If anybody gets out today please give me a report. I’m in Florida on family business and missing opener for the first time in a very long time. Thanks
Doing yard work this morning.
Omfg is it hot. I don’t remember the last time I sweat this much.
I’m up in Outing this weekend (not hunting though) talking to a couple locals and they said since the Turkeys moved in the Grouse are few and far between.
I did have a fury visitor this morning
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Yep. Turkeys displace Grouse. Nothing a good hard winter can’t fix!
This whole conversation makes me vaguely uncomfortable.
Grouse
The report from north central Wisconsin is hot and muggy. This young fellow named Cash would like his first grouse. Heading out now under unfavorable conditions but will report back in a few hours
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Seen three today all together on the atv trail here in se MN …. I’m no expert but it looked like a pair with a youngster pretty neat to see down here as i see them pretty rarely down here maybe one a year if lucky
Report back is hot sweaty tough conditions. Two flushes : One Cash went into the woods. Never saw it. The 2nd was 20′ up in the tree between us. Wasnt expecting it. Cash did run into his first horse. Pretty funny watching him figure that out!
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Outting area is also the land of a million miles of ATV trails..no one walks anymore up there, they just drive roads and atv trails and shoot trail grouse…i just don’t believe the whole turkeys kill grouse story…same dumb argument that Muskies eat all the Walleyes..show me some proof first..i personally think the grouse habitat has been compromised by less logging, lost of habitat and maybe some viruses..just my 2 cends though..
North of Duluth… Walked just under 2 miles first thing this morning before it warmed up and my dog flushed 3, only 1 of which I saw but didn’t have a shot at it. Pretty heavy storms last night made everything pretty soggy. Going to try a new area tomorrow for another 2-3 miles. I don’t like working the dog too much when it’s this warm out.
i personally think the grouse habitat has been compromised by less logging, lost of habitat
Agreed.
Find the logging trucks, find grouse habitat.
Of course loss of habitat is a huge factor but I have spoke to way to many people and witnessed first hand how turkeys seemingly dominate over Grouse. I believe it.
Wondering if what is going on in Pennsylvania is what is happening here. I hope not, but after last years supposed high grouse cycle was a bust it seems to be something to look into.
http://www.poconorecord.com/news/20180429/west-nile-virus-is-lead-suspect-in-ruffed-grouse-decline
Outting area is also the land of a million miles of ATV trails..no one walks anymore up there, they just drive roads and atv trails and shoot trail grouse…i just don’t believe the whole turkeys kill grouse story…same dumb argument that Muskies eat all the Walleyes..show me some proof first..i personally think the grouse habitat has been compromised by less logging, lost of habitat and maybe some viruses..just my 2 cends though..
The proof is that since the Turkeys moved in their are less Grouse.
I haven’t heard that Turkeys kill the Grouse, they take over their habitat.
I believe the grouse may be displaced by turkeys, but I have had great success just getting farther into the thick stuff. The turkeys in our area stay close to the ag and don’t venture to far into the bigger tracts of woods. The logging areas are a big producer after the new growth starts shooting up. Hard walking but always produces.
Flushed two Woodcock checking trail cams this weekend. We have logging in our area since 2015. The section of our property we had logged only has two growing seasons so it’s still too young to hold birds. The adjacent logged areas have had 4 growing seasons and are prime for Woodcock. They should become better for grouse once they get a little more growth to crowd out the hay.
Bumper crop for crab apples this year. The volunteer trees we have around the property are all loaded with thumbnail sized apples. We’ve been planting bareroot crabs the last couple years in other spots. Hoping to establish a few more.
Hot, thick, leafy, mosquitoes, are words that I would use to describe grouse opener.
Heard one, saw one on a four mile hike North of Brained, Saturday evening.
No animals were hurt in the process of this report.
No shots were fired as well.
Ron
flushed another 2 on Sun AM in just under 3 miles… that’s 5 flushes on the weekend in just under 5 miles of walking… averaging just over 1 flush per mile walked.
Todd county, flushed/seen around 15 grouse and 5 woodcock checking cameras and scouting for deer Sunday and Monday. Didn’t walk any thick stuff, so probably missed a few. I swear I stepped on 2 woodys….thanks for the heart attacks.
So far not looking so good in NW sconny. I hunted two good spots Sat morning with ZERO flushes which is unheard of. This weekend heading to the golden triangle in Minnesota. Cant wait to see some birds.
So far not looking so good in NW sconny. I hunted two good spots Sat morning with ZERO flushes which is unheard of.
Ditto here, Saturday, zilch. Sawyer County. Hardly any leaf drop yet. Wet.
Moved 3 muskies in the afternoon though, so that made up for it.
Hunted north of Grand Rapids this weekend. I took my wife so it was more leisurely than usual. My dog did great and has earned her position as a new Grouse Partner. I think it coincidence but she didnt bump one bird off the trail and accounted for most birds flushed off trail. Too thick to see her point so I think she knows not to do it for long if she is alone. She pulled of a perfect retrieve as well. She seems to understand working in the woods now and getting birds to me on the trail. Anyways bird numbers still unimpressive. I keep waiting for that next big year but this aint it. We did manage 4 birds and are very happy about it. Looking forward to a big Grouse meal tonight. FYI leaves are still up. Colors just starting up there. Decent amount of reds. Im heading back up there in two weeks with a buddy to hit it hard.
Went for a hike through the Chippewa National Forest between Akeley and Walker, and didn’t have any flushes which was surprising since we were just hiking w/ no gun with 
I’ll be heading up to Squaw Lake area with the fellas this coming weekend (4th-7th) for our annual grouse trip. We stay at Edgewater Resort with a group of about 15 guys. I’m hoping there are less leaves than there was last year at this time but it is what it is. Last year we flushed a lot of birds but couldn’t see half of them. The canopy was just thick yet. We usually go out for a few hours in the morning and meet at the Hoot-N-Holler to share stories, count birds, and have a few adult beverages. I’ll hopefully have something good to report back with next week.
I have seen a few grouse (a ton for the particular area) this year bow hunting. Never have seen them in this area before so that’s a bit unusual. May have to get out to my actual grouse spots and see if the numbers are up there.
I’ll be heading up to Squaw Lake area with the fellas this coming weekend (4th-7th) for our annual grouse trip. We stay at Edgewater Resort with a group of about 15 guys. I’m hoping there are less leaves than there was last year at this time but it is what it is. Last year we flushed a lot of birds but couldn’t see half of them. The canopy was just thick yet. We usually go out for a few hours in the morning and meet at the Hoot-N-Holler to share stories, count birds, and have a few adult beverages. I’ll hopefully have something good to report back with next week.
Sounds like a blast and right where Im hunting. Dont shoot em all!
My wife and I stopped in the Holler Fri night on the way to motel and it was standing room only. We had just had dinner at Fish Tales in Squaw Lake and it was good.
Billy and I were up by the Ash River near Orr over the weekend and found some trails to grouse hunt with our GSPs Fritz and Remi. We jumped two in the morning, but they were pretty far up and we didn’t see them, just heard them. Later the next day we went for a quick walk without the guns and wouldn’t ya know it… we jumped one right off the trail. D’oh!
We had a great time and the boys had fun running, through it was a lot of walking just to see three grouse.
Managed to get 1 this weekend and should have had at least 2 more.
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hunted our property and the adjoining woods north of cotton. Got 1 bird and should have had 2 others. Jumped about 15 birds though. Saw plenty of grouse in 2 days.
My son and I are heading up to the Echo trail area in the morning. Did well up there opening week. Weather looks a little suspect for Wednesday tho.
Sounds like a blast and right where Im hunting. Dont shoot em all!
My wife and I stopped in the Holler Fri night on the way to motel and it was standing room only. We had just had dinner at Fish Tales in Squaw Lake and it was good.
Cool! We try to get to Fish Tales for the Wild game if there is one on. But, I’m sure we’ll leave you a few birds. 
Definitely some good woods in that area. Just need to walk a little bit off the trails to find them birds. A lot of people up there just run their wheelers right down the trails and pick off the “dumb” ones..
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