Grouse hunting, bush or trail?

Slaymoar

Slaymoar

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Ontario
I was out from 9am until 2pm today, pushing bush the whole time. Thick brush and some small clearings. Some places seemed like grouse hot spots. However, I didn't see a dang thing. I saw a woodpecker, a bunch of blue jays, and a lot of squirrels. I was hoping to see a grouse, but the most I got was some drumming in the distance. It got more distant as I moved towards it. Didn't get a single flush or nothing. I tried to be quiet but I took my step son with me and his feet were lazy and clunky and loud, although he did improve a lot, when he got tired it was like a pack of elephants all over the woods. But I'd think I would at least get a flush... some places I have hunted grouse I would shoot several times and they would still be found by walking a hundred yards or so.

Maybe I should stick to trails where I can be more quiet? I guess I can't really come to a full conclusion from just today - but yeah at least me and my son had a nice walk in the bush. :wave:
 
Some days are just blanks, to start with. If it was sunny, grouse really don't like it when the sun is right overhead, I assume it hides hawks coming in that way. The other thing grouse naturally worry about is something sneaking up and pouncing on them, so windy days where everything is rustlilng are bad too. But don't worry about actually sneaking up on them because as a booted human you can't, your advantage is that they're just not hardwired to panic at the approach of a big clunky creature.

I always found the #1 trick is to believe the grouse are there, always believe it no matter what. Otherwise they're just walking away from the sound of your footsteps and you're not seeing them. Finally, it's hard to know where grouse will turn up at the best of times, and so the only way to predict where you'll find them is to try all areas and learn where the best ones are- and then visit all the others occasionally. But it is true that ruffies like the edges of things, the ecotones, where it's open on one side and forested on the other. That give them less to worry about, I think, and also is where a lot of the food they like grows best.
 
Where are you hunting? with moose opening up in much of the province this weekend I've noticed the increased traffic has driven the birds off the trails. Everybody and his brother are out on ATV's it seems.

I walked the edge of some cuts today and pushed two grouse and a half dozen woodcock. Slower than it has been for sure.
 
Grouse are creatures of "the edges..." the reason that trails work so well is the they delineated between cover types, by providing a break... they also have gravel and grasses and seeds and other attractants... often, bush roads have been bulldozed, which leaves cover and "mounding" down the sides of the roads... grouse love to perch on these mounds as it gives them visibility to avoid predators... this often doesn't work well vs. A 20 gauge...

IMO you are overly concerned about noise related to successfully hunting grouse... you won't shoot many deer or bears by clomping around in the bush, but you should still come across grouse just fine as long as you slow your speed and use your eyes.
 
hoytcanon said:
Grouse are creatures of "the edges..." the reason that trails work so well is the they delineated between cover types, by providing a break... they also have gravel and grasses and seeds and other attractants... often, bush roads have been bulldozed, which leaves cover and "mounding" down the sides of the roads... grouse love to perch on these mounds as it gives them visibility to avoid predators... this often doesn't work well vs. A 20 gauge...

IMO you are overly concerned about noise related to successfully hunting grouse... you won't shoot many deer or bears by clomping around in the bush, but you should still come across grouse just fine as long as you slow your speed and use your eyes.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and of course I am very silent when it comes to deer. I wont bring my stepson to that until he is older and capable of proper footing. He's doing alot better, but he's from the city and hasn't been out in the bush other than me actually taking him.
 
I hunt ATV trails active or abandoned exclusively. One thing I've noticed over the years, Grouse don't seemed to be bother by some fool racing through the trails on an ATV, usually they'll just hunker down as it goes by. This can also apply to hunters walking too fast. For example, yesterday, I was coming up a trail and met 2 hunters who were leaving the trail at their truck to try another spot. I walked down a secondary trail, 30' adjacent to the main one which creates a thick island between both trails, they just walked up. Five feet in that trail, I shot a Hare, the secondary trail circles back to the main one, where a shot a Grouse exactly where these 2 hunters had walked past the 5 minutes earlier.
 
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I stick to old trails, seismic lines, thin forested areas, and railway tracks. My springers are gone and without a dog you will see almost nothing in the bush or clearings. They are there, but a dog is the only one with a change in hell to find them.
 
I usually stick to the trails and only go in if I flush one deep in... in heavy brush you not only make more noise then a bear you probably wouldnt see a grouse hiding more than a few feet from you if they dont fly off or run away long before you get close.. and walkin through heavy brush you probably wouldnt even hear em runnin from you.. if theres no brush on the ground especially in pine or cedar stands ill zig zag through if the area seems promising.. mind you I just got into hunting this year and have been teaching myself.. haven't been birding since I was a kid before this year.. I have definitely honed some skills in that time... have driven a few hundred kms and walked for a couple dozen hours with numerous sightings.. every trip gets better, spotting birds earlier, more sightings, more shots and more birds
 
I've had all my success so far(second year hunting grouse) on the trails slowly walking and keeping my eyes peeled. Most of the time I've been able to spot the birds who hear my approach will simply raise their head and look on with curiosity making for an easy pot shot with the 22.Some have semi flushed as I approach but they haven't gone far and I can just stalk them and get a shot with the 22. Last time out I missed a bird due to it being behind some brush and whilst trying to find a shot between the branches it disappeared. Next day went out and got myself a 20ga pump and now I won't be missing anymore birds due to a couple twigs and of course I'll be able to take birds on the wing as well should the need or opportunity arise.
 
Walk slowly, pause, walk slowly, pause, etc, etc..... They often flush or walk when you pause. Same as with some other game animals, the pause makes them nervous. They'll sit tight and you can walk by 10 feet from them without seeing them. I think when you pause they think you may be onto them and they better skidaddle. The other thing to check when you get one is the contents of their crop. If you know what they're eating it will at least help you focus on food sources. This year I've found the crops mostly hold clover, and one type of bud that I've yet to identify. I've focused on quad trails that have some clover growing in the middle and along the edges. Of course the sand and/or gravel helps too.
 
I agree with the statement that Ruffed Grouse are creatures of the edges. Also, where a creek meets a trail is where you have the best chance of spotting them. Not sure why.

In the bush, they mostly walk away from a danger rather than flushing. Flushing is their last resort. Their walking on dry leaves gives them away. Sometimes they make a distinctive muffled buk buk when walking away. Not unlike farm chicken. I often hear them before seeing them.

Having said that, their population in some parts of Ontario has gone down ten fold in the last 5-6 years. Far more than what can be caused by other predators. I suspect it is either a weather pattern thing or a grouse specific disease like New castle has gone through them like wild fire. So if you are hunting in those areas, not seeing them might not be your wrong doing.
 
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9 am to 2 pm? In my experience, you were only out 1 hour in good hunting time. Best times are early morning and late evening. That middle part of the day, say 11 to 3, I have always found to be horribly slow. Almost pointless to be out. Focus on sunrise to mid-morning, then the last 2-3 hours before sunset.
 
I find them on the side of the trail after a rain when the sun comes out or late afternoon when they come out to gravel up.
Then again have found them in the bush near wild berry patches or where there are flowering bushes too.
Nothing like the sound of 3 grouse busting cover in 3 different directions either.
Have fun,
Rob
 
Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I use to walk trails back home and would find them all over the place, but now that im in the Trenton area there are hardly any places to hunt, and I haven't yet found crown land trails. I could bring my jack russel next time to see if he works out. He plays fetch like a champ so I wonder if a game bird would have the same effect.
 
Early mornings are the best on the trails. If you can find a wild apple tree patch somewhere you will have the best grouse hunt of your life.
 
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