Was out hunting with my nephew today. Weather really didn't cooperate, but we finally started seeing the brids when the rain stopped. I spotted this hen and chased her into the timber. She stuck her head out at the wrong time from behind a tree at 10 yards or so and I planked her with the little Smith 22A.

I'll see your grouse and raise you 4 squirrels
God help me but I love it so.

Nice bird. How are you going to cook it?

I haven't decided yet. I usually put my first bird in the freezer and save it for Thanksgiving. If I give a second bird, that one is for Christmas.

Grouse have been hard to find in my area this year.
We've jumped four so far in several trips and my son flushed a woodcock.

My brother was here for a few days and bought a three day license.
We hunted two days and on the way back to the truck on the second my son, who was off to one side paralling the dirt track we were on, jumped two. The first was too fast for either of us. My brother got a shot at the second but missed, shooting high and behind.
"Some things never change," he said.

It was our first grouse hunt is 20 years. We hunted deer together a few times in those years, but mostly I just missed him from opening of grouse season till snow sent me into hibernation after deer season each year.

Very envious. Don't have them here but they seem like great fun to hunt. And probably tasty.

Congrats on the hunt/grouse.

Thanks for the pic.

Don

I remember the first time I ever saw a grouse. I went hunting with these two friends that I worked with who were about six years older than me. I was about 19 or 20 at the time. Never been small game hunting before. They took off through the woods, no dogs, and I walked this fire trail by myself so I didn't get lost. As I was walking along I heard this beating sound like a drum going from slow to fast. I looked over and saw this male grouse doing his mating call with his wings. When he was finished I shot him. I was the only one to get a grouse that day and when I told my two friends the story about the mating call, they told me I was full of shit.

It's been a long time since I've heard the heart-stopping sound of a grouse flushing from almost underfoot. As close as we come to that in the desert is flushing a covey of Gambel quail --- thrilling, but not the same. As a small and rare compensation, in the right place and time you can hear an entire flock of sandhill cranes launching --- sounds like a jet taking off! Hard to beat the ruffed grouse for table fare. I'm jealous.

Boink! Congrats,,,need a few more for Sunday dinner...enjoy.

Nice pix

Ehh, not to piss on the fun but I don't find ground-sluicing birds particularly sporting even if it's legal.

I can somewhat see the point with a rimfire handgun, but with a shotgun? No thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Wyatt Earp:
Ehh, not to piss on the fun but I don't find ground-sluicing birds particularly sporting even if it's legal.

I can somewhat see the point with a rimfire handgun, but with a shotgun? No thanks.

Where I hunt for pheasants, they are stocked birds, one out 10 will fly, the other 9 will just run and run and run. I don't have a dog and I have tried to get them in the air, but they just run and run. I will be damned if I am going to chase the dang birds across a corn field trying to get them in the air. I shoot em' on the ground.

If ground sluicing is legal where you hunt, far be it from me to prevent you from doing so. I just rather not partake.

One of the few things I miss about being in Upstate NY is grouse hunting in the fall. We used to go to areas that looked good for grouse and walk the woods, looking for them. When one took off it sounded like a small helicopter, and they seemed to always fly around a tree just as I was about to shoot. We always brought shotguns and a 22 pistols with us. If we found no grouse for the shotguns the squirrels were on for the 22s. If you can shoot a grouse with a 22 pistol I'd say that's sporting enough. I wish I could be there.

I switched to hunting grouse with handguns and even a .32 muzzleloading rifle because alot of birds where we hunt will not flush. They tend to run away insteading of flushing. (Not alot of people hunt grouse here anymore.) I will still hunt them with shotguns, but I always prefer a challenge.