Manitoba Ruffed Grouse

Crappieguy

Crappieguy

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Haven't seen many hunters commenting on grouse this year. Some locations such as Stead forest and Belair forest are dead this year compared to other years. I put 5 up with the dog Sunday at Milner Ridge. Last year I couldn't find any there.
I hear The Pas is good this year.

What are your experiences in Manitoba?
 
Around home in Woodlands area they are almost non existent its sad, used to be not to bad here, now I feel bad taking even just a few. Gonna leave them alone maybe try somewhere else.
 
It appears as if they are on their 7 year low. Hopefully the wolf/fox/coyote population will drop and they will come back with force. I find grouse a little more tasty than any furbearing critters.
 
Unfortunately the fox, wolf, coyotes are only a small problem here we seem to be overrun with protected prey birds such as hawks and owls I think they might be the bigger culprits.
 
Ruffies are like unicorns this year in NW Ontario, worst year I can remember. Still can get them though, but have had to resort to long walks in the bush following the edges of lower wet areas.
 
Spotty through the West Interlake area. I have some buddies that claim their places have plenty. My hunting grounds are nearly barren of them. Other upland birds and bunnies are scarce too. I seem to be seeing a slight decline in coyote numbers though, which gives me hope. We're about due for a crash in the predator population, I'd like to have more than one deer tag again too.
 
Did almost the entire North Star Trail and bagged five. None were easy. Got two east of Anola, and those were huge birds, and a pain to stalk. Seems like it's way down this year.

Got my first timberdoodle, though!
 
It's almost too late now, but it sounds like a trip to Alberta would have been fun this year. We seem to be at the opposite end of the cycle - lots of ruffed grouse in Alberta this year. Unfortunately, our sharptail population looks to be on it's own cycle. Sharptail are few and far between.

Leaving tomorrow to go hunt released pheasant in southern Alberta. Makes for a nice end-of-season hunt each year.
 
I got a few grouse this season but worked hard for them. Only one in Belair Forest and I walked lots. My hunting partner got two in Sandilands. I got one around Rat River and also a sharptail out west in the Souris River Valley. I really didn't see a lot of ruff grouse considering the time spent but I was happy to get the few I did. I wouldn't say I thought the population was really low, but certainly not high.
 
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