Grouse Report from the Weekend

Hunted Taylor Co. WI for grouse and woodcock last weekend. Started out Sat. on private land and 2 of us got 5 grouse and 2 woodcock. Hunted public land on Sunday and we got 2 grouse and 2 woodcock. Lots of hunters out and about. Finshed Sun. off on our favorite private land and got 1 grouse and 2 more woodcock. Defintely more grouse around than last year. I was hopeing for more woodcock around with the cold weather last week but I think we saw mostly locals with a few migrants.

I have read that grouse have a 3-year cycle where their numbers are good one year and off the next two. Don’t know how much truth there is to this as I would imagine that factors such as weather during nesting would have more of an impact on numbers than some breeding cycle.

I’ve got a question on woodcock. How do you prepare these things so they taste good? I’ve shot a few over the years and from my experience they are about the worst tasting bird I’ve ever eaten. Partridge isn’t much better but woodcock isn’t worth the cost of the shell required to kill it. I love grouse as much if not more than pheasant but I have no taste for woodcock or partridge.

Eyehunter

I have read that grouse have a 3-year cycle where their numbers are good one year and off the next two. Don’t know how much truth there is to this as I would imagine that factors such as weather during nesting would have more of an impact on numbers than some breeding cycle.

I’ve got a question on woodcock. How do you prepare these things so they taste good? I’ve shot a few over the years and from my experience they are about the worst tasting bird I’ve ever eaten. Partridge isn’t much better but woodcock isn’t worth the cost of the shell required to kill it. I love grouse as much if not more than pheasant but I have no taste for woodcock or partridge.

Eyehunter

Good report !!! You had some beautiful weather for a walk in the woods, making some noise

big g

Good report !!! You had some beautiful weather for a walk in the woods, making some noise

big g

We flushed 5 on Sunday on MN public land. I only managed to shoot 1 of the little boogers! It was my 12 yr. old daughters first hunt and she flushed the first bird. It will be awhile before she actually gets a shot off. It was more of a excercise in real gun safety. We hunted in a blind for doe Sat. night Sun. morning. She mentioned seeing the woods “come alive” was her favorite parts of the weekend. This weekend we’ll try pheasants and more grouse.

Good Luck,

Ferny.

We flushed 5 on Sunday on MN public land. I only managed to shoot 1 of the little boogers! It was my 12 yr. old daughters first hunt and she flushed the first bird. It will be awhile before she actually gets a shot off. It was more of a excercise in real gun safety. We hunted in a blind for doe Sat. night Sun. morning. She mentioned seeing the woods “come alive” was her favorite parts of the weekend. This weekend we’ll try pheasants and more grouse.

Good Luck,

Ferny.

Last Firday north of Hermantown I and the dog working alone flushed 4, pointed two ( and hit ’em ) – she bumped one I didnt shoot for her.

Talked to a couple other guys who had got into some Woodcock, seems like this may be the flight week from the way they were talking, I didnt see any.

I was going to stop in Hinckley area, but was glad I went all the way north of Duluth. I didnt see any other hunters out until about 2:00 then I was suprised by the number of cars and guys I saw – mostly knuckle heads driving from parking area to parking area with no dogs but plenty of shells

How are folks doing in the Askov / Hinckly McGregor area??

I walked quite a bit in Redwing few weekends ago – heard two flush didnt see or get a point on anything.

Last Firday north of Hermantown I and the dog working alone flushed 4, pointed two ( and hit ’em ) – she bumped one I didnt shoot for her.

Talked to a couple other guys who had got into some Woodcock, seems like this may be the flight week from the way they were talking, I didnt see any.

I was going to stop in Hinckley area, but was glad I went all the way north of Duluth. I didnt see any other hunters out until about 2:00 then I was suprised by the number of cars and guys I saw – mostly knuckle heads driving from parking area to parking area with no dogs but plenty of shells

How are folks doing in the Askov / Hinckly McGregor area??

I walked quite a bit in Redwing few weekends ago – heard two flush didnt see or get a point on anything.

A buddy and I hunted North of Hermantown on Saturday. We had 4 flushes, but ended up never getting a shot. All the birds were in very thick cover and relating to Cedar trees. The fresh snow made it fun to track the birds also. It was a little spooky when we ran across some very fresh moose tracks going right down the trail we were walking.

A buddy and I hunted North of Hermantown on Saturday. We had 4 flushes, but ended up never getting a shot. All the birds were in very thick cover and relating to Cedar trees. The fresh snow made it fun to track the birds also. It was a little spooky when we ran across some very fresh moose tracks going right down the trail we were walking.

Me and the kids hit it hard Thursday, Friday, Saturday for a combo pheasant/grouse MEA weekend trip. We flushed 1 grouse…missed. flushed 4 woodcock…bagged one so the kids could see it. The pheasants were all over the roadsides but not in the tall grass WMA’s we were hitting. The weather was kind of grey but it was better than working! We had a great time observing wildlife. 13 pheasants, 1 grouse, 7 woodcock, 5 whitetails, 3 trumpeter swans, and heard several sandhill cranes. The best thing was the kids never complained about all the walking

Later,

Ferny.

Me and the kids hit it hard Thursday, Friday, Saturday for a combo pheasant/grouse MEA weekend trip. We flushed 1 grouse…missed. flushed 4 woodcock…bagged one so the kids could see it. The pheasants were all over the roadsides but not in the tall grass WMA’s we were hitting. The weather was kind of grey but it was better than working! We had a great time observing wildlife. 13 pheasants, 1 grouse, 7 woodcock, 5 whitetails, 3 trumpeter swans, and heard several sandhill cranes. The best thing was the kids never complained about all the walking

Later,

Ferny.