Grouse Hunting Ethics

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WeakKnee said:
Northern Ontario grouse do not flush like they do in the south. Most of my grouse are shot in trees or on the ground, the few that do fly I usually miss. My excuse is Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, if all the flushing birds reproduce, then they will evolved into a more intelligent species! WK
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Ha ha ha...I'll take them however I can get them. On the wing, standing still, running, walking, in a tree...whatever, as long as I'm legal! I'll do the above without compunction every time because I remember the many miles I walked hunting them while growing up and having them flush from 50 yards away, sight unseen in thick bush; so skittish were they!
 
Either or is fine: it's really going to depend on your skill. Personally I like to shoot them on the wing but my kids shoot them on the ground and will continue to do so until they get the skill to wing shoot.
 
WeakKnee said:
Northern Ontario grouse do not flush like they do in the south. Most of my grouse are shot in trees or on the ground, the few that do fly I usually miss. My excuse is Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, if all the flushing birds reproduce, then they will evolved into a more intelligent species! WK
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This has been my experience as well. Most of my shots are on the ground as I live in the north. But when I'm down south and have a chance to shoot them, it's almost always on the wing.
 
Chuckbuster said:
Ha ha ha...I'll take them however I can get them. On the wing, standing still, running, walking, in a tree...whatever, as long as I'm legal! I'll do the above without compunction every time because I remember the many miles I walked hunting them while growing up and having them flush from 50 yards away, sight unseen in thick bush; so skittish were they!
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I will shoot them anywhere, in the air, everywhere.
Like green eggs and ham.
 
dand883 said:
I think it depends more on the area and how the birds react to people.

I always hear on cgn how people get them with .22's and they can just walk right up to them, but that's obviously nowhere near where I hunt. It seems that here on the east coast we have a much more timid spooky bird than you guys out west, a lot of the time they spook before you get near enough to even know they were there and when they do spook it's into the thickest stuff around and they just keep going in a lot of cases.
So for me, it's rare enough to even see one on the ground before it takes off flying, so if you get a chance while it's on the ground, you'd better take it or you'll be picking up some KFC on the way home.
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^this. Ethics? Clean/quick kill, stay within the boundaries of the law, have fun. I can walk for 6-8 kms and MAYBE see 1-2 birds. Usually, those birds I don't see at all. They'll flush in extremely thick bush, at some distance...lucky if I even see them for a flash. Most of the time I don't, and I move slow/quietly through the woods. BUT...since I've been shooting trap for 30 years, any grouse I can have maybe 1-2 seconds with usually ends-up wrapped in bacon, being cooked indirect with charcoal. :)

And yes, having read this thread...clearly there are parts of Canada where the grouse are easy pickings (=dumb). That is simply not the case in the places I hunt. They may be "dumb" in the scheme of things, but they're smart enough to keep their distance from hunters like me.
 
WeakKnee said:
Northern Ontario grouse do not flush like they do in the south. Most of my grouse are shot in trees or on the ground, the few that do fly I usually miss. My excuse is Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, if all the flushing birds reproduce, then they will evolved into a more intelligent species! WK
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Your excuse may be correct. I was told that Northern Ontario grouse don't flush as hard because most of their predation comes from the air particularly from goshawks. Meanwhile, in Southern Ontario the biggest threat is from coyotes and foxes. So in the south the flushing trait becomes more pronounced in subsequent generations but suppressed in the north.

The only ethics involved for me is population related. I stopped hunting them on my property several years ago when flushes and drumming became less frequent.
 
I think we have a enough rules to follow already so why make up new ones
In joy the hunt if you're worried about ethics take a kid with you and teach em it will balance out
 
dand883 said:
I think it depends more on the area and how the birds react to people.

I always hear on cgn how people get them with .22's and they can just walk right up to them, but that's obviously nowhere near where I hunt. It seems that here on the east coast we have a much more timid spooky bird than you guys out west, a lot of the time they spook before you get near enough to even know they were there and when they do spook it's into the thickest stuff around and they just keep going in a lot of cases.
So for me, it's rare enough to even see one on the ground before it takes off flying, so if you get a chance while it's on the ground, you'd better take it or you'll be picking up some KFC on the way home.
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You're right about the birds here. They are VERY spooky and not often shot on the ground. Most are only heard flushing without even a glimpse or chance with a shotgun.

I grew up in Ont and used to head shoot grouse at our moose camp in N Ont. It was easy and good fun for a kid trying to learn the ropes. I soon had to relearn those rope when I moved to NB.
 
Ground shots are more ethical because you have a better chance of a clean kill with less meat wasted. I find with wingshooting, by the time I cut out the lead and feathers, all I have left is a beak and an arse hole
 
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