Grouse anyone

[titelines]

Spent a few hours bushwacking in Lake Co.

Saw more moose (2) than birds (1)!

Great to be out.

[iland99]

I hunted around Hill City. Talked to 6 guys on Saturday, they saw a total of 0 birds. Talked to another guy Sunday, same report. I didn't even hear a bird get up all weekend. Pretty dismal. Heading out tonight around Park Rapids, can't be any worse right?

[CodyDawg]

By McGregor, our group saw about 15-20 sharpies and got 10. Did just a little grouse hunting and had 2 flushes with nothing in the bag, although a guy with us who wasnt really hunting did get one off the trail.

[Matt Breuer]

That's a good sharpie hunt, Cody. Bummer to hear it, as those birds are struggling so badly. Nonetheless, I bet it was a blast!

[CodyDawg]

I know what you are saying. They limit it to 1 hunt per year. Local population levels havent changed that much over the years. After talking to them, I felt better about it.

[birdguy]

Two of us hunted the Superior NF Sunday - Tuesday. We flushed 60 - 70 birds and came home with our possession limits. Didn't have high hopes going in, but came back early and pleasantly surprised. I hunted with my Griffon and my buddy walked other trails without a dog. Most birds encountered were in family groups of 3 - 6 birds and I'd say 75% were young-of-the-year. The dog was flushing them anywhere from 20 - 100 feet off the trails.

[birdguy]

[monstermoose78]

Nice work birdguy

[birdguy]

Hey - thanks monstermoose78! Fresh Woodduck for dinner tonight. I Love Fall.....

[Pherris]

Nice job and beautiful dog!

[vman11]

Finally stumbled upon one on the way to the bow stand. And of course he sat in the middle of the atv trail and stared at me! Put on a few more miles on foot earlier today and didn't flush any.

[FishinFools]

Covered a lot of ground and lots of cover variations. Flushed a total of 5 grouse, zero wc. Managed to go two for two on the only birds I saw. One beautiful male and one bird of the year. Most were in classic aspen grouse cover, mid to high ground. Worked alder bottoms in the afternoon...zero birds. West of Duluth. (sorry for the neck exercises. how do you rotate posted photos?)

[sparetime]

Sounds like most are finding few birds. Birdguy being the exception to that. Hopefully the leaves drying up will improve conditions for next weekend.

[yakfisher]

I spent 2 days near Ely, saw 5 shot at 3 took home 2. All in all I saw more wolves than birds.

[tybo]

My hunting partner and I flushed around 20 wc this weekend and probably close to 40 grouse. it's hard to day how many grouse exactly because we flushed some broods and couldn't see the birds on the majority of the flushes we got so we were guessing a bit. We missed a few but brought home only 2 grouse and 3 wc. We just couldn't see the birds.

[TRZ II]

Got 2 cock out of about 10 flushes. Didn't see a grouse AGAIN. Near Moose Lake. I won't be out again till the leaves are gone. Man are those yearling birds small, hardly seem worth shooting.

[tolle141]

Covered a lot of ground and lots of cover variations. Flushed a total of 5 grouse, zero wc. Managed to go two for two on the only birds I saw. One beautiful male and one bird of the year. Most were in classic aspen grouse cover, mid to high ground. Worked alder bottoms in the afternoon...zero birds. West of Duluth. (sorry for the neck exercises. how do you rotate posted photos?)

Nice work! What are you shooting there? That stock is gorgeous!

[charliepete]

It looks like a nice Beretta 687 EL to me. I would have a hard time scraping that one up on popple and alder.

[caseymcq]

The leaves are still pretty thick between Silver Bay and Isabella but they are starting to fall so it won't be long before it's opened up.

Saw four this morning, shot one.

[FishinFools]

Yeah EELL. A ten year anniversary "present from my wife" a long time ago. (boy, was she surprised!) If you don't take it into the woods, ain't gonna get no birds. That gun is part of me now. Just love it. One small scratch in, let me see...13 years. And I'm a firm believer in going through, not around. Keeps me moving slowly so I don't rush past the tight holders.

[old timer]

Hunted 6 hours total opener weekend at Mille Lacs wma. 1 flush. Hunted 4 hours at Chenwatana state forest near Pine City. 1 flush. The grey dogwood berry crop is plentiful this year. No grouse to enjoy them. Ducks have been good, so it looks like a fall of hanging out in the marshes and not the woods.

[ScottW]

Hunted 1-2 hrs. 4 evenings up in St. Louis County, only saw one grouse but woodcock all over the place. Just can't hit the dang things! Went out to check for some ducks this morning and found a handful of woodcock and one grouse (I should say the dog did). Never saw so many woodcock, then again I think that has something to do with having a good dog now! I can only imagine how many of these a guy walks 10 ft. from with no dog!

[CrowRiverRat83]

Anyone been hunting the Mille Lacs WMA? It's been very slow for me.

[caseymcq]

... Just can't hit the dang things! ...

They are elusive little b@stards.

[WallyGator12000]

Hunted four mornings in Cook County this past weekend while on a family vacation. Saw three grouse, shot at two of them, and got one. It's really slow out there right now. Also saw 5 snowshoe hares, so by my observations it seems the biologists are right, when the hares are up, the grouse are down. This guy also made an appearance:

Pretty neat to see, especially with how grim their outlook is right now.