Hows the grouse count this year in your area?

Brobee said:
Was up at our farm with the wife this past weekend for her first grouse hunt - we had three in about an hour and we're sure there's many more we did not see while trying to slip quietly through the woods:

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isabel_grouse_b.jpg


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We roasted them with bacon, salt, pepper and thyme, then made a mushroom cream sauce and mashed potatoes. It was the best meal I've had all year!

Cheers,

Brobee
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Great photos Brobee.
Curious to note what you replaced Juniors pump with?
I saw it in the EE and it sold right quick.
What's the young gal shooting now?
 
You guys are torturing me, opener here (Central Ontario) is still a week away on the 20th. I have booked vacation time for opening day and the rest of that week, loaded up a batch of .410s, cleaned and oiled my guns, and ate up the last of last years leftover birds in the freezer. Birds were plentiful in most of the areas I hunt last year. I'm hopeful for another good season this year but I guess time will tell.
 
kamlooky said:
Great photos Brobee.
Curious to note what you replaced Juniors pump with?
I saw it in the EE and it sold right quick.
What's the young gal shooting now?
Click to expand...

My little one is currently toting a 20ga Mossberg 500 Bantam. It's a bit bigger than the compact junior and it matches exactly the waterfowl pump gun I'm using this year.

Her next gun (already sitting in the safe) will be a Citori micro midas over/under in 12 gauge....at the rate she's growing she might be big enough next year.

Cheers,

Brobee
 
birdinator said:
You guys are torturing me, opener here (Central Ontario) is still a week away on the 20th. I have booked vacation time for opening day and the rest of that week, loaded up a batch of .410s, cleaned and oiled my guns, and ate up the last of last years leftover birds in the freezer. Birds were plentiful in most of the areas I hunt last year. I'm hopeful for another good season this year but I guess time will tell.
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What area do you hunt.
 
These storys and pictures are getting me exited, we are heading to the Whiteshell on Thursday till sunday for some fishing and grouse hunting. Ive never hunted in the whiteshell but sounds like it will be good hunting. Wish me luck!
 
Here in central BC we had a warm/dry spring followed by a wet summer. Birds seem to have done well, better than I expected given those conditions but I'm no expert. Was out walking our property last night with my German shepherd and we bumped five in just over an hour. That boy's a powerful bird nut for a non sporting breed.
 
I went for a pre seasoned jaunt about three weeks ago and put ne'er 90 k's on the Kodiak on
some pretty fine prime territory and not a dang feather to be seen.
Wasn't in a hurry and the furr/feather eyes were on.
 
As tasty looking as those roasted birds wrapped in bacon looked I don't think I could ever go to that much work since I've always been a breast man at heart. My first few meals of grouse are always grouse cordon bleu. Because I often get 75+ birds per year on the ugliest roads you'd want to travel that would be a lot of plucking. I'm a wing stepping kind of shooter.



As#far as numbers go it's my strong belief that they are down when compared to the last couple of years. I still managed to bag my limit both days last weekend but I sure didn't see a whole lot,,,,,one larger family grouping of franklins (took five of the eight); shot 4 ruffs, and one blue in another area the next day but that was all I saw. Last year the number of large family groupings I saw was staggering,,,,family groupings up to as many as 11 birds!! This was in region 8 out here in BC.
 
Grouse in Eastern Ontario aren't what they used to be, and what's more they never were. But I think the numbers are up this year, partly because we are generally on an upswing of the 7 year cycle, and particularly because last winter and spring would have been easy on them and their chicks.
 
season does not open until tomorrow - but i have seen a bunch around the camp this year
hope to get out friday or saturday for a walk - fingers crossed for a fresh dinner
 
I just got home a little while ago from opening day in Ontario, central region. Hard to say for sure what the grouse population is like in my favourite hunting area because the foliage is probably the thickest and greenest I ever remember seeing on Sep. 20th around there. I went all out and hunted 10 hours hitting about 10 spots and walking a total of 11-12 km. I saw 4-6 birds and got 2. The reason I say 4-6 is because there was 1 that I probably saw twice and in another spot I saw just a quick flash of motion before it disappeared and I was unable to find it again. That one might have also been a bunny (snowshoe), all I saw was a quick blur. Here's my catch:

birds-2.jpg
 
I was out in the whiteshell last week in hopes of getting some birds but all's i got was wet. It rained the whole time :( got lots of fish so it wasnt a complete bust. I will head out again this weekend....unless it rains again.
 
Very few in the foothills west of Red Deer, Alberta, only hit one with the truck so far, only one last year off the grill. Looks to be another low population year again. As dumb as these birds are it is surprising they have made it this far.
 
Most people.believe grouse are dumb birds because they Don t move when you run into them. That is actually part of there defence they actually think that you do not see them. How many do you think you walk right by without ever seeing them.
 
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