DragonFire
CGN Regular
- Location
- mid Canada
Mr.G thanks for a good read. Well written.
DF
DF
Inspiration for the ruffed grouse hunters
- Thread starter Grouse Man
- Start date
Not deserved, that's for sure.
It stems from the 1 in a 100 times you catch one out in the open. Their camo is so good, they sincerely believe you can't see them. They stand as still as they can while you level your gun at their head and prove them wrong.
If one is nothing but a road hunter, those are the only ones that person will see. Naturally, the assumption is that they couldn't be easier to hunt and they're all dumb as posts.
My dog will point the ones that hold. Even though I know they're 10 feet right in front of her nose, I can't see them until they bust cover (or otherwise move). I agree with the grouse, they're damn hard to see in their normal habitat. (ditto on the best bird to hunt, period.)
Exactly. I had one flush the other day while moose hunting so I went after him, and damn near stepped on his two buddies (AFTER thorougly looking the spot over to see if there were any others). Three seconds and 100m later, they were making me look pretty dumb.
I have a grouse that I chase for more than three weeks. I know where it is, I visit the place every weekend and the ruffie manages to surprise me every time.
I'll keep trying.... I shot my fair share of dumb grouse, but this one is very smart. Afterall I don't think they were dumb.... just their camouflaging techniques not appropriate for the medium they were at that time.
I'll keep trying.... I shot my fair share of dumb grouse, but this one is very smart. Afterall I don't think they were dumb.... just their camouflaging techniques not appropriate for the medium they were at that time.
!!!!!! What grouse are you hunting? Most of ours go for a couple hundred yards before stopping!
There was a intensive investigation done during the 1950's in New York State on (among other things) Ruffed Grouse flushing habits. Cecil Heacox's excellent book "Gallant Grouse" reprinted some of that data.
Here are a few of the more interesting stats from the study:
- 12,742 of 16,888 Ruffies flushed within 50 feet of the observer.
- almost 50% of the birds that were flushed flew from between 250-500++ feet before landing again.
- two/thirds of the birds that were flushed chose to alight in a tree.
- of 16,253 flushes, 13,191 originated from the ground.
Heacox(in his book) struggles with the last stat and mentions that it does not compare well to his experience (nor mine either) .... but it may well have to do with the time of year the study was done, knowing that Ruffies tend to "bud" more as the Autumn season wears on and engage in more ground feeding before the frosts eliminates their lower feed and cover.
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