Grouse opener!!!

[thunderpout]

Any one have some "luck" this weekend chasing grouse thru the thick, green, warm jungles up north?  We were up near Walker checkin deerstands and ridin atv's around and had a spare hour or so and saw two birds and luckily came home with one, and that was without Drummer my pissed off setter,who was left at home... :: But its too early, too green and too warm out for the pooches yet.  The leaves havent even really started changing at all yet.  Calm down you brushbusters....its just a matter of time..and a good couple of cold snaps...  :: fudd.gif    -Thunderpout 8)       

[BirdHunter]

I got 5 birds today on a new spot I found in about 3 hours with my 5 yr son and 4yr springer spaniel.  Had 19 flushes missed a lot but it was fun to shot a lot at them.

[Grute Man]

Way to go BirdHunter!! Thats a good days hunt.  I also like the fact that you took the youngster along with you.  Hope the kid had fun.  Im sure you and the springer did. 

GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!   ::

[BirdHunter]

yes he loves to hunt and we walked a lot also--like 7-8 miles or so and he kept up very well!!  he just wanted to shoot a tree with the 20 ga to get the pellets---so i found a dead tree and helped him with it--have to do stuff like that to keep making it fun for the kids---also he liked to carry the spent shell and carried his own cap gun as well :)

[JackpineRob]

Jackpine Jr. and I took a little canoe/partridge hunting trip with Grandpa Jackpine on Saturday covering 17 miles of paddling and portaging, and about 4 miles of additional trail/portage walking.  Didn't even see a bird!!!  After battling the wind all day in the canoe, we were pretty well wiped out Saturday night.

Sunday morning we slept in, and then headed out to a traditional partridge hotspot.  Over 3 hours of walking we went 4 out of 6, with 3 of the 4 being this year's birds, and one wise old gray phase who met a load of 7 1/2 shot after trying to use a popple for cover during his attempted escape.  There's a few more birds than last year, but we have a ways to go to hit the top of the cycle.

[thunderpout]

Yep, I agree Jackpine....the press is really good at whipping people into a frenzy... the birds Ive seen have all been first year birds as well.  Im guessin we have three to four years till the peak, and I hope all the press-informed folks get discouraged from all the greenery and go pheasent hunting when the leaves change/start falling so I dont see so many brush whackers when its time for me and Drummer to get serious! :ROTFLMAO: I saw more grouse hunters than I like to last weekend! Rob, it sounds like you were up in the BWCA area...that aint bad for the NE Angle, it seems the birds always bounce back slower up there, Im curious if anyone has been up north of the red lake area as they have bounced back earlier there last upswing.  Thats a beautiful area to chase birds though, and it makes it easier when you dont come out with  a vest with a few birds in it.  I'm thinkin bout hittin some portages upthere by the arrow head trail this fall as a guy who used to live there at his dads resort used to hunt em like you did, easy to get away from the crowds eh?   -thunderpout 8)

[dj]

I went out today for a bit.  Only saw one and didn't get a shot, as he took off from above, in a tree.  Rained all night last night and was still pretty wet out there.  There's alot of birds around here though.  But the covers still thick.  The maples just started changing today.  What a beautiful time of the year this is on the north shore! 

I'm in Silver Bay now, but will be out around Urbank in 9 days!   party2.gif

[tripnchip]

Thunder, I wont speak for the Red Lake area but me and the wife spent 13 days camping between Effie and Hwy. 65 , begining the 6th. We put around 200 miles on the atve's and saw maybe 5 birds. That is way down from what we should of seen for the area we were in. I also talked with several hunters Sat. and Sun. and they were have the same results, few birds.

[Merimac]

Tried to to the opener.  6 A.M. less than 1 mile from my friends house and I hit a deer with my car.  Jeep and deer both demolished.  So we just wandered in the woods right there.  No birds. 

[Grute Man]

Tried to to the opener.  6 A.M. less than 1 mile from my friends house and I hit a deer with my car.  Jeep and deer both demolished.  So we just wandered in the woods right there.  No birds. 

Now here's a guy who can make the best of any situation.   love2.gif ALL HAIL MERIMAC!  He totals his vehicle so decides he can't go any farther and is determined to hunt so hunts right there.  I love the "never say die" attitude.  Sorry for your luck but it will get better. 
Grute

[Realtree]

Tried to to the opener.  6 A.M. less than 1 mile from my friends house and I hit a deer with my car.  Jeep and deer both demolished.  So we just wandered in the woods right there.  No birds. 

Sorry to hear about the start to your Grouse opener Merimac...that stinks!!!  I applaud your upbeat attitude on this situation, not much you can do about it so let's hunt right here. I hope the rest of your hunt goes much better than it started out as.

Good hunting Merimac!    happy2.gif

[Russ-Judy]

the season for gross much have already opened
we stopped in at our Duck Inn entered it and noticed the screen was laying on the couch, taking a glance at the window we saw that the 2 pane glass--the outside pane was shattered-- walking outside we started looking for what broke it- humm??- it wasnt long and the tom cat came around the corner of the steps with our first clue-- a feather in its mouth (partridge) nothing but the pile of feathers and one fat cat;; there season must have an early season