This year's grouse population

I

ILoveBigRacks

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Beaumont, AB
Had seen mentioned a few times this summer that the grouse numbers would be up this year. After my week long hunt last week and the numbers of grouse we saw I think they were right. I can say with some certainty that they are at least doubled in our hunting area from the previous 2 or 3 years - at least based on what we observed. Also, the abundance seemed to be namely ruffed and sharptails with a noticeable decline in the number of spruce grouse we saw from years past, not sure the reason for this though.

We enjoyed a couple of good fresh grouse meals over the course of the week. Here's hoping the winters are mild and we can enjoy similar success next year :) .
 
I have never before seen numbers of grouse like we have seen this year. Shot lots allready this year, we got about 30 last week alone(between three of us).

They also make a great addition to a meal when all you have is dried backpack food :)
 
Although i couldn't go this year, those who went to some of our usual stomping grounds reported insane grouse numbers.
 
Vancouver Island Blues are at risk right now...just read an article in our local paper on it.:(

I'll print it up when I get time.
 
Northern Ontario

Six of us got our limit of 90 grouse in three days. We then ate grouse for two days and wwent back out to refill our limit for the trip back home. Total birds taken...bout 120.

If you counted the ones we seen and didn't want to shoot(because we had our limit or we were looking for ruffies instead of spruce grouse), seen and shot but missed (#### happens), seen and couldn't get a shot off(skiddish)....I would say around 225 birds in 6 days by six guys.

Also seen 5 moose, (3 cows and 2 bulls), and a few bear.

Awesome year for grouse in Northern Ontario.

Life is good.
 
From my point of view, they're damned near extinct. Mars Hills - 3. My old interlake pasture - zip. My lake walk - 1. That's hours and miles of walking - 4 birds seen.
 
I was up at my cabin north of meadow lake SK lots of them, way more than last year. They even had a wet spring but there must have been a window of dry when the chicks were vulnerable.
 
Grouse Man said:
From my point of view, they're damned near extinct. Mars Hills - 3. My old interlake pasture - zip. My lake walk - 1. That's hours and miles of walking - 4 birds seen.
Click to expand...

Better change your handle to Grouse-less man....
Hope you find better hunting grounds!
 
Ruffies are definitely up.:dancingbanana: This is the best year I've seen in a long time. The sharptail numbers are really good, too, but it's hard to tell if they're any better than last year (last year was unbelievable for sharptail).

We hunt birds in the Bonnyville, St. Paul area.

SS
 
Grouse Man, I have a little secret spot and there are tons of ruffies, I can bag my limit every time I go there, you just need to know where to look.

Hint: Try going Northeast ;-)
 
I've shot my limit of Ruffies every time I've been out with a shotgun this year. I damn near got my limit the other day from grouse hit by my truck in one evening. I even seen a few blue grouse where they shouldn't have been and have made a good meal out of them. I even kept the wings and legs, and thighs to eat they were so big.
 
Saw tons of grouse when deer hunting this year way more than in the previous decade. Every likely spot had a whole grouse family in it. Tons of pairs and their broods. The freezer is full of deer and grouse after one 3 day trip!
 
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