2024 Grouse

its still .5-1 LB lighter than most other 20 gauges. Thats significant when you’re talking total weight of 6-7 lbs.

Im not sure anymore if it could be too light. Snap shooting Grouse in cover has never been faster than with lighter weapons for me. However I need more time behind it.

Ha, I’m carrying one of those 1100’s.

I hunted my old dog in the rain this morning 4 miles. She worked well but only one flush, no shot. She was so much like her young self I couldn’t believe it but now she is stiff as a board!

If pressed I think numbers are down. But my son shot one today with the first 20 gauge I ever owned as a kid myself. Pretty proud day for us!

And my sons 7 mos old Springer got her first birds today!

Great looking Springer! Congrats to all.

I ran north for a day trip with a buddy. First good trip with the new 28ga.

Thanks Brad!

Wow dbright. Pretty rare to see a two man limit IMO. Nice work!

dbright wrote:

I ran north for a day trip with a buddy. First good trip with the new 28ga.

That’s very cool lindy.

Nice job d!

Just made it to the property in East Central MN for the first time this year with a buddy and Bella. Unfortunately no bird pics. Worst trip I’ve ever had as far as killing. Put on a lot of miles on trails and through nasty stuff, flushed two grouse, one of which we caught a glimpse of. Flushed three woodcock with zero shots. Heard one grouse drumming. Absolutely horrible. And I heard the numbers were way up…

Oh well, was nice to get out and most importantly let the dog do what she lives for. Had nice weather Saturday and had some nice fires and camaraderie.

Oh yeah, and the ticks were almost non existent which was mind blowing. Found none on myself and 5-6 on the dog.

This weekend was definitely a bust over all for us also. Friday I saw 10 on a short walk before dark but they were flushing way out. I had multiple birds get up 100 yards out.

Weather permitting I plan to hunt some marginal territory this weekend for a little bit. Taking a weekend off from hunting ringnecks.

What’s your guys’ take on Grouse hunting during deer opener weekend or even the 2nd week after?

Curious to responses on this

I’d hate to ruin a guys deer hunt, and most years is the past I’ve stayed away and opted to bow hunt Wisconsin. (which I’ll do again this year) I debated grouse hunting this year instead, as Ive been really happy with the numbers Ive been finding. That said, we bird and deer hunt west of floodwood and there really aren’t many deer to hunt, in our immediate area, and fewer guys seem to be hunting them (no one will even be at our camp on opener this year) so I think with the use of some
judgement on the covers I hit, I dont think It would be an issue.

Grouse hunting during gun season has always been taboo to me. Its dangerous and I don’t want to ruin peoples hunt when the season is only a week long. I suppose a location like the boundary waters area wouldn’t be a big deal if no deer hunters are around.
But everyone makes their own choice.

suzuki wrote:

Grouse hunting during gun season has always been taboo to me. Its dangerous and I don’t want to ruin peoples hunt when the season is only a week long. I suppose a location like the boundary waters area wouldn’t be a big deal if no deer hunters are around.

I agree with this. I used to hunt big public land for deer and there’s no freaking way I’d walk around those woods during the firearms season, especially with a dog. Not just for safety purposes, but out of respect too.

Same with pheasant hunting in an area that has an abundance of deer hunters. I understand that everyone has a right to hunt when they choose to, whether its public or private with permission, but the deer gun season is so short compared to these others seasons it just doesn’t seem reasonable to me. I’d be pretty ticked off if a hunter and a dog came waltzing by when I was trying to deer hunt.

I was deer hunting by Walker the first year I moved to Minnesota and watched a “flock” of Grouse move past me. They seemed to be around me forever.
I walked back to my car, traded my 30-30 for a shotgun, then returned to stand and shot one of them.
Hey, I’m a bird hunter.

Haha

I have no problem hunting ruffed grouse management areas during deer season but I will give the deer hunters the rest of the woods. The money part of the grouse season is only about 6 weeks long and I’m not going to cut out 1/3rd of it, especially when the majority of deer rifle hunters only hunt 2 days.

Couple more pics from this fall. Pretty special deal shooting a limit over my 11 year old

GG- love me some brown phase ruffies.

Do you hunt public?

Yessir. Only public land for this guy. Primarily Superior National Forest’s ~4 million acres. Could hunt a new trail every day and never run out of new spots to try. This year I’ve made a point to try at least 1 new trail every time I’m up there and its paid off.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

Couple more pics from this fall. Pretty special deal shooting a limit over my 11 year old

That’s awesome!

Sent you a pm a few days ago too

Got a couple this weekend. Lost one which rarely happens Grouse hunting. My 13 yo pointer and I just couldn’t find one of the doubles I knocked down. I could hear it too. They fell in nasty thick tag alders. We fell into a large group of birds at it was a melee. Sheer luck I found the one. Then I took my young dog out and didnt watch her close enough. Her hot signs can be so subtle. Sure enough another large covey. By the time I got up there one straggler hung tight and I got the classis chimney shot. Damn dog was deathly sick a month ago and now she is on fire. Im not supposed to hunt her but she acts perfectly healthy and I have eased her into exercise. Now she is literally better than ever. Shhhhhh dont tell my vet.
Both birds I have are younguns. We will be chewing them with our lips!
Man I love Grouse hunting when you actually see birds. AND my new Montifeltro is so sweet I want to hunt again just to carry that beauty!
Now back to the ditch parrots.

Seeing quite a few sharp-tailed from the deer stand in NW MN. My buddy is seeing them as well.
DT

Going to hit up some RGMA action this weekend again. Birds are well conditioned so will be doing some crashing through the thick stuff to hopefully get close enough for a shot.