Hey guys.. wondering if anyone knows what type of berry this is? And if it is grouse food?
I would also like to dial in the type if cover I target… what do you guys look for?
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I have found those berrys in grouse I’ve cleaned and in the areas I’ve hunted in the last two weeks BUT in ratio to other things found they are not a premium food source for them. My best action has been on swamp edges in thicker young popple mixed with larger hardwood and pine. The weather and grouse habitat seem to be in transition for me recently. Still getting them up though. That being said grouse are similar to fish. Some days there on other days they disappear. If you shoot a grouse early, clean it and look at its gullet to discover what they are feeding on that day.
if those berries were down here we would call them honeysuckle berries,toxic to us but safe for wildlife.
I have cleaned many pheasants that have had those in their gizzard,a few quail have had them also but that was many years ago.
as far as grouse cover?? if we are talking about the bird,sorry,cant help you there but,if we are talking about our very own Famous Grouse,I can only imagine a man cave decorated with manly stuff everywhere and at least a twenty year old bottle of scotch.
My best action has been on swamp edges in thicker young popple mixed with larger hardwood and pine. The weather and grouse habitat seem to be in transition for me recently. Still getting them up though. That being said grouse are similar to fish. Some days there on other days they disappear.
Yes! And just like fish, edges are the more key spots. Classic area where I look…
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That looks like it could be Winterberry. If so it tends to grow near lower, wetter areas. Not sure if it’s a good food source. We have a lot of it in our area but it doesn’t seem to attract much for birds.
That cover looks to be a little sparse. Probably doesn’t have enough overhead protection. In general: if you can walk a straight line and don’t have to duck or swim your way through it’s probably not thick enough. I think thick cover (tag alder, young popple, balsam) next to forest openings can be good. Open areas or trails can have the clovers, soft mast trees & other food sources with overhead cover near by. Some big poppies thrown in makes it better because it provides winter food.
Maybe I can get some pics while I’m North this week.
Here’s part of a forest opening with an alder edge that can provide cover to hold some birds.
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Birds can use these nut brush thickets for cover.
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You can get some scattered flushes in a good old fashioned thicker understory.
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Thanks for the info and pics
Funny you guys have mentioned the fish reference. I was actually thinking that working the ‘transition ‘ areas, where different cover types meet (similar to wAlleye fishing) was a good idea?
I’ve been told and read before that looking for new growth that is baseball-bat thick is good?
Open areas or trails can have the clovers, soft mast trees & other food sources with overhead cover near by.
I remember when I was a kid, some of the best grouse areas we ever found had clover. Their craws were full of it… but not sure how to find it now. Could use your help, Dad 
In the county I live in (Price Wisconsin) part of grouse management is planting clover on hunting/walking trails. I have found that they come to these trails consistently after all the other greens are killed off by frost. That time is coming soon!
Looking to spark this topic up except switch to winter hunting. I read an article today on late season grouse and how cold weather was the authors best day choice for hunting grouse. Cash and I would love to put down a few late season grouse next week during the cold snap. I’m planning on walking a trail groomed for cross country skiing but also triple downs as a hunting / walking trail with food plots. Last year my dog and I had little if any luck putting up or down birds after the snow fly’s. Any late season advice?
Poplar edges near pine stands are good for me. Grouse feed heavily on poplar buds all winter and roost in pines. It is surprising how much warmer it is in a dense stand of pines than in nearby deciduous tree stands. Also, the pines provide protection from the wind. Also, they love dogwood berries if you find any around and still on the bush.
This is what we look for north of Duluth where there are no hardwoods, acorns, crop fields, etc.
Great advice. That description fits my area to a T. Thanks. Hopefully I’ll have a few dead wood chickens to show next week! Fresh grouse makes my tongue wag for hot oil and a cast iron pan.
Good luck bigpike.
It seems that my grouse season is over, at least at the hunting shack. More than 20 inches of snow in that last blast, way too much work to get to the shack and get things running than I have time to do. My other grouse option is down near Frontenac. We heard a lot of grouse drumming during turkey season last April but hoofing up and down the ravines with snow is more work than my old carcass cares to do.
I would agree on the Pines. Years ago my Dad and I would target Pine trees after snowfall. Stop and spend some time scanning the trees too, sometimes you can see them sitting in the tree.
7-8 year old cleared areas up here work well. Young pines.
I too am planning to give it a try this weekend in NW Wi. If for nothing other than to walk in the snowy woods and see all the animal tracks.
I too am planning to give it a try this weekend in NW Wi. If for nothing other than to walk in the snowy woods and see all the animal tracks.
Via sled or snowshoes?
What works the best for us is to just hunt woodcock cover and theres usually grouse in there too. Young poplar patches especially when theres those weird fern looking plants on the ground. Added bonus of this is all of the woodcock that are flushed between each grouse to keep the tempo up.
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