Grouse #'s looking good for this fall!

[Go Big Red!]

Pout-

I'm frustrated to hear the counts are up almost yearly, that we're on the up and up of a cycle, etc.  Gets old because, and you said it yourself, we're the ones out in the woods and we see first hand. I guess I wish that the counters would also be more involved in wandering the woods versus driving around and listening.  Regardless, the grouse season is nearing and the 20 gauge is ready to go.  I hope it turns out to be a good hunting year....

Sorry for pissing and moaning about it.... guess I have been out of the woods for too long.... need to HUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thunderpout]

BigRed... I know what your saying as far as the "embelishing" goes with the "projections"... I think the outdoor writers are more guilty of this than the DNR is, I know that the Mpls Tribune always has these "hopful" articles just 3 or 4 years after the last bottom of the cycle, and then the following five years or so saying "the #'s are on the rise" well yeah, maybe, but on the rise from what?  A 5% rise from the bottom of a cycle is 5% of nothing...   So the press not knowing the real skinny on the populations, promote something(for tourism, readership, yeah, maybe even sell more small game licenses)  that really isnt there so to speak... which is really the worst thing to do... over hunting them when the #'s are down!   They have the count records going back in MN to the late 1940's I believe, if ya do a little searching on the DNR website you can find lots of info (some of it pretty boring, but there is good stuff...) on the methods and findings by the counts for Ruffed and Sharptail Grouse in the different ares in MN... Hey guys, This is the perfect place to rant and bitch about stuff... we all get cranked up about different things, if nobody did, it'd be pretty boring, eh?  Yeah, I could not be chomping at the bit more than I am to get out after some birds... got a 5 year old setter that is comming into his own/in his prime that I hope is gonna finally see some quantities of birds hopefully... the timing may be good... we'll see...

[beeker]

all I know is I've seen more grouse and heard more grouse this year than in past years. is it just my area? .. maybe, but others I know that are out and about say the same that they've been seeing more and hearing more. I got a year old lab that has been chasing pigeons out in the field behind me all summer. been fun...

[Go Big Red!]

Pout-

My grouse hunting is about 10X per season at best.  We see some and then other days we see nothing.  Yet, and again you said it best, the predictions get us cranked up and then I feel let down when I come home empty handed and especially after zero flushes.  On the other hand, if it was easy, everyone would be out there.  Guess I am greedy when it comes to drum counts, ducks hatching, and deer numbers.  Good luck out there my friend.....

[thunderpout]

Red, is that 10 trips or 10 days?  Either way, that aint too bad... The last five years I havent gotten out like I usually do, but the more the birds, the more I get out.  Got like two weeks of PTO saved up for chasing Ruffies this year.   Hope I havent been so stinjy with the days off the whole year for nothing...   Beeker,  Didnt ya say your place is NE MN?  I was hearing alot of drumming in the North Central part of the state... Has anyone hunted or heard/seen birds up North of Red Lake, Williams, LOW area the last year or two?  Im thinking of hitting that stuff up there, havent been in that area grouse hunting for a few years.  In years past, the numbers have seemed to bounce back up there in the NW a year or two quicker than the rest of the state... Have done really well up there when the cycles were on the upside... lots of spruce grouse up in that area also.... yeah Red, last year was pretty dissapointing for me, when I did find birds, I didnt "do my part",  My dog Drummer did really well, pointed a bunch of birds for me, and 9 out of 10 times would be watching the birds getting away unscathed, and not cause I couldnt hit em... I couldnt get a good shot off to save my life pretty much the whole  :censored:fall! Always on the wrong side of a tree/ravine ect. ... that old deal...Bad Kharma Got a few birds.. but definatly worked for them... I think its gonna be a good year....

[Bufflehead]

I take a grouse walk everyday all fall. I have birds sitting in my yard and around the boarder of the pasture. I take one walk in the morning around 8-9AM and another about 6PM . I know where they are most of the time. I have jumped them in the same spots for years. Can't wait..not long now

 Chuck

[Go Big Red!]

We get out hunting grouse 10x per season.  A few before gun deer, mixed in with ducks, and then more after deer season stops.

[sochr000]

Has anyone hunted or heard/seen birds up North of Red Lake, Williams, LOW area the last year or two? 

I've been on the south shore of upper red lake (Shotley area) and the grouse are drumming pretty much constantly.  No idea on the north shore though.

[thunderpout]

Thanx sochr000... good to hear... do you ever hit the Faunce area up there south of Williams?  I know folks that live up in the Tofte/Grand Marias area on the North Shore... they said theyve seen and heard more birds this year, but it doesnt sound as good as the rest of the state.. It takes the #'s bit longer to bounce back in that NE area, at least in the years past it has... gonna hit that area though... always do... its gotta be the most beautiful area to hunt in the state, it'll be even nicer if there are some birds up there this year...

[Cody Gruchow]

im going to try my hand at them when im up duck hunting. our area holds a few, so why not

[thunderpout]

  Sochr... I didnt catch that.... the north shore of red lake .  Yeah, it's a ways up there as you pretty much have to go in from the north and then back down south into that area... dont see alot of people hunting in there cause its so sparce and spread out, great bird hunting in that thick boreal/bog stuff, but ya dont want to get turned around(lost) in there... theyd never find ya if they tried... Cody where do you guys go...? Was it Lac la Parl.. cant remember, out west though correct?

[Cody Gruchow]

west central i guess you could say, aits about 15 minutes southeast of park rapids..

[willy4003]

..

[thunderpout]

Congrats Willy...    Couldnt find it on there though....

[willy4003]

If you click the link, it is the only grouse picture on the page. 

[thunderpout]

Its my computer here at work... it wont let me in to that site....   I love that first shot of the ruff on the snowy drumming log from your trail cam set up... what are the chances of me getting a copy of it?  Shoot me a message if you can.... Thanx!

[mahmoodmahi]

I went up to a friend's cabin near hayward wisconsin and hunted saturday and sunday. This warm weather made it real hard to find birds, and even harder to get clear shots, there are just to0many leaves up right now, but we saw five grouse, and two woodcock, so it was a good hunt. I can't wait for this cold weather to kill off some of the leaves and brush, so i can start seeing these record number's of grouse everyone is talking about. Anybody else go grouse hunting last weekend?

[Go Big Red!]

Didn't see a thing in two weekends.  Found lots of food sources, but too many leaves.

[22lex]

If anyone is going to be up around the Mille Lacs lake area (Northeast), and wants a place to go, PM me and I will send you directions to where we were bear hunting. I kicked up more of those little ba#%$ards that scared the living crap out of me this year compared to any other years up there.

[thunderpout]

Great to hear 22lex!  Havent been hearing much for good reports yet.... but everything is still green.... Its tough to be patient... It sure is tough talkin yourself down and saving the pto for when the leaves are down!   This time of year ya almost have to stick to trails and openings to have any hope of a shot.... hard to see what the dog is doing too... I usually try to wait till the leaves are changing colors, cause by then, the under growth is dying off some.... just a few more weeks!

[beeker]

I was out working on tree stands and kicked up a few really nice brown grouse when I wasn't in "hunting" mode. but it's been way to hot to work the dog, tried a little bit but didn't want to over do it with her.

[Cody Gruchow]

friday im going to attempt to kill my first grouse lol so i hope it works out, my buddy and i are going to scout for duck opener a little but we will be totting around our shotguns and see if we can scare a few of the bugers up

[brandbll]

We got 5 up near Orr two weekends ago.  We worked like hell to get them though. 

[thunderpout]

Ive been patient so far... getting out my first time this weekend.... need to lose ALOT of leaves yet... Im chompin at the bit BIG TIME!!!

[beeker]

dropped 1 this weekend walking the trails with the pooch working the thick stuff for me. other wise too thick and too wet right now

[Cody Gruchow]

was out duck hunting on opener and heard alot of drumming so after i was finished duck hunting my friend and i went for a walk and flushed a grouse as soon as we walked into the woods and i dropped it. so i got my first grouse didnt see anymore still really thick in the woods

[thunderpout]

Good goin Cody!

[thunderpout]

We were working on deer stands and sighting in rifles mostly this weekend in northern MN, BUT I got there a day earlier than the rest and chased birds for a half a day... "saw" four birds pointed by my setter, but "seen" is all they were.  Had no chance with all the leaves still up.... though lots of them leaves were comming down with the snow and the below freezing temps!   The next few weekends should be much better for seeing em... and seeing how many ruffies we really do have this year.....   Hows everyone else doing chasing birds around?

[thunderpout]

Hello......?  Hitting my grouse haunts this weekend.... the weather aint lookin too hot though... grouse dont like being out in the rain/snow/sleet much more than my dog and I, but thats mother nature at her best keeping the hunters at bay & in their tents/campers.  Hopefully we'll get at least one nice day.....

[beeker]

I got 3 this weekend.. walking the trails. small birds..