Grouse Reports From Ely?

[UncleDave]

I didn't head up last week due to poor weather reports, but I am heading up Saturday-Monday.  We will mostly be road hunting as my bro has a bum leg and can't walk too much.  I know many good roads, but I have only been up there once in the past 10 years.  We had NO luck 2 years ago.  Only saw 3 birds all weekend.  We only got one shot and missed.  Ugh.  I am hoping for better results.  Any info would be helpful.  Thanks. 

[Mayfly]

I had a buddy up in that area last weekend. He was excited as every year they have a blast. This year was a different story. Think they maybe saw 4 birds. The weather was horrible though and they didn't get out as much as they would of liked.

[Lee Borgersen]

Saturday, September 22, 2007 Ely Area

Hook and Bullet Club - Grouse?

by Nick Wognum


September 15 was a big day in Ely, with the hospital's 50th anniversary, the Town of Morse's 120th anniversary, flag football and the opening of the grouse season.

The boys and I managed to squeeze a little hunting Saturday morning but instead of finding grouse, we found one of our areas had undergone some major changes.

What had been a nice side road that often held birds in the past was now a major roadway for exploratory mining equipment looking deep underground for copper, nickel and other hidden treasure.

We took a ride down the road for old times sake, remembering when we had the old two-door Montero (that didn't survive the fire) crammed with a car seat, kids, a dog and a shotgun or two.

There were no birds to be seen but we did drive past a drill rig and then met another at the end of the road through the logged-out area. Duluth Metals is exploring in that area and their drilling results to date have been positive.

Our little side road could change even more in the future.

We decided to continue on and jumped out in the traffic on the dirt road as trucks with blaze orange occupants scanned the roadsides for grouse.

Realizing that finding an open road was now our main objective, we parked at the beginning of a narrow lane where a downed jackpine served as a gate.

The guns were loaded, the dog unloaded and we headed off in hopes of winged prey. The day was a perfect one for hunting and the old road we were walking had the right amount of clover and younger trees. What it didn't have was birds.

Down to the end and back we encouraged the dog to get in the woods and find some grouse, but other than one half-hearted moment when she put her nose in some bushes, there was no action.

For those who couldn't make it out for opening weekend, don't worry - there's plenty of birds and the hunting is likely to get better. After near-drought conditions for the past three months, we have been continually hit by rainstorms that have flooded basements and filled every creek and beaver pond.

The rain has also seemed to put the leaves on a holding pattern. What looked to be an early fall for leaves hitting the ground changed with the rain which has turned the forest green again.

On Sunday we took the wheelers out in search of grouse around the shack and it didn't take long to get some action. Jake turned out of the driveway and hit the brakes, "He's right there!" Sure enough a plump grouse was standing in the middle of the road, apparently oblivious to us. That was until we got the gun out.

It must have been the sound of the shell going into the chamber that gave him the "Exit, stage left" sign. We followed into the woods but other than a brief glimpse through the branches, this one was not coming home with us.

There were three more opportunities like the first one with eagle-eyed Evan spotting the birds in the grass alongside the road. Each time the result was the same, stop the wheeler, get the gun out of the case, load the gun and then find the bird had flown into the woods. We chased the bird until it flushed again and then tramped back to the wheelers, unloading the gun, putting it in the case and heading town the trail.

It was still a very nice opener, even without the birds cooperating. We checked the trail camera and found a nice eight-pointer had stopped by to visit after midnight, devouring the apples we had left earlier in the week. The hornets had given up on making a home at Camp Cholesterol and nobody got a branch in the eye. What more can you ask for?

[Grute Man]

Nice of ya to take the young uns out.  Hopefully next time you'll come across the birds you left behind this last time.  I can't count the number of trips I've had like that one but you sure desribe it nicer than me. 

Nice read.  Keep on keepin on SMG.   ::

[UncleDave]

Thanks for the reports!

[thunderpout]

Guys...Im hitting the Echo Trail this weekend...havent chased grouse up there in three or four years since the #'s have been down.  Its one of my favorite places to grouse hunt, the boreal forest, like the BWCA, is the most beautiful area in the state to visit let alone getting to do yer favorite thing there, its a double whammy!!!   I'll be going solo as I did last weekend...it makes for a very humbling adventure having only your setter to share it with and talk to.... friends I go with cant make it this year, but its actually quite enjoyable, and easy to concentrate on your dogs work...though it is definately easier to put birds in your vest if ya got that second or third gunner covering ground and as ya all know, grouse make easy work escaping from one gun, even if ya got a great grouse dog....            -thunderpout 8)

[Lee Borgersen]

Hook and Bullet Club - Firsts

by Nick Wognum..... Oct 13th


They say there's something special about the first time - your first deer, your first kiss and for some, your first grouse.

With our sauna project running at full tilt at the shack, bird hunting has been virtually non-existent. We put the shotguns in the truck but they haven't made too many trips out of the cases this year.

Sunday afternoon we were caught unarmed while walking out to check a trail camera. After skirting around a new pond on our trail, the familiar sound of a grouse drumming its wings could be heard ahead of us.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Evan.

"What was it?" he replied.

After explaining how the sound was made, Evan pointed out the obvious.

"But we don't have our guns," he said.

Leave it to an eight year-old to put you in your place. We were on hurry-up mode and not only were the guns not in our hands, they weren't even on the wheelers. Our weapons were safely zipped up in their cases back in the truck.

A buck and a doe had come to visit the mineral block near the camera but had only stayed long enough for two pictures. The camera case was clicked shut and we headed back for the road.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.

"There's another grouse!"

"Yep."

Evan's Uncle Mike is an avid bird hunter but due to work constraints hasn't been able to patrol the woods around the shack yet this year. I was thinking he would be disappointed we weren't armed and ready every time we stepped foot in the woods.

But kid luck was on our side that day. Driving out just before sunset two grouse were sitting right on the side of the road. One lit in a tree, the other took flight.

"Stop! Stop!" Evan yelled.

He jumped out of the truck and I handed him the .410.

"He's up in the tree, right there," I told him.

Seconds later the grouse was on the ground and Evan was jumping up and down.

"I got him! Yeah!" said Evan. "My first grouse!"

Of course we had to get the camera out and snap some photos to document this historic event.

And in the age of high tech, a picture taken with a cell phone was sent out to family members before we left the scene.

In response we got text messages that said, "Cool!" "Congrats!" "Woohoo!" and "How many shots?"

Evan was all smiles on the way home and had no qualms about helping clean the bird and get it ready for the freezer.

This was a good sized bird but not quite enough meat for a meal, so I gave Evan the news.

"Now you have to shoot a couple more so we can have a grouse dinner."

"Cool," he said.

In the realm of firsts, this one may not stand out as much as that first deer or first kiss, but for that moment in time, it was good to be a kid. And pretty darn good to be a dad as well.

[UncleDave]

I just got back.  We had a great 3 day trip.  We tried the Cloquet Line.  Nadda on Saturday road hunting front to back.  We all know it's hit and miss. 

Day one was Saturday.  Slow traffic and few birds.  We managed one bird. 

Day two was Sunday.  Good day!  We saw 10 birds total including 2 cuvvies.  Do to a "miss" and my bro just couldn't spot a bird I saw fanning next to the road, we ended up with 3.  The "miss" was the "Jason" from Friday flicks.  I shot the bird 10 yards back.  The delicious mushroom dreamt meal fell backwards into a swampy area with heavy cover.  As I layed my gun down and made my way to this bird, my head was down not looking at my quarry.  The splashing stopped.  In an instance I assumed the nerves were done and I had to fish my bird out.  NOT.  It was gone.  HUH?  My bro and I searched in the swampy area briefly knowing that it was futile.  Ugh.  Gone.  Sad.  We ended up with 3 birds.

Today we got out late.  Cranberry's called and we had a few pitchers.  We got out late morning and saw one.  One for one and the only shot we heard until we left at noon.  Good eats. 

It was fun as heck and we saw more birds than everyone we spoke to...B.S. considered.  This was our best weekend hunting in years as far as numbers!

P.S.  ALL of our birds came off of one road (except one bird on day one).  Head down Hwy 1!

[Grute Man]

Well Small Mouth Guide and Uncle Dave, those are some great stories.  You both got me really wanting to do some upland bird hunting.  Im not sure if I'll have the time but I remember the times I've done it and have always loved it.

Thanks for sharing.  Cheers  ::cheers::

Grute