Anybody seeing grouse out there

[laker1]

seen a few adults around Mille lacs area,but no broods. They should be around by now. Hope the rain did not effect them. Been seeing more adult bird than last year. Just have to wait and see.

[Steve Foss]

It's looking good up here. I've seen quite a few adults and a handful of broods so far.

[TylerS]

I was up in the Ely/Vermilion area for a week recently. We went on quite a few walks and a couple runs, but I never did spook up any grouse. I'm going to blame it on the heat. The pooch did have some fun tracking rabbits, though...

[muc33]

I haven't seen a single one!!

[tacklejunkie]

Seen a few hens and one had a pretty big brood.

May be a decent season despite the spring rains

[laker1]

So far in the Brainerd area seeing more turkey broods than anything

[certified jumbo]

We hunt and have land around the carlton area. We haven't seen very many young ones but a few adults. The last 5 years this once non turkey area is now thriving with them. They are on all the trail cams and you see them in all the fields. I have nothing against turkeys but i wish they wouldn't have moved into this area. I've been reading more and more that grouse do not co exist well with turkeys. I hope this is not true, but am starting to wonder. Turkey populations are moving north at a fast rate. We thought last years long hard winter would wipe out the turkeys up their, but didn't. Anyone else have thoughts or knowledge on turkeys and grouse living together.

[tacklejunkie]

I've heard they don't exist well together but they both occupy very different habitats, anyways

[WallyGator12000]

I've not heard that, and frankly I don't know if I'd believe it if I did. The wild turkey in MN's historic range includes most of the bluff country in the SE, also part of the historic grouse range and home to a fairly sizable grouse population. The decline of grouse in that area for instance can be more strongly attributed to changed forest and land usage than to turkeys.

I wouldn't be too worried about the turkeys screwing up the grouse population IMHO.

[setterguy]

In my best robot voice - There are no grouse in this state. Everyone with a gun should drive south to shoot Pheasants. Grouse taste worse than goose dipped in skunk marinade. That is all.

[tacklejunkie]

I've seen a few but they are still in their family groups

[DRH1175]

While bear hunting in chisholm area I have kicked up a few. One big brood of 8. Really havn't walked to woods though. Just in and out for baiting and hunting.

[fishinjosh98]

where in ely? I go up there a lot and hunt small game but never killed a rabbit

[life=outdoors92]

i suspect a great opener for those of you have have the ability to be in normal grouse range (NE minnesota). this cold weather this week is gonna kill some of the berries and road cover. 3 morning of frost in the north, north east region this coming week (as i saw on the weather report) should be plenty to bring a few of em out of the woods and onto the trails and smaller roads. i'm excited!

[TylerS]

i suspect a great opener for those of you have have the ability to be in normal grouse range (NE minnesota). this cold weather this week is gonna kill some of the berries and road cover. 3 morning of frost in the north, north east region this coming week (as i saw on the weather report) should be plenty to bring a few of em out of the woods and onto the trails and smaller roads. i'm excited!

Ditto! Didn't think I was going to be able to get after them until early October, but as luck would have it I'll be up on opener Saturday. Can't wait! Going out with a good college buddy in an area I've never hunted before. AND my GWP looks recovered enough from his surgery to come along! This week can't go by fast enough!!!!

[gooty]

I'm hoping there will be birds around, but am very skeptical as how many birds there really are. Despite the high drumming counts this spring we have had a lot of large rain events throughout the summer. I've been out in the woods a lot recently, scouting for deer, shroomin and havent seen a grouse in over a month and a half. I have 2 buddies who are foresters, one in St. Louis County, and one in Carlton County, and both are worried...seeing more hares than birds, which is a$$ backwards. Anyways, we really wont know until this Saturday! Good luck everyone and be safe!

[life=outdoors92]

I'm hoping there will be birds around, but am very skeptical as how many birds there really are. Despite the high drumming counts this spring we have had a lot of large rain events throughout the summer. I've been out in the woods a lot recently, scouting for deer, shroomin and havent seen a grouse in over a month and a half. I have 2 buddies who are foresters, one in St. Louis County, and one in Carlton County, and both are worried...seeing more hares than birds, which is a$$ backwards. Anyways, we really wont know until this Saturday! Good luck everyone and be safe!

i wrote the other day of hoping and expecting a decent opener and season. but i agree with you gooty. for such high drumming, i saw very little birds this summer ans actually spent more time up north than any other summer in the last few years. i usually see them while biking dirt and logging roads all summer. i think i saw 2 all summer long.

[LunkerCity]

I'm in Ely, and I will be hunting in the morning. I heard a lot of drumming as well this spring, ince then I see grouse about every other time in the woods. I think it will be a good year, at least up here...

[fishuhalik]

just spent 3 hours in some of my favorite grouse woods. nothing. not a single flush. not good...

[reinhard1]

my brother was checking up on the deer stands a little north of duluth and he said he jumped 3 of them [along with a couple of does]. some snowshoes too [2]. good luck.

[5lbbass]

Spent 2 hours yesterday north of Cross Lk with a great dog. No birds.

[Freddy1]

Scouted McGregor area last week & hunted 4 hours saturday on my best spots, with a good bird dog, not a flush or a hint of a grouse. Something happened between the rosy spring drum counts and opener.

[LunkerCity]

I have had a little action, getting 1 bird on Sat and 2 on Monday. I did kick up a few more, but its hard to shoot when you only get a glimpse through the thick stuff. Put a lot of miles on my boots for the birds I did get, but they sure are tasty:)

[certified jumbo]

we hunt hard in the cloquet area. we spend a ton of time in the woods during the summer and almost everyday in september. i can tell you this is th fewest number of birds we have ever seen. last wkd, 5 of us saw 3 birds. its almost not even worth hunting.

now, it can vary from area to area. but ours is looking horrible!!!

[brittman]

It is definitely slower than last year. It was very wet across much of Minnesota in May and June. Drier to the very far north in June, it will be interesting to see how hunters fair there.

[Chef]

Late August/Sept. I was seeing dead young-of-the-year Grouse on Hwy 6 between Emily and Remer on the drive to the Cabin. This indicates by past experience that there was pretty good survival in the area.

[Coach]

Late August/Sept. I was seeing dead young-of-the-year Grouse on Hwy 6 between Emily and Remer on the drive to the Cabin. This indicates by past experience that there was pretty good survival in the area.

Chef, do you mean that being you are seeing dead birds that it would be bad, not good survival?

[Pinusbanksiana]

Late August/Sept. I was seeing dead young-of-the-year Grouse on Hwy 6 between Emily and Remer on the drive to the Cabin. This indicates by past experience that there was pretty good survival in the area.

That is always a good sign. Car hit grouse numbers are high when the population is peaking.

[Cheetah]

I hunted a few areas along the North Shore this morning and yesterday. Only managed to spot one grouse on a trail and by the time I ran up to get in range it had snuck off through the brush and I couldn't get it to flush. Heard one shot sounded like a road hunter, nothing else. Other guys I spoke with had only seen one or two as well, nothing shot.

Leaves are starting to turn up there, this coming weekend should be nice for color.

[surewood]

Was'nt sure how it would be with the wet weather this year, but went for a quick hunt and got three. Saw six on the trail as it's thick on the edges. Which I've found usually means there is good numbers if I see that many on the trails. Did'nt see many while bowhunting early this season, but now I see them almost everytime out. All three were this years birds.