Anyone seeing good numbers of grouse so far?

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Butcherbill

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Is anyone else seeing grouse out and about lately? I've just started seeing a fair amount in my neck of the woods, moms and babies more than single birds. I've been getting excited at the thought of hunting wild chickens that's for sure!



^^^Saw three littles that headed into the trees, mom was playing wounded and trying to draw me
away.
 
I also am in Northern Ontario. I have dozens of hours in the bush scouting new clearcuts, looking for bear, chaga etc. Very few grouse so far.
But what I have seen is the largest concentration of hawks, osprey and bald eagles I can ever remember seeing in one year.

Correlation?
 
West of Rocky Mountain House, I have only hit one with the truck, looks like a good year, very early for a bird strike, hope it keeps up. How these stupid birds have survived this long is a mystery.
 
decent spring here with much warmer conditions and not so wet which is good for chick survival. Should be a decent year as I've been seeing quite a few driving out to my claim. Seeing lots of bunnies too which is a good sign for some fun shooting come fall ;)
 
45ACPKING said:
decent spring here with much warmer conditions and not so wet which is good for chick survival. Should be a decent year as I've been seeing quite a few driving out to my claim. Seeing lots of bunnies too which is a good sign for some fun shooting come fall ;)
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Oh nice, haven't seen any bunnies out and about yet. Fingers crossed though!
 
A couple of hours north of North Bay, the birds seem to be in the same numbers as last year, according to my wife. She's 2 hours a day on bush roads on her school run.
 
I have been spending quite a bit of time this spring in wmu 48 Ontario and it looks like a banner year for grouse at least my location. Many made it into breeding season. If there are two successful clutches raised it should be really good come fall. Lots of waterfowl and so-so numbers woodcock and a few snipe seen.
Wouldn't worry too much about osprey and bald eagles. Great horned owls and sharp shinned hawks are a different story.
 
I agree about the Eagles and the Osprey. However the shear number of smaller hawks is incredible. I only mentioned the larger birds as they are predators as well. Might be a small game low year.
 
In Ontario WMU 47 between Powassan and Restoule I have seen two over about 6 days in the bush. In 82a in South Central Ontario between Flesherton and Durham at my deer camp there are enough that I stopped counting.

I also saw one on the side of the road south of Guelph and east of Aberfoyle. This is the first grouse I have seen in this part of Ontario in about 30 years.
 
cheapsk8 said:
I agree about the Eagles and the Osprey. However the shear number of smaller hawks is incredible. I only mentioned the larger birds as they are predators as well. Might be a small game low year.
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During the migration there can be a ton of raptors all of a sudden in one locale. Now they have redistributed for breeding I bet it looks different. Glad to see the eagles bounce back from previous Ontario numbers though. I think there are 6 breeding pairs or more local to the city of London. I'm seeing eagles and osprey almost every day. No peregrines yet but last year saw them frequently. My favorite are Kestrels.
 
Have put a few hundred or so k's out in the bewsh skowt'in'round and the few I've seen
has me cawze furr kawnsirn.

Mind you, bears have bin sleep'in in too.
 
kamlooky said:
Have put a few hundred or so k's out in the bewsh skowt'in'round and the few I've seen
has me cawze furr kawnsirn.

Mind you, bears have bin sleep'in in too.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my limited exploring this spring hasn't turned up much. Saw a nice doe last week, but no bears or birds...
 
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