Grouse hunters Journal

[2thepointsetters]

I will probably be hunting pheasants but depending on what day you chase grouse I might be in. Watching mine and uplander's dogs point together is almost worth giving up a pheasant trip.

[CRAZYEYES]

Yesterday I drove up to the mcgregor area. I walked pretty solid from about noon until just before dark. I think I saw 8 birds and heard about a half a dozen others that I never got a look at. The woods are still real thick in that area but should be better by the weekend as the leaves were coming down with every gust of wind but it might be a couple weeks to kill of the underbrush. I ended up with 3 but should have had a couple otheres. I could write another chapter about my totaly unawesome shooting moments with a couple of the birds but did make one real good shot where I could'nt belive that i got it. Thats hunting!

[uplander]

Matt ..Did you get an e-mail from me?...if not mine is [email protected]

[Basseyes]

9/30/2009

Kanabec Co

Was planning on spending a full day hunting. Flushed 15 grouse only harvested one. Missed a few woodcock flushed 8. A couple hours into it my gun felt like it was the barrel off a tank. Short story long got sick and had to leave the woods. Not cool. Missed a give me on a trail that had the dog giving me the look. Flushed one couldn't even get the gun up on. Oh well stuff happens. Grouse numbers are up I'd say. Wood cock numbers seem down a bit to me so far. Few people out.

10/8/2009

St. Louis Co

Had to pull down the bear baiting signs, switch out cards in the trail cameras and check on the food plot. Saw a flock of Eagles on a field North of our property that were feeding on something. Must have been a dozen matures with at least 6 young ones. Ravens and magpies every where. Kind of cool. Flushed my first sharptail on our land that was nice to see. In an hour and a half or so flushed 5 grouse and 2 woodcock. Harvested 2 grouse. Breezy and cool. Great hunting weather. Dogs doing great. Woodcock numbers seem off to me but haven't had a chance to hunt them a lot yet.

[Chef]

My Son and I hit one of my all-time best producing spots early this Saturday morning. It's just south of Winnie (Hwy 2).

I was disappointed to have flushed only two that were together sitting on a tree branch. We walked about 3 miles total through some usually stellar cover. We went back to the cabin birdless.

[shooter_mcgavin]

We did a fair amount of walking in the Beltrami state forest and only saw three grouse this weekend. Found them up in the tree branches. I think they were seeking cover up in the pines with all the snow coming down.

[Matt Breuer]

My dad and brother hunted Friday near Beltrami and only saw 2 ruffies and two sharptail. Saturday they were West of there for the early antlerless season and said they had ruffs everywhere around their stands walking around and up in the hazelnut bushes. That's how it always works... Also talked to a guy who hunted all day Saturday and figured the birds never came out of roost where he was, he only saw birds in the trees...

Myself and the pups hunted for 3 hours on Sunday around Bemidji. With the warm morning sun we found some birds on the move, putting up 5 and knocking down 1. As soon as the sun disappeared we headed in. After supper we hit two old standby's and found 3 more birds, knocking down 2. Should have had 5 birds total, but I messed up a covey, only getting one, and I also screwed up an easy flush straight down a cut because I didn't have my pump fully engaged forward.

Found all of the birds in a 15-20 year old mix of aspen and pine...

[lindy rig]

Hunted with my Dad (and dog Star)in Itasca county and Chippewa Natl Forest.

10/9 Friday

We had a good 'grouse day'. Mostly sunny and the birds were moving around. Biggest challenge was the leaves still on the trees. Heard a ton of birds, but was tough to get a visual on most. A couple nice wing shots and the dog even put one in a tree for us. Probably the best moment was when my dad shot at a flushing grouse in some thick cover. He didn't think he got it but I said we should let the dog look around. I walked over to him [PoorWordUsage]-ing and 3 minutes later Star came running up to us with the bird. My dad was just so happy and impressed. We ended the day with 5 in the bag.

10/10 Saturday

Snow and wind made for a tough day. Not many birds moving and despite busting through some thick cover and pines could not locate many birds. I think they stayed roosted for most of the day. We got skunked.

10/11 Sunday

Snow on the ground, but calmer winds. The snow added another challenge on top of the leaves. The leaves all had a layer of snow on them, which in turn fell on your face as you walked the woods. Very unusual combination. Again, heard many more birds than actually saw. A few more birds moving around though. We ended up with 3 grouse.

10/12 Monday Morning

Went duck hunting in the morning with limited success. Snow started falling again, heavy at times. We did spend about two hours in the woods on our way home. Got one more bonus grouse and called it a good trip.

By the way, Matt B it sounds like you're having a good grouse season. Thanks again for the walleye tips this summer on Lake Bemidji.

[Powerstroke]

My first time in a new area today. I got a tip from a fellow FM guy and I'm very thankful. Fortunately for him he can be assured I left plenty of birds in the woods.

10/13 Clam winds and 22*F for morning temp. Wind picked up a little once it warmed. I flushed 5 grouse and 3 woodies. I was able to take one woodcock. There are 3 very lucky grouse in there that I cannot believe I missed, but they flew away without even a loose feather. I'm quite rusty and its my first real season hunting grouse which is quite different for me when I'm not in the open prairie shooting pheasants.

I will definitely try again.

[2thepointsetters]

The hard frost up here really helped thin the woods and get the grouse moving. I went out after work tonight for a hour and put up 5 and got 1 over the setters. Those numbers are way better than what I had been seeing so far. They were on the edge of a 20 year old cut about 30 to 50 yards off the small walking trail.

[Matt Breuer]

Sounds like today was the grouse hunters dream. Everyone I spoke to today did very well. I made it out for 2 hours, put up 10, put down 3. I also had 2 easy trail birds I passed on while on my way out of the woods. They scurried just into the hazelnuts as I drove by. My brother was out for an hour after work tonight up North, he moved 8 and got 2. My dad was up at our land and put up 5 and got 1. Also spoke to a buddy who was hunting down near Mora and put up roughly 30 birds today.

Perfect conditions made for great hunting! Wish I would've had more time to chase them today, but the 2 trails we hit were fun-filled enough to keep me happy for a few days...

[CRAZYEYES]

Good to hear that there are plenty of birds around Mora, I'm headed that way tomorrow morning to grouse hunt and my friend has a farm to hunt just southwest of mora near dalbo where there are supposed to be a quite a few roosters around. should be intresting.

[Big R]

Your buddy must know some real good spots because I've hunted a lot around Mora recently and haven't put up one bird. However, this has all been on public land.

[brittman]

A couple comments.

First month of the season I always follow up every shot. I believe that about 25% of the birds I bring to hand I did NOT see fall. Just have a hunch they did not keep flying. Dog may or may not be on them and scenting conditions do not always allow a quick find if the bird falls dead or walks into brush. Now if you miss a bird flying straight down the trail, that you know is a miss

Hunt "grouse habitat" and the grouse will eventually be there. A couple years ago I had a place that always held birds in October. Saw nothing there one fall after two or three hunts and quit going there. Then in a quick hunt in late November right before the first major snow - I moved 15 birds and shot 3. Where they were in October is anyones guess.

I find that I hear/see equal numbers of birds on public and private land. For grouse I guess I see habitat as more important than land ownership. Usually the birds on public land do not provide as easy a shot as those birds pursued on private land. But depending upon dispersal, etc... some late season public birds are not too wise either.

[rmkod]

Hunted around Mcgrath today, third time this year. Put up between 12-15 birds each time. A few woodcock here and there. Numbers seem pretty similar to last year.

[CRAZYEYES]

Two buddies and I hunted yesterday morning just sout of mcgregor. We saw quite a few birds but for some reason there were a lot of jumpy ones. We ended up with 4 and probobly saw in the neighborhood of about 25 betweem 8 and 1 o'clock. Then we drove about an hour down to a spot we had near dalbo to do a little pheasant hunting. We put up 5 roostersand a pile of hens. We ended up with 2 and crippled one that the dog never wound up with even though it chased it for quite a ways through the corn where it ran in. Fun day though anytime you get to grouse and pheasant hunt in the same day.

[SledNeck]

The hard frost up here really helped thin the woods and get the grouse moving. I went out after work tonight for a hour and put up 5 and got 1 over the setters. Those numbers are way better than what I had been seeing so far. They were on the edge of a 20 year old cut about 30 to 50 yards off the small walking trail.

If you want to hunt some really good spots give me a call. I walked a trail in the snow/rain today and flushed 28 birds with the dog. Hour and a half of easy dry walking.

[grousewoods]

Does this look like the Mora area? Late afternoon hunt!One grouse&wookcock

[grousewoods]

The moring hunt started at 8:15 the temp was at 54 I knew it was only going to get hotter as the day went on and in the back of my mine how long were the dogs going to last,it was dry and not much ground water was around this area so i would be humping in the water for all of us that day and with the humidity at 90 persent, half day may be it. pack some go bars and off we when. Almost two hours into it all I have seen is bear scat and it was getting fresher as the day went on, maybe he was seeing all the birds and I was only in is foot steps only for a walk in his woods. There are some weard things that enter into ones mined, maybe it's age? Well I won't bore you with the hole day! Just the end photo of a bear foot day!

[Big R]

No. Mora is in Kanabec County not Aitkin County.

[NoWiser]

10/16-10/18 St. Louis County

Got to spot in time to hunt the last hour or so on Friday. Dead calm, very slight drizzle, and damp woods. Perfect scenting conditions for the dog, who had multiple solid points. Unfortunately, our shooting just wasn't up to snuff and we ended up with one woodcock for the evening.

Saturday was beautiful! We only got time to hunt about 1/2 hour in the morning and another hour in the evening. People EVERYWHERE!! But, mostly just road hunters, which left the woods pretty quiet once you left the trails. The red mini-van cruising down the trail with both sliding doors open and two guys locked and loaded hanging out the sides took the cake for the weekend. We missed a couple grouse and an easy shot at a woodcock, ruining my streak of 8 straight doodle flushes, and hits.

Sunday was another nice day. My gimp knee didn't allow me to hunt more than 1/2 hour in the morning with one flush and no shot. Headed home early to beat traffic.

Overall the woods are looking great compared to two weeks ago. Leaves are dropping and the grouse are out!

[CRAZYEYES]

Hunted near Cook and Orr both Saturday and Sunday. With a little nice weather there were a ton of people in the woods. In 2 days we figure we saw somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 plus birds. They were hanging out in any stand of younger aspens. Lots of wild flushes and birds we never got a look at. 3 of us got 14 and could have shot a few woodcock but none of us really are that fond of them. We also think we flushed a sprucie but we did not get a real good look. Everybody we ran into seemed to have a bird or two and had seen quite a few.

[TylerS]

10/17-10/18 St. Louis County

First time out this year and probably the last. Kind of a bummer considering the NR license cost 85.50. Ouch! But it was worht it for another crack on some ruffies.

Went to my grandparents' place near Chisholm. Hunted some trails that only we know about. Took the wife along as an observer as she didn't want to hunt. Kicked up 8 grouse the first morning and nothing to show for it. Missed a gimme shot at about 5 feet off the trail. Was afraid of blowing him apart so aimed for his head and missed entirely. Oh well. That afternoon dad came up and we hit a public trail. Kicked up 10 and dad shot 1 while I got 2. Hard to take shots without a dog as finding birds becomes a problem. Have to be very selective on flushes.

Finally ended the day on a quick jaunt down a well-known path. Hit the Y in the road. Dad goes right, I go left. 50 feet down I kick up another grouse at that No. 3 for me.

Saturday just had time to hunt the morning. Not nearly as many birds. Got off a couple shots, but nothing to show for it. Oh well, there's always next year!

[uplander]

10/19

Mille Lacs County

overcast 50 breezy

Hunted three hours from 11 to 2 fluhed 10 birds..7 grouse and three woodcock. All the woodcock were pointed and bagged but those dang grouse refused to be table fare.. 4 grouse pointed only mannaged one desperation shot ..Found them in thick cover lots of ground cover rasberry vines and tangles all along the edges of sloughs. leaves are really coming down can't wait to get back out!!

[grousewoods]

Big red,

Yes, I didn't what to give to much away!!!

[Lunker]

10/8-10/19

Was in Itasca county for a couple of weeks. Hunted a few hours every day or every other day.

Flushed 3-10 birds an afternoon. When the weather was better, there were still a lot of leaves, and shooting was tough. Was flushing all single birds. Had a cold front come through with snow and temps in the teens. Before and after that I was flushing most out of the birds out of the young aspen. During the cold weather, wind and snow more of the birds were sticking close to or in the pines. As the leaves came down, it got a bit better, but not quite as many birds flushed. With the cold weather, the birds grouped up, and would do a lot more hunting before stumbling onto groups from 2-6 birds.

Did not do fantastic, but managed some birds. My best day was a day I only flushed 3, but got all 3 of them. Mostly hunted alone with the lab.

[rbjork]

has anyone been hunting around the Dalbo WMA and if so how did it turn out?

[SledNeck]

Hunted today in the rain then sleet then snow

put up 10 dropped 2

they were buzzin my head when I was grabbing a bird from my dog

I love hutning in this weather

[brittman]

Enough rain in October already. How about 2 days of sun in a row?

[Basseyes]

Enough rain in October already. How about 2 days of sun in a row?

What he said!