbrush of September! Plus, I like to wait until a good freeze, if possible. Anything to keep the tick numbers down.

[certified jumbo]

we hunt our birds in north east mn. all i know is if we had the numbers of grouse that we have turkeys we'd be in good shape. after 2 weeks of hard bear baiting and many other wkds in the woods over the summer i have only personally seen 3 adult birds and no broods. on the other hand, we've literally seen hundreds of turkeys. i love turkeys, but wish they hadn't expanded as far north as they have. i don't think that was part of the original turkey expansion plan.

[DRH1175]

We were in the woods this last weekend moving some stands around since the weather was so nice up in Chisholm. We flushed a few grouse, but more woodcock actually. The grouse are around, but definitly less than last year.

[CANOPY SAM]

Hey Matt! I'm all over that! Just gimme a reasonable heads up and I'll meet you up there.

I too prefer to wait until the foliage is down a little bit. I love seeing the birds, even if it's only for a brief moment, without a shot. I think too that one can hear a flush just a bit more clearly when there are fewer leaves muffling the sound.

My favorite time to hunt ruffed grouse is late fall, right after, or during a couple inches of fresh snow. I love finding fresh tracks, following them thru the woods, winding in and out of trees until I see the bird, or hear the flush. Priceless.

Matt, I really appreciate the invite. You know we'll get together for some upland hunting, and maybe I can coax you into a little waterfowling again as well? Anywhere we can get onto some water this fall should be a duck/goose magnet! Lets keep in touch.