How common are Ruffed Grouse around here? I've never seen one, but google tells me the drummiing I've been hearing for the last 2 hours behind my turkey blind is one. I'm about 40k south of London btw. Are there huntable populations, or few and far between?
SW Ontario Ruffed Grouse
- Thread starter sawatzky
- Start date
varys from year to year. Same here though, Hear lots of drumming this spring.
I know lots of rain really effects chick survival rate. A lot of spring rain can do horrible things to a new crop of Grouse. I usually only take one or two each fall. Just to keep my dog happy.
I know lots of rain really effects chick survival rate. A lot of spring rain can do horrible things to a new crop of Grouse. I usually only take one or two each fall. Just to keep my dog happy.
There are decent numbers of grouse where the habitat is conducive, but as DeerDoc says... the are very spooky... a 12 gauge with modified choke and heavy game loads of number 7 1/2 and quick reflexes are usually required... up here in the north we are blessed with more habitat and fewer hunters which equals more and better opportunities... in addition to ruffed grouse we hunt spruce grouse and sharptails.
When we were hunting turkeys on opening weekend the grouse were drumming steadily.
When we were hunting turkeys on opening weekend the grouse were drumming steadily.
freddyfour
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County, Ontario
Is it me or are the Spruce a lot dumber then the Ruffles?
40 km south of London. Would that not put u in Lake Erie lol. Anyway yes there are huntable populations here but don't expect to fill your limit. You must work hard and cover a lot of ground. I usually take 4-5 a season while rabbit hunting. They flush far and fly fast
I'm in the Chatham Kent area
I'm in the Chatham Kent area
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
I think this a lot to do with location. Spruce grouse only exist in Northern ON where pretty much all grouse are tame. Ruffies do live in the south and those birds are very spooky.
Where they co-exist in the north I dont notice that much of a difference. Both just kinda stand there and look at you up until the *bang*.
Wow, never seen a single one in North East CK, lots of turkeys since the re population efforts. Wonder if the MNR would ever undertake similar efforts on grouse?
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
Probably not. Southern ON isnt really ideal habitat for them anymore, and its a fact that grouse and turkeys DO NOT co-exist well together (the grouse lose, in short). Add that to the fact that the population as a whole in Ontario is fine, and MNR has no money, and the answer is no.
jlovie
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Unfortunately my dad had one fly through his bedroom window last week, which is bizarre because the bedroom is on the second floor. He lives on six acres of bush and that's the only one he's seen in 4 years. She had broken one egg on the way through the window I guess and still had another inside her which makes it even more sad. She did taste good but it's still a shame it happened.
hurrikane18
Member
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Spruce's are dark meat, and Ruffies are white meat that taste exactly like chicken. Both are delicious and only take about 2 minutes to field clean. Makes them a win/win to hunt. Enjoy!
maple leaf
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
Took a pic of this beauty in a forest near my home. Hopefully it will grow bigger for the hunting season and eventually be found in a pot of stew 
They are not dumber... they have just adapted to escape techniques that don't work well for human predators... flushing into a tree doesn't work well against shotguns... but in nature it is more effective than the ruffed grouses tendency to run for short distances and/or hide... they also flush wildly (Southern or late season birds). Sprucies do pretty well against skunks, coons, foxes and coyotes... not as well against martins and fisher... or shotguns, .22's or pellet guns (with which we have killed hundreds).
Took a pic of this beauty in a forest near my home. Hopefully it will grow bigger for the hunting season and eventually be found in a pot of stew
A ruffie?... in a stew?.... pure blasphemy....
There isn't a "dumb" wild animal. Put you in the wilderness and let you survive with nothing more than what you were born with and we will see how long you survive. Like Hoytcanon said it is their escape techniques that normally work 99 times out of 100 with wild predators don't happen to work so well with human predators. If they fly into a tree, they are normally safe from ground predators and aerial predators have a hard time getting to them because of the branches. We can still see them and can reach out and touch them still but they don't understand that. If they freeze and use their camouflage it works very effectively. i guarantee you have walked right by countless grouse that have seen you, but not you them. However when they are in the middle of the road and they choose to freeze they stand out like a sore thumb. That which has worked for them in the woods then works against them for a human predator. But to call any wild animal stupid gets my goat a little. I have met many stupid humans. Wild animals... not so much...
Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
Spruce Grouse like Varying Hares rely on camoflage to avoid predators. Which why they frequently will hope up into a spruce tree and hug the trunk hoping you won't see them. Get one to flush for you and they are every bit as hard to hit with a shotgun as a Ruffed Grouse, they are just let likely to flush.
Good to hear you have them that far south. One of the better bounties of the the nature in Ontario, both for wingshooters and meat hunters. Wonder if yours are occasional lost ones or there are healthy populations down there. Unfortunately, in my hunt camp area (Central Ontario), their once mighty population has been going down steadily in past 10 years. Some blame foxes and raccoons (not likely) and some suggest that it is a cyclical thing. If it is cyclical, we have been on the down leg for the last 10 years.
Somebody suggested Turkey population might be responsible for Ruffed grouse decline. Not sure how, since they have different diet and ...etc. But very interested to know more, since their decline in my area did actually coincide with turkeys starting to show up here.
Somebody suggested Turkey population might be responsible for Ruffed grouse decline. Not sure how, since they have different diet and ...etc. But very interested to know more, since their decline in my area did actually coincide with turkeys starting to show up here.
maple leaf
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
