Ruffed Grouse - nature's alarm system...

Boonie Boy said:
Opening day for deer (rifle) here, I head out to a location I haven't hunted before and worked my way through the bush toward a lengthy swamp that was showing up on gps and satellite. I was moving like a freakin' ninja and I made it to within 10 feet of the marsh edge when I (literally) stepped on a damn grouse and the fat bugger went up like a buzz-bomb underneath me! Before I could regain my composure and ignore the load in my drawers, a big doe and buck jumped up from the grass just on the other side of the marsh (about 50 yards) and threw themselves into the brush...

I caught up to the feathered meatball on the other side and was sorely tempted to thump him while he stood there chirping and flicking his tail feathers at me...
Click to expand...

LOL...that happened to me this Monday like 3 times ...almost. Almost because I didn't see any deer running, but I am sure they did some damage! That is my story and I am sticking with it!

I like them though. I find them quite funny. Specially during their mating season and when they have their chicks. When you come across them during those times, they do not back off and kind of stand up to you. They Pace Back and Forth, buck...buck..bucking at you. It always sounds to me like.....YOU WANNA A PIECE OF ME? I have quit shooting them on the ground. It is too easy. Only wing shooting nowadays.
 
It never fails to amaze me how I can walk through the bush while upland hunting looking for chickens, and a deer that I didn't see bolts and scares the crap out of me, then just a month later, while looking for deer those damn grouse flush and make me crap myself again...

And the squirrels! To me, that is nature's tattle-tale. I almost pulled the trigger on one this weekend with the muzzleloader. He started making such a racket, that I actually moved to find another place to sit and hunt. Little bugger followed me.

It would have been worth the $1.25 to blast him for the peace and quiet.
 
We set up camp at the end of Sept. As soon as we shut the lantern off for the night and crawled into bed a grouse started drumming and kept it up all night long. We had to let it live because it was in a park. Was a full moon. Haven't heard them drum at night before.
 
Grouse Man said:
You must be so proud of your skills. Maybe when you become a big boy you'll learn how to wingshoot. LOL!!!
Click to expand...

Yes I am very proud of my wingshooting skills actually!! And maybe I will post a picture for you so you can see just how big of a boy I am too!! LOL ;)

Now..........the next time I am going to be going through Winterpeg maybe we can meet up for a little skeet or trap shooting challenge? How does $5/clay difference in our scores sound? I wouldn't mind someone else paying for my trip! ;):p
 
Had another bush chicken lined up today - crept up to within 15 feet of him and savoured the moment having him in the sights of the sks while he sat peacefully unaware of what could have transpired. Then I said "Boo!" and made HIM crap his drawers for a change...lol.
 
apu said:
That and squirrels, they are like freaking tattle tales. Squeaking "Yo, hunter over here"
Click to expand...

nothing worse than finding a nice spot to sit, and having a chipmonk or squirrel find you after 10 mins and start with the "meh meh meh meh meh meh meh meh meh" for the next half an hour until you want to shoot the little bugger for some peace and quiet lol.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
Spruce Grouse/Foolhen? Looks a little dark for a Ruff Grouse Looky.;)Here's a couple of pictures I took of Spruce Grouse feeding on berries in the front yard at my cabin in the interior.

MillgangMoosehunt-1.jpg
Click to expand...

Them is mighty bigg'un chickens you got there Johnn.
You got a picture of yu'all standing on the wings and tugg'in
their ankles?
Gotta see this.......... :D
 
Grouse Man said:
Then why do you shoot them on the ground?
Click to expand...

Because I am not concerned about HOW they die, just about how they are going to taste. Besides if you ever hunted them here in Northern Ontario you would realize they are not so "cagey" and inclined to fly so you need to bring a lacrosse stick to scoop them up with and toss them to get them airborne. I find it hard switching from the lacrosse stick to the shotgun and still being able to shoot while they are in range for an ounce of 7.5's! :p
 
the spank said:
Because I am not concerned about HOW they die, just about how they are going to taste. Besides if you ever hunted them here in Northern Ontario you would realize they are not so "cagey" and inclined to fly so you need to bring a lacrosse stick to scoop them up with and toss them to get them airborne. I find it hard switching from the lacrosse stick to the shotgun and still being able to shoot while they are in range for an ounce of 7.5's! :p
Click to expand...

Wonder if he thinks we should wait for a deer to go in to a full sprint before shooting them too
 
Aries- said:
nothing worse than finding a nice spot to sit, and having a chipmonk or squirrel find you after 10 mins and start with the "meh meh meh meh meh meh meh meh meh" for the next half an hour until you want to shoot the little bugger for some peace and quiet lol.
Click to expand...

Bahaha...so true...had one doing that to me this morning while I was trying to take a dump...very distracting...
 
They're good, they're very, very good. However, I can't tell you how many 'second flush' grouse I've honed in on and located by listening for a red squirrel or crow's sudden alarm call. Tattletaling doesn't get much worse(or better) than with those two blabbermouths of the forest.
 
Well I did it Northern style again today, went scouting this afternoon to check a local watering hole for ducks/geese. I parked the truck at the end of the road and started to get out to walk down to the water's edge for a look and wha-la there on the edge of the shore eating clover was a big ole ruffed grouse. He stood there looking at me while I slipped the Ruger #1 22.250 out of it's case, reached into my pocket and got a cartridge, walked up about 50 yards closer, adjusted the parallax on the scope to 30 yards, rested the rifle on a tree branch, turned the magnification from 16X to 10X then took aim and cut his head off from 30 yards away with a 45 grain hollow point. I had the rifle with me in case I decided to set up for yotes if I had time. Worked out well.........LOL!
 
the spank said:
Well I did it Northern style again today, went scouting this afternoon to check a local watering hole for ducks/geese. I parked the truck at the end of the road and started to get out to walk down to the water's edge for a look and wha-la there on the edge of the shore eating clover was a big ole ruffed grouse. He stood there looking at me while I slipped the Ruger #1 22.250 out of it's case, reached into my pocket and got a cartridge, walked up about 50 yards closer, adjusted the parallax on the scope to 30 yards, rested the rifle on a tree branch, turned the magnification from 16X to 10X then took aim and cut his head off from 30 yards away with a 45 grain hollow point. I had the rifle with me in case I decided to set up for yotes if I had time. Worked out well.........LOL!
Click to expand...

What ! no wingshooting ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom