Grousin'

[Boar]

 i.get.out.a.few times.for.them,.butndont do.alot.of.it. i do.enjoy it.tho. my keshaw the choc.gsp, is.a natural, never trai ed her, but she stays right ahead of me zig zagin along. comes when called and neve bolts. hoping shed chase em to the trees
zelda just comes.along cause moms ther, shes stupid, no instinc, maybe as she matures. if i hadnkeshaw traind shed be dynomight. she works the woods with a temperment of.im not sure what im after but i know i gota find em'

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[Boar]

Beutiful day to be in the woods, thats our 80, thers 2 rivers that flow thru it, the poplar and the lost meet in the middle. so many memories in there. Had my wife along, she stayed on the trails walkin along enjoying it as i busted the brush with the dogs, we flushe two but didnt get a shot. when is the best time of day to hunt grouse? Ive done it with dog before and the dogs putt them to the trees everytime, but it was early with much more leaves, is that a factor? without leaves do they have a tendency to fly from danger. with dogs Id figure theyd just fush up and roost. can you more experience grousers help Id like to do more of this. use to do it in my teens and early 20s.

[LPS]

I am not an experienced grouser Boar but I have had my dogs flush them before.  They didn't go far neither.  One that I couldn't find in the trees actually followed us.  The dogs flushed hum twice and as we walked away the grouse kept going from tree to tree along with us.  I shot him and almost felt bad doing it.  lol  One year I shot 13 of them and wondered how they even survive being such tame birds.  I am used to pheasants that run right away.

[Boar]

both times we flushed.  the bird flew long distance. they ar not pressured in my woods.at all

[cookie]

Mornings they like to eat pebbles  on the trail/roads. Evenings they roost in the trees. I think any time of day can be good. Just putting your time in.  It also helps if your a quick shot. They always startle me LOL

[cookie]

OOPs Wow nice piece of property 80 acres with two creeks. Very nice. Is that where you deer hunt too?

[Boar]

yup, deer and bear.

[Boar]

anyone else have grousin tecniques that they favor, and thanks cookie!

[glenn57]

anyone else have grousin tecniques that they favor, and thanks cookie!

sure do, go find grouse, shoot grouse!!!

[Boar]

k glenn im on it
. sheeeesh

[glenn57]

k glenn im on it
. sheeeesh

[Bobby Bass]

both times we flushed.  the bird flew long distance. they ar not pressured in my woods.at all

Normally a bird that flys a long way has seen pressure, if they get up and go back down in thirty yards or so they have not been hunted or are young and dumb. AS for where to find them . tote roads with gravel and clover are good places as is aspen and along the  edges of swamps. Hillsides flooded with sunshine can hold birds and always take your time coming around the bend on a trail. Being a quick shot can be good but being a good patient shot is better. A lot of birds are taken with  that second shot that you take when you slow down and track a bird. Been hunting grouse for 45 years and you will always get a bird or two that does something it is not suppose to do. Stats say a hunter with a dog is number one but number two is a single hunter by himself. Nothing better then walking into a covey of birds, that is why my pockets are always filled with more shells then what I need.

[Rebel SS]

I always liked walking parallel on a brushy hillside in late afternoon, when as mentioned, they'll be poking around for grit and water. Walking up then don in a zig zag thru a brushy hillside will work well, as on the upside of brush they usually flush down and out, giving you a good shot. For those, I always swung a 28" barrel with modified or improved cylinder. Probably have some fancy name for choke settings now....

[Boar]

thnaks bob! and Reb! I think maybe I was moving to fast myself, just the other day, I was walking up to the wood edge, anwasnt thinking about grause cause i wasnt hunting them just amble rightin on the trail, and jumped one, I feel if I had slowed down with the purpose of grousing i could have possibly seen him and been ready, plus my dogs arnt traind either, their just busting brush as fast as I am.. taking slow I think would help

[Bobby Bass]

Up in my hunting grounds we have a lots of logging/tote roads and atv trails. During the week you can hunt the atv trails but forget about them on the weekend's. I would say that if you are hunting tote rods the 3 to 1 rule works well. It should take you three times the time to walk out on a trail as it does to walk in on a trail. Meaning you should walk slow when hunting for grouse and take a lot of breaks. I have found that over the years a lot of times old birds will hold tight and you will walk right by them but if you stop for a few seconds they think they are busted and will take to wing. This can make for some interesting shooting especially if they get right up in  your face. Here is where the patient and good shot comes in. Yes try and slow your dogs down and keep them close. Not much of a shot if they are busting birds way out in front of you.

Now up here we are talking thick woods and most shots are with in 30 yards or so. Edges of swamps and aspen stands are good places to start as of course are tote roads as birds will come to them for gravel and sunlight. Sunny days are good days but I have taken a lot of birds on them damp cloudy days to. I hunt with a side by side double with one chamber being modified with #8's and the other side a full choke with number 6's so I can reach out and touch somebody. When the leaves are all gone or when snow hits the ground I will put 6's in both sides. Late in December I might go to 4's if I know I am going to be hunting edges along clear cuts.

[Rebel SS]

Boar, walk slow...then stop for  bit....rustle the brush....walk again....stop....listen.....they'll flush.   Makes 'em nervous.