They’re back big time, and that’s great news for us bird hunters. It’s been a while since grouse have peaked but we’re close, and this may be the big year. The bottom of the cycle drug on for what seemed an eternity but last year’s numbers showed a real improvement, and with spring drumming counts getting a solid bump up its plenty exciting.
Ruffs had actually started their comeback a few years ago and there were some birds to chase around but cold wet weather during the all important hatch slowed it all down, way down. It seemed it might happen again but it looks like they made it through and there should be plenty of young birds to make it interesting. My flush counts for ’08 were actually double what they were the year before and could easily double again if things went right and we’ll soon see.
Drumming counts alone are an indication but not the final answer. The key is high drumming counts combined with a good hatch and the early reports are good, real good.
Big broods have been seen along back wood roadsides throughout the grouse belt, and the north central hardwoods in Minnesota is no exception and happens to be where I spend a lot of quality time come late September and all of October. I’ll usually avoid the opener because it’s almost always too warm, too many leaves, and too darn many mosquitoes, but I might have to make an exception this year. The thought of a long walk on a remote logging road and twenty and thirty flush days is enough to get me going, and may not be able to help myself.
Getting on a logging road early and having it all to me and my hunting party is ideal but isn’t always possible and won’t stop me from getting on a trail that’s obviously been hunted. Grouse are almost always moving and there could be a good chance that birds have moved back on or near a productive trail. You can also flush birds on your way back out, even it’s the same trail you took in. So many times birds will get up on the way out, and is when you’re usually tuckered out and unprepared. Better be at the ready all the way back to the truck. “At the ready” means you gun off the shoulder and with both hands in position so you can throw it up and squeeze of a shot in a split second, because so many times that’s all you get. About the time you get lazy and think you’re through the birds you get an explosive surprise, and have no time to do anything about it.
Logging roads are a real key to early season success because that’s where a lot of the birds will be. They’re there for the eats which includes clover and wild strawberry growing on the trails. And with most of the leaves still hanging it’s also one of the few areas where you might be able to get a clear shot. Edges are another key and where you can push birds out into the open where they can be seen and hopefully dropped. Edges with patches of heavy cover are ideal and especially productive if you’re working older woods. Taller trees reduce the ability for heavier cover to grow and edges of the big woods is where the thickest cover can thrive. It also helps to concentrate birds and eliminates the need to push through wide open spaces.
When working the edges I really like the sunny side, especially right away in the morning. Grouse don’t like to get wet and if there’s a lot of dew they’ll wait until it dries up before making a move and the sunny side will clear up first.
There’s more than one way to hunt grouse and a lot of hunters are doing it on ATVs.
But that’s not the way I prefer to do it. My preference is to do it on foot, with a dog.
The four wheeler brigade will shoot their share of birds but they’re missing out on the fun of watching a good dog get hot and make the flush, and hopefully a retrieve. They also miss birds that are just off the trail, hiding in the thickest cover where it takes a dog with a good nose to root them out.
The anticipation of this coming season even has me looking for a new gun. My 12ga. Browning Citori is a lot to haul around and keeping it “at the ready” takes some effort. A lighter 20 might do the trick, has to be a Citori though. Maybe an early Christmas present? Hmmmmmm. See you in the woods.
Ron AnlaufBy: Ron Anlauf
