Ok, so I never really got into grouse/upland hunting until this year...I did the usual duck hunting, bear, and deer...But one day, I headed out for a walk at the cottage with my old man and decided to bring the 870 along for some small game. I ended up with 2 grouse in hand within 5 minutes. First bird was on the ground, and the shot flushed the second one which was shot on the wing. What a freaking blast! I have now found myself grouse hunting instead of deer hunting...My dog (who is utterly useless as a retriever BTW) comes along now and has proven to be an excellent flusher...I guess I much prefer a relaxed walk through the woods in search of birds than I do sitting in a deer stand trying to stay awake!
Upland addiction??
- Thread starter mvarley84
- Start date
Grouse hunting is my favorite. 20 gauge semi and my dog...we never get tired of it. We still see the odd moose or bear when we're out too, so that's cool. A few years ago my dog flushed a moose out of a swamp, that we never knew was in there. It ran about 30 yards behind me, Yikes. I'm thinkin that's pretty good, but lets stick to the birds. Grouse and Woodcock is about all the bird hunting available around here. Pheasant would be a nice addition....
I'd like to get into grouse hunting but would love any tips on where within a couple / few hours of Toronto? I know everyone likely wants to keep their best spots secret, but this noob to hunting would really appreciate it if you could give me a tip to start.
Wish we had some wild pheasants around here. We do have a pheasant preserve just west of us, so I am planning on going there for a day to try it out.
Only thing I could suggest is , if you got the time ,get up north and find some crown land. There's lots of spots to go, north of North Bay. None of my spots are a secret, but I'm 6 hours north of TO. All the leave's are down and their flying like missile's right now. Imp mod choke and #6 shot is working for me. Our normal hunt is a 10 to 15 km walk, sure makes for a fun day.
Lots of crown land around, get yourself a backroad atlas (available at most gas stations)...Best $$ you will ever spend. Great way to plan a trip, do some camping, and see some different parts of the province.
Better yet put the backroad atlas for your area on your gps and mark all of your grouse locations so that you don't forget them. Lots of fun ...then compare the areas on google maps for similarities. Adds a new dimension to the sport/hobby.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Oh yeah, I usually choose one of my two 20 gauges. Miles and miles of forested goat paths and quad trails to walk along in the Cold Lake/Bonnyville district. Usually the ruffed and spruce grouse are along dirt roads/trails and if you want bunnies, it's boony bashing time save for the odd one at dusk that will show itself alongside footpaths. A bonus of lots of fresh air and exercise in the Alberta outdoors.
And no I don't own a quad, because I enjoy the exercise and yes my take home game bag is smaller for this reason. No biggy. And #6s are what I choose but I've had equal success with light 7.5s and the SKB O/U is just a tiny bit faster to the shoulder than the M37. But not by very much.
And no I don't own a quad, because I enjoy the exercise and yes my take home game bag is smaller for this reason. No biggy. And #6s are what I choose but I've had equal success with light 7.5s and the SKB O/U is just a tiny bit faster to the shoulder than the M37. But not by very much.
Ditch parrots? Once you've hunted the king of all game birds (thats the ruffed grouse for the initiated) in the forests of eastern Canada, nothing else compares!
I love deer hunting. I love goose/duck hunting. I love almost all hunting.
By far, my favorite is grouse hunting. There is something about a perfect fall day on a trail through the woods with a shotgun crooked over one arm, my dog by my side, perhaps even a nice cigar...It's my happy place.
By far, my favorite is grouse hunting. There is something about a perfect fall day on a trail through the woods with a shotgun crooked over one arm, my dog by my side, perhaps even a nice cigar...It's my happy place.
