Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Grouse Hunting in Deer Zone 1 - Safe Yet?


DewDropper89

Recommended Posts

I have sat out the last two weekends of grouse hunting in my usual areas for safety and in respect for firearms deer hunters only getting a handful of days to hunt eache year. BUT...I've got all the fall chores done and my patience is waning! Wondering if walking around in the woods on the last weekend of firearms hunting in this area would be safe or should I drive the extra miles to the West to get into Zone 2? The drive isn't the inconvenience, I just won't know the area as well. Overall, safety for myself and my dog are my top priorities, so I am looking for honest opinions - will deer hunter density be high in State Forests in Zone 1 this weekend? Will grouse hunting be an annoyance or considered inconsiderate? I am a novice grouser and haven't tried to hunt grouse during firearms deer season before. Your suggestions/opinions will be appreciated! Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In a nut shell...I'd stay out of the grouse woods during gun hunting unless you are on your own land, and even then both the dog and I'd be head to toe blaze orange and keeping an eye out for hunters. Some guys would be happy to have you drive deer around, and some would be angry.

Pheasant hunting is a bit more doable on public land because you see a lot further and tell by vehicles parked on WMA's who is hunting where.

I never want to find out how I'd handle someone shooting my dog on purpose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I stay out. Too many red necks out there that would shoot your dog. I hunt mainly trails. If a truck is parked there, I pick another one to walk. If you did want to hunt, make sure no vehicles are around your area that has one way in and one way out. I am tempted this time of year too, but I know how some people get. Try road hunting and hit small areas where you know nobody is around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DD89: I would stay out. I live in Zone 1 and I am chompping at the bit to get back out there, but I will not chance it with my dog. Over the past few days I have heard too many comments of "if it's brown it's down". Every year somebody dies because some hunter shoots first and then looks to see what they shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10-4, everybody. I hear you loud and clear. For this weekend I will play it safe and head over to Zone 2 where the main firearms season is over. But next weekend, it's back to the old haunts. Thanks for your input.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Nope not me.  May want to go nextdoor and ask around?  
    • smurfy
      Looks to me like Leech brought his chair home!!😅😆
    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.