Unlucky at grouse hunting ?

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BerSerK

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I went grouse hunting 3 times since opening and I have so little luck I'm beginning to ask myself why quotas even exist!

When I go hunting I walk some trails for between 3 to 6 hours straight...and as of now my record is 1 grouse for each outing...and at my last outing I was alone saw one and aimed like a blind monkey, missed and never found the bird afterwards.

Is it just that the places I hunt are bad or maybe I'm missing something that I don't even know about ?

I try to look for places with sand/little rocks trails, trees with leaves.

Please give me some hints...or maybe I'm just a bit impatient.
 
The thicker the brush usually the better from what I find down here. They like the cover I guess. Go out late afternoon as they are mostly on the ground at that time.
 
My grandfather said that grouse seem to have a period of extreme growth and extreme lows. Whether this is true or an urban myth, the weather BEFORE hunting season can be a big factor. Too much rain or cold could mean too many chicks didn't survive to grow up. Too many coyotes can mean the same thing.

I used to hunt a spot in Likely EVERY year for grouse and always had good luck. Then one year I never spotted a SINGLE bird. I went to the other side of the lake and there were birds like crazy.
 
I've been out 4 times, and only on the forth did I flush a bird...

He flushed about 20 yards ahead of me, twice (pushed him back the first time, tracked where I thought he landed)

My partner said he was very "spooky" and said alot of the birds are this year.

Maybe the yotes have made them that way this year?
 
Hunt at first light, the birds come out of the trees as the sun comes up. I have found most in big clumps of willows. I just love walking at that time of day and watching the bush come alive, and it is a good time to scout for whitetails too.
 
logging roads give you access to thicker bush then say a small trail might.
small trail were maid my humans with a chainsay and are usualy put in the easiest most open area.

loggin roads on the other hand cut straight through whatever they run into.
the old unused logging roads ive been on are filled with em maybe this isn;t an option for you
 
snowshoe said:
Hunt at first light, the birds come out of the trees as the sun comes up. I have found most in big clumps of willows. I just love walking at that time of day and watching the bush come alive, and it is a good time to scout for whitetails too.
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Where Im hunting now it's last light where the grouse come out, almost nothing at first light.
 
some places birds are just more plentiful than others. I remember as a kid hunting with my dad pushing bush all day, and getting 2-3 birds, if any. That was in southern MB. Since I have moved to northern MB and If drive down a old logging road in the morning I rarley dont have my limit by noon. I dont know your area but maybe there are better places to go. Try and talk to some farmers in the area, you could try the local gun/sporting goods shop? Just some suggestions, dont give up though.
 
I won't give up that's for sure I still love to just enjoy the outdoors during autumn, it's my favorite season but bringing back some birds is a nice plus!

A friend told me about and old spot he went years back, I went to check it out but I though it was too thick...I'm on vacation next week so I'll go try it out!
 
Old logging maps, I use them to find where old roads were run. They are usually to over grown even for atv's but on foot you can navigate them and I usually get my limit before to long.
 
My Dad used to say partridge live on the edge, edge of fields, edges of roads, edges of swamps etc. Whereever there is a transistion of cover you usually find grouse. They do seem to have a cycle right now it is low where I am. In pots that usually give 5 or 6 flushes I might get 1. Maybe it will be better next year. Good luck and don't give up.
 
I have had good luck this year hitting an old crab tree orchard and anywhere berries are still around, I am up to 10 birds in the last couple of outings.
 
BerSerK said:
Please give me some hints...or maybe I'm just a bit impatient.
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Hunt with your ears as much as your eyes. When startled, they have a telltale shuffle step that is absolutely unmistakeable. Once you know it, you'll never forget it. If you don't know it, they can easily pussyfoot you & slip away into thick cover. You'll be thinking there are no birds, they'll be thinking this guy is as deaf as a doornail. Hunting by sound is particularly important early in the season before the killing frosts - when ground cover & leafs are all too thick & saucy.

Don't walk too fast, use a Stop & Go approach, stopping ever couple of hundred feet or anywhere it looks really promising. They're tricky little ba$tards that are well adept at gauging your gait as to determine if they should hold tight, take to flight or just run like hell. Don't make it too easy for them - give them an inch & they will take a mile. Literally!

Open their crop to see what they've been dining on, then be on the look out for their food de jeur. Sweep any area where you see or get one, there's bound to be more in the vicinity.

They don't like sneaky hunters either. They may well pussyfoot you but they don't like to get pussyfooted themselves. A big man sneaking around like a deer in ballet slippers pisses them off more than anything. So don't be afraid to crunch a few twigs, cough, whistle or slap the stock of your gun every now & then - consider it your thunderchicken 'calling card'.


If the trails aren't working out, take a compass point & go cross country. In sparce years the perimeter birds are at a minimum - but in a little thicker cover the core birds are still there & waiting for you - you might have to do more leg work, get some blackberry scratches on your face(scars of the trade), & maybe even do some crawling on your hands & knees to flush 'em out. It will eventually pay dividends. Constantly quiz yourself on where you would hangout if you were a tasty bird trying to hide from man, prey bird, fox, bobcat etc., etc.. (me, I'd sit up in the middle of a conifer tree, surrounded by many other conifer trees & keep my beak shut.)

Do not leave any stone unturned when chasing these feathered fluckers. :D
 
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well i have been out 3 times since hunting season. I went out with my bow the first time thinking... Oh they are dumb birds from what I heard. So i go out with my bow and I spot one after 4 hours. The damn bird was so fast. the bird flew right at my friend so i couldn't take the shot. Then we tracked it after a short period of time but when we got close it flew away.

I did get a grouse on my 3rd attempt but it took me four days to get it. Got 2 grouse in 4 days. I took that grouse with my 12g. and my buddy took the other one with a .410.

Well happy hunting
 
PeakXV said:
Hunt with your ears as much as your eyes. When startled, they have a telltale shuffle step that is absolutely unmistakeable. Once you know it, you'll never forget it. If you don't know it, they can easily pussyfoot you & slip away into thick cover. You'll be thinking there are no birds, they'll be thinking this guy is as deaf as a doornail. Hunting by sound is particularly important early in the season before the killing frosts - when ground cover & leafs are all too thick & saucy.

Don't walk too fast, use a Stop & Go approach, stopping ever couple of hundred feet or anywhere it looks really promising. They're tricky little ba$tards that are well adept at gauging your gait as to determine if they should hold tight, take to flight or just run like hell. Don't make it too easy for them - give them an inch & they will take a mile. Literally!

Open their crop to see what they've been dining on, then be on the look out for their food de jeur. Sweep any area where you see or get one, there's bound to be more in the vicinity.

They don't like sneaky hunters either. They may well pussyfoot you but they don't like to get pussyfooted themselves. A big man sneaking around like a deer in ballet slippers pisses them off more than anything. So don't be afraid to crunch a few twigs, cough, whistle or slap the stock of your gun every now & then - consider it your thunderchicken 'calling card'.


If the trails aren't working out, take a compass point & go cross country. In sparce years the perimeter birds are at a minimum - but in a little thicker cover the core birds are still there & waiting for you - you might have to do more leg work, get some blackberry scratches on your face(scars of the trade), & maybe even do some crawling on your hands & knees to flush 'em out. It will eventually pay dividends. Constantly quiz yourself on where you would hangout if you were a tasty bird trying to hide from man, prey bird, fox, bobcat etc., etc.. (me, I'd sit up in the middle of a conifer tree, surrounded by many other conifer trees & keep my beak shut.)

Do not leave any stone unturned when chasing these feathered fluckers. :D
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Peak, you have obviously mastered the art. You covered almost all of the best advice you can get, IMO (your conditions must be very similar to ours and the birds conditioned by similar hunting pressure).

The only thing I would add is work as a team, if possible. Hunting with a partner will make you both more successful. With a partner, walk about 40 yards apart in parallel (works best with one hunter 10 yards outside the edge of the bush where he can get a clear shot and the other 20 - 30 yards inside the edge pushing bush). Birds that get caught in between you will panic, fearing a familiar coyote flanking tactic.

If a partner is unavailable or undesirable, consider a canine partner. Either way, you're likely to see more birds and get more shots.
 
Berserk,

This is from one of (long) weekend spent at the hunting camp (Haute-Mauricie)....

Achasseoct2010074.jpg


Since October 2nd, I made my limits every weekend, and the grouse are not that plenty... I have to work it up a lot, but... and it's without the dog, wich is getting too old now...

The brush usually is really dense here in Quebec and it's hard to ward 40 yards apart... As Logan said, you have to spend time in the old timber areas, it always pays.

As noted before, small games are subject to "cylces" and it will change over time.
 
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