Grouse in the rain?

Beer Ogre

Beer Ogre

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Hey guys,

This is only my second year hunting. I get out on occasion with a friend after some birds from time to time, but the majority of my trek's into the bush are solo and I am for the most part self-taught in all things hunting and shooting so far. Despite my inexperience, I seem to do okay and usually come home with a grouse or two. That being said, I know there is still a lot I could learn about grouse hunting.

My question for you is this: Would I be wasting my time to hunt ruffed and spruce grouse either during or after rain? The reason I ask is the forecast for my area is looking pretty grim for the next entire week but despite that I'd like to get out if it's not totally hopeless.

Where do the grouse go in the rain? Do they like to come out shortly after it falls? Do they typically hide in wet conditions?

Any other tips you might have for a newbie bird hunter would be most welcome as well. :shotgun:
 
I've hunted grouse lots of time after rain (they come out pretty quick after it stops - particularly if it is getting sunny), or even during a light rain, as long as it has not been going on all day.
 
You can't get one of you don't go out! I hunt grouse in the rain, but it is tougher. Keep an eye in spruce and fir trees say 5-20 feet up, they may tuck in there in the heaviest rain, but still flush out for you.

RG

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It's defiantly tougher in rain, the grouse will stay in their hiding spots allot longer. They will still flush, but in most cases, you'll have to be closer before they fly up. As a rule, the grouse I've been around, don't run , but when it's raining, they move along the ground more.
 
The bush is so thick around here that they typically flee on foot more often then flushing away, especially early in the season like this when the coverage is really dense. They only have to scoot a few inches to vanish it seems.

I swear one ruffie on Saturday was mocking me. He disappeared over a hump in the terrain and ran down the other side. By the time I climbed the hump he was invisible. He couldn't have gone too far, and never took to the air. I bet the bugger hunkered down in the thick stuff and laughed at me as I tore around the area trying to make him flush.

They know better around here I think. Why fly away and make a racket when they can just ninja away into the brush? haha.

I wish the woods were sparser around here. I imagine that would make life easier and would cause more of them to take to the air.

After you flush and/or shoot one, be ready for a second or third, to still be close around.
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That's usually the surest time to get some flying fun. You pop the first bird that was fleeing on foot, and then the noise of the shot flushes the one you didn't even know was there. Come to think of it, maybe I should have fired a shot into the ground to make Saturday's ninja bird jump out of cover! haha. He certainly didn't seem too worried by my stumbling around anyway...
 
Be patient, as the underbrush thins out and some more leaves fall they will flush sooner. Right now they feel safer running under that canopy that is waist high and hard to see through.
 
Agreed, Bryan. I can't wait until it thins out a bit.

That being said, even once it does, I often still get surprised by them. On one occasion last year, it was early morning and a little bit foggy. The bush was extremely quiet without even the slightest of breezes.

I was walking a trail all by my lonesome, and suddenly about ten or twelve inches from my right ear a ruffie exploded from a pine tree right next to the trail! It was literally at the same level as my head and I had failed to notice it perched there. The bugger blasted from the tree, his wings battering the air like nobody's business only a foot from the side of my head, and I damn near soiled my pants! LOL! Scared the hell out of me. Needless to say, that one escaped, haha.
 
Beer Ogre said:
The bush is so thick around here that they typically flee on foot more often then flushing away, especially early in the season like this when the coverage is really dense. They only have to scoot a few inches to vanish it seems.

I swear one ruffie on Saturday was mocking me. He disappeared over a hump in the terrain and ran down the other side. By the time I climbed the hump he was invisible. He couldn't have gone too far, and never took to the air. I bet the bugger hunkered down in the thick stuff and laughed at me as I tore around the area trying to make him flush.

They know better around here I think. Why fly away and make a racket when they can just ninja away into the brush? haha..
Click to expand...

I call that bush checkers, they are not far from where you saw them land, and I loved them for this game :)
I have similar terrain, and usually can flash the same bird 3-4 times before one of us gets smart:)
It would have been easier with a dog though
 
The forecast doesn't look good for the next week. Light rain won't bother the birds, they'll still be out and about. The dog and I got soaked to the "bleep" yesterday and still got our limit. Downpours and wind is not good though. Good luck if you get out.
 
Miserable walking in wet bush for humans and animals as well. Ruffed grouse will often get off the ground during a good rain in a conifer or such. Once things clear up the can often be found sunning themselves in clearings, along roads and trails. Lot's of fun hunting them then.
 
I've found after a good rain to be one of the best times to go after grouse! They seem to come out of the wood-work into open spaces to grab the sun.
 
Listening for them ? I been going about this all wrong for all these years. My dog points, flushs, then I shoot. We don't let the weather bother us either. If it did we would take up another sport.
 
The weather sure looks craptastic for the next week. I'm headed up past liskeard and hoping to do a bit of grouse hunting myself. Good to hear that the weather isn't going to shut down the plans too badly.
 
I was headed up to Englehart today to go grouse and rabbit hunting, but my uncle just bought 100 acres in South River, so we're gonna save a bunch of driving, and $$$ on gas, and go hunt that property instead!!
 
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