grouse

[fishinjosh98]

why are they so stupid

[Bowfin]

I don't think they are stupid. They have humbled me a time or two!

[CRAZYEYES]

If your brain was the size of a peanut you wouldnt be too smart either! What they lack in inteligence they make up for in flying speed.

[Fins-n-feathers]

If they are so stupid, how many have you gotten, O Wise Master of Grouse?

As CrazyEyes said, they make up for it in speed.

[life=outdoors92]

i would actually say its a little too much curiosity. i know plenty of times being up north, workin in the yard, road or woods and they waddle on by you, and just watch. there's a bird drumming only 40 feet from my buddy's cabin. he said they watch it whenever they want cause it lets them get within 25, 30 feet. and when he's not drummin or sittin on the log, he walks into their yard or along the edge and watches them

[Matt Breuer]

When you're courting a lady or protecting your home you probably don't get scared away easily either....

[uplander]

Most of the grouse's predators don't cary shotguns with bird shot...also they don't walk on 2 legs...sometimes when you see a grouse up north it is the first time they have seen a human! But believe me it doesn't take them long to develope the fear of man...Were i do most of my hunting you can't get close to a grouse on the ground in the open...he sees you ...he's gone! Grouse are born with an inate fear of pedators on 4 legs and from above. When being hunted from above they freeze as still as can be and when hunted from the ground all they have to do is fly up into a tree. It works for them....not so much when facing a shotgun full of 7 1/2 's . You should let those dumb ones have a fighting chance and make em fly. After all it's just a sport and you could just go to Mc D's later for a burger.

[pikefisherman]

The absolute dumbest grouse species there is has got to be the Spruce grouse. We were coming out of this old abandoned forestry area, where a logging road ran through the entire thing with trails everywhere into the woods. And on the way out, on the gravel logging road, we passed 2 spruce grouse going 50 mph. We stopped and got out, walked back about 30 ft, and shot them in the trees. They were both sitting up high in the tree and the first one to get shot at just continued to sit there, even after being shot once. So it was shot a second time and fell from about 30 ft up and was still partly alive. The second stayed up there the entire time, despite all of the gunfire. We were able to shoot it as well.

The next year (2009 season) we went back to the same area and pretty much the same thing happened. I fired 3 shells at one and it just sat there. I am not sure if it was even hit by any of the BBs.. but I went back to the truck and grabbed another 3 shells and fired them all of and it finally came down.

I look down the road and there is another, pecking at the gravel on the logging road. I took a shot at it, then my brother shot twice, I think we both missed.. lol. But even though it was just being shot at, it continued to just sit there! Of course as we approach it a little closer, it flies into a tree. Missed that one.

The ruffed grouse definitely seem a lot smarter than the spruce grouse though, that's for sure.

Well, that's my 2 cents.

[life=outdoors92]

thats the reason many people call them a "fools hen". i have heard countless stories where people have gotten close enough to almost touch them

[pikefisherman]

thats the reason many people call them a "fools hen". i have heard countless stories where people have gotten close enough to almost touch them

I agree with being able to almost touch them.. also up where we were hunting (in the same area) we were driving to find some trails and there were 2 ruffed sitting on a log drumming their wings. I was the only one in the truck that noticed and I'm like stop! haha got out and they were still drumming their wings, my brother shot one. The other was scurrying along in the woods. I spotted it, just sitting there, and got it. I guess what I should've said in my last post was that ALL grouse up north (really far up north, meaning near the Canadian border with MN) seem to be extremely dumb!

It sure is funny though haha.

[Matt Breuer]

I love how you're talking about how dumb the grouse were, eventhough you had to spend $8 trying to knock them out of the tree and off of a gravel road. Irony at it's finest...

[pikefisherman]

So you're calling me dumb?

Oh well, I had plenty of shells. I bought a few cases earlier in the year because they were on sale so I saved them for the season.

[SledNeck]

If your brain was the size of a peanut you wouldnt be too smart either! What they lack in inteligence they make up for in flying speed.

They must not make up too much considering that the ruffed grouse is the slowest flying upland game bird

[2thepointsetters]

The next year (2009 season) we went back to the same area and pretty much the same thing happened. I fired 3 shells at one and it just sat there. I am not sure if it was even hit by any of the BBs.. but I went back to the truck and grabbed another 3 shells and fired them all of and it finally came down.

I look down the road and there is another, pecking at the gravel on the logging road. I took a shot at it, then my brother shot twice, I think we both missed.. lol. But even though it was just being shot at, it continued to just sit there! Of course as we approach it a little closer, it flies into a tree. Missed that one.

Do you even read what you post? Your calling the bird stupid, but come on 2 guys shooting multiple times at a bird on the ground and you cant hit it. Very good sportsmanship shown by your post.

[pikefisherman]

The grouse on the road was about 75 yards away from us. The spread was so wide at that point that I doubt the grouse even got hit once.

What are you trying to say with your sarcasm? That I show poor sportsmanship by shooting grouse off the ground? I find them on the ground more than I ever see them flying. In fact, every grouse I shot last season were taken on the ground.

Many hunters shoot grouse off the ground as well, so I recommend you keep your negative comments to yourself rather than criticizing me for what I prefer to do.

Thanks.

[Jameson]

The grouse on the road was about 75 yards away from us....

Sigh....

[pikefisherman]

I could be a little off, it could have been 30 yards or so.. it's hard to recall as it was early in the season.

[cribbageboy]

Sledneck,

I think what the poster was referring to was the ability for grouse to zig and zag. Not sure though. Rarely are us grouse hunters privileged with grouse flying in straight lines. Personally if I wanted that, I would go hunt pheasants.

[brittman]

Pikey,

Fishing must be so slow in GR so you had to come trolling here?

Matt and Setter let it go ...

[pikefisherman]

Haven't had the time to get out on the lake lately. When I first joined this forum I was just skimming through topics and came across this. I just thought I would share a little about grouse hunting. I'm not trying to make any kind of point or anything, sorry if I caused any problems.

[SledNeck]

Sledneck,

I think what the poster was referring to was the ability for grouse to zig and zag. Not sure though. Rarely are us grouse hunters privileged with grouse flying in straight lines. Personally if I wanted that, I would go hunt pheasants.

Ive hunted quail and their zig zagging make grouse look like a mark buerhle fastball

[cribbageboy]

SledNeck,

1. Not exactly an overabundance of quail here in MN.

2. Ruffed Grouse live in the woods

3. Northern Bobwhites live in grasslands

A "fastball" (that's a stretch)flying through aspen, alder, and spruce is far harder to shoot than a "curve ball" flying over grass. Just my opinion. Not saying either is easy but I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who will say ruffed grouse are sluggish by any standards.

[SledNeck]

SledNeck,

1. Not exactly an overabundance of quail here in MN.

2. Ruffed Grouse live in the woods

3. Northern Bobwhites live in grasslands

A "fastball" (that's a stretch)flying through aspen, alder, and spruce is far harder to shoot than a "curve ball" flying over grass. Just my opinion. Not saying either is easy but I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who will say ruffed grouse are sluggish by any standards.

I wasnt talking about bobwhites

[cribbageboy]

My bad. Bobwhites are the only ones in MN so I assumed. What are you refering to then?

[muc33]

again, guys, remember, we all own an opinion. No need for name calling, either straight forward or via side route. Thanks. As long as you are within the limits or methods of the law, no one can do anything but voice an opinion. Enjoy the outdoors, don't let the outdoors make you bitter or spiteful.

[SledNeck]

"valley" quail and Mountain quail

[cribbageboy]

Oh come on now....Comparing Valley and Mountain Quail hunting to Ruffed Grouse hunting in MN is apples to oranges. That would be like me saying ptarmigan are harder to shoot on the wing than grouse. Might be true, might not. IDK. Has nothing to do with the original statement though.

[SledNeck]

Oh come on now....Comparing Valley and Mountain Quail hunting to Ruffed Grouse hunting in MN is apples to oranges. That would be like me saying ptarmigan are harder to shoot on the wing than grouse. Might be true, might not. IDK. Has nothing to do with the original statement though.

The point is.

Grouse are by far the slowest flying upland game bird and easiest game bird Ive ever hunted, by far. They arent even close to the degree of difficulty of a quail.

[cribbageboy]

My point is that what you're saying has nothing to do with the original post. The question was why are they so stupid. My point is that they aren't, because of their flight. The question wasn't comparing upland game birds, but since you went there.....I can drop 3 pheasants for every 1 grouse. IMO grouse are NOT the easiest upland game bird to hunt. Everybody has a right to their opinion though. I'm just trying to stay on topic here.

[srfishin15]

I second the pheasant to grouse ratio.. too many trees to make hitting them easy. not that pheasants are EASY by any mean. But there usually arent huge 40 ft trees to block my shot. NOT SAYING IM A GREAT SHOT EITHER WHATSOEVER.