Sounds like they get hunted pretty hard around there. Normally they'll sit there and watch you load the gun and take aim. Sometimes they sprint off into the bush and stop just a few feet in relying on their camoflauge. When they do take off it really is like a small plane taking off in the bush, they are loud! They usually don't go far so if youre slow and quiet you can usually sneak up close enough for a shot. When I spook a flock off into the bush I usually bag every one of them by taking my time. Of course a couple guys crashing towards them just isn't going to work lol so take it slow and quiet.
Help with grouse?
- Thread starter Shep546
- Start date
Got one ruffed grouse today while working in the bush. Shot it in the head at 20 ft. My Australian shepherd flushed it into a tree. I walked under the tree with 10/22 and shot it. Jenny my dog tried to Retreiver/kill/bite it while I scrambled to get it first...grouse fried in butter for breakfast. She is a farm dog that has lots of smarts, but does not have a tender mouth. LOL. Jim. Around here lots of feral cats, grouse have been on a LONG decline
Congrats on your learning curve !!!
So, is that a Browning with a Speed Bead on it?
What ammo did you use?
Grouse for dinner or you savoring till Thanksgiving?
Happy Thanks Giving to all you Bird hunters out there....ok center fire and muzzle stuffers too.
Wouldnt want to offend anyone.
Rob
So, is that a Browning with a Speed Bead on it?
What ammo did you use?
Grouse for dinner or you savoring till Thanksgiving?
Happy Thanks Giving to all you Bird hunters out there....ok center fire and muzzle stuffers too.
Wouldnt want to offend anyone.
Rob
Shot one yesterday. Walked around ATV trails for about 2 hours and saw one, and got it. Typically I see about 1 or 2 in every outing. I have no dog either. The fact that you saw 6 or 7 is awesome. Get on the draw a little quicker and youll do fine.
.... and now you are hooked.... after a while your memory will make a library out of all of the ones you have spotted and you will find spotting them much much easier... I bet you;d be surprised if you knew how many you walked past.... congrats!
EcoHeliGuy
Member
- Location
- Vancouver island
Grouse never go far, those six you saw the ass ends of I bet you could have found four of them a couple yards in. And grouse are very capable tree birds, mine often fly up words at a 30-50° angle to a branch. The reason you use a shotgun is to blast through brush. 22 works great on straight on shots. But a shotgun rips through trees and gets your bird, sometime when you can even see them.
Always aim for head shots even with a shotgun. I find one or two pellets in the breast of my bird and the head is usually mosh.
Get out there before the sun rises, or around 4pm until the sun sets. There isn't much activity between 10am-4pm (dependent on sun exposure). I usually switch to rabbit hunting mid day and look for deer trails and signs.
I got one last weekend, but haven't been seeing many in the Pembroke/Petawawa area.
It's sure not like hunting up in the Temiskaming area - You fire a shot into the bush up there and collect the birds that fell out of the trees. (well, not really, but almost)
It's sure not like hunting up in the Temiskaming area - You fire a shot into the bush up there and collect the birds that fell out of the trees. (well, not really, but almost)
Stopping is key in grouse hunting. Plenty of birds will sit tight and let you walk right on by if that's what you will do. Stopping, makes them jittery and uneasy, then they flush so you have a chance for a shot.
Lots of fun. Good luck.
Lots of fun. Good luck.
When you get your first double like this, you will think you are now the worlds greatest upland hunter. Too much fun.
DB_Muffintop
Member
- Location
- Listuguj, Quebec
They can be elusive little buggers when they want to be.
Myself, I mostly use my old H&R single shot 16 gauge when I grouse hunt, but sometimes I'll pack my .22. 16 gauge is perfect in my opinion, it's a shame that load variety, let alone stores that stock it, is hard to come by sometimes.
I've had the best luck walking along tree lines in the early morning and evening, and moving into the darker, harder to get through areas mid day. In my area, I always seem to find lots of birds where there are lots of acorns on the ground. Study the area and be vigilante. Walking slowly, stopping every few steps and looking around, and be ready with the gun in the event of an unexpected flush.
They say that if you're not 100% on the ready when bird hunting, then you're simply taking your shotgun for a walk lol. Wish you the best of luck, and as always stay safe and have fun!
Myself, I mostly use my old H&R single shot 16 gauge when I grouse hunt, but sometimes I'll pack my .22. 16 gauge is perfect in my opinion, it's a shame that load variety, let alone stores that stock it, is hard to come by sometimes.
I've had the best luck walking along tree lines in the early morning and evening, and moving into the darker, harder to get through areas mid day. In my area, I always seem to find lots of birds where there are lots of acorns on the ground. Study the area and be vigilante. Walking slowly, stopping every few steps and looking around, and be ready with the gun in the event of an unexpected flush.
They say that if you're not 100% on the ready when bird hunting, then you're simply taking your shotgun for a walk lol. Wish you the best of luck, and as always stay safe and have fun!
Good advice here and remember none of us experienced grouse hunters are ever startled or freeze when a bird flushes 10 feet away from us 
.
If you miss them on the flush, follow them into the trees, they will roost a fairly short distance away.
There is nothing wrong with shooting one or 2 on the ground, just to make sure that you have something for the skillet
.
.If you miss them on the flush, follow them into the trees, they will roost a fairly short distance away.
There is nothing wrong with shooting one or 2 on the ground, just to make sure that you have something for the skillet
.
6 Birds in 2 hour walk? Sounds like the beginning of success to me. Just today my dog and I went for a walk down an old logging road that is pretty grown in and I have never been down before seeking areas that have seen less hunting pressure. In 4 hours of walking 2 hours in and 2 hours out, trail was choked off at the end by fall downs and thick alders. Couldn't swing your gun for a shot if you tried. I seen 3 got 2, scared the hell out of one while pruning the branches it flew past. Lots of hunting pressure this year. A lot of the areas I liked to hunt before are not producing the number of birds I was accustomed to.
Having a dog with the right skills (ie: pointer,flusher or retriever) can be a blessing or a curse. In the thick alders a flushing dog can flush the birds into dense cover where getting a good shot can be difficult. Just when you follow through and squeeze off a round a birch gets between you and you quarry. I've heard of pointers pointing skid-dish birds that take off running as soon as a dog locks on point. A retriever or any dog that can locate downed game is good to have, but not a necessity, but they great companions and awesome to watch. For me that's what I go out for. To see my Toller work. I can have her steady to heel if the conditions call for it or I can have her flush and she always makes the retrieve and delivers to hand.
Having a dog with the right skills (ie: pointer,flusher or retriever) can be a blessing or a curse. In the thick alders a flushing dog can flush the birds into dense cover where getting a good shot can be difficult. Just when you follow through and squeeze off a round a birch gets between you and you quarry. I've heard of pointers pointing skid-dish birds that take off running as soon as a dog locks on point. A retriever or any dog that can locate downed game is good to have, but not a necessity, but they great companions and awesome to watch. For me that's what I go out for. To see my Toller work. I can have her steady to heel if the conditions call for it or I can have her flush and she always makes the retrieve and delivers to hand.
