Grouse Opener 2020

[ACP230]

Went out for the 2020 grouse opener this morning.
Got to the woods around 11:30. Saw a single turkey a
large, mature one, on the way in to the place I start the
season. It wandered around in a field, going in and out of
clumps of bushes. This year I was unable to get a left-over
turkey license so just watched it from the Escape for a while.

My wife had come along to pick apples. The area, which may
have had an orchard in farming days, had little to offer her this
year. She was already sitting in the car when I got back
after a little over an hour of hunting. I haven't been
walking much so was tired in the legs by then. Hungry too.
The wind came up a lot in the late afternoon so I didn't get back out.

Saw no grouse. Did see a large, black bird, maybe an eagle,
fly out of a tree across an open area. Too far to tell what it
was, for sure, but fun to see. Got cussed at by a couple of
red squirrels. Last year they had better vocabularies, I think.

Saw a couple of hunters when I came in and parked. None after
I crossed the creek and started working the bush roads.

Last year I wasn't shooting my 20 gauge OU all that well. So, I
started out the season with my old grouse gun. It's a Winchester
Model 12 in 16 gauge. Years ago I had a Weaver Quik Point sight
installed. Thought it would make me shoot better. Sometimes it
did.

Watching the weather as I write. Hoping for a good afternoon for
hunting tomorrow.

 

[ACP230]

Didn't make it out today.
Had to work on an article and was ducking the
high winds too. Supposed to be colder but maybe
not as windy tomorrow.

 

[375hh1973]

I usually take the first week of october off to go grouse hunting. My dad and I have some property up north that holds some birds. Usually cooler by then and the leaves are turning. Will break out my 28ga and some Winchester SuperSport 7.5s. Good times!

 

[Old 44 Guy]

Deer season opens here ept. 19th. They have shut the National forests down because of fire concerns. Maybe no hunting????

 

[nodpete]

Grouse season is the one thing I miss about the UP. Just walking in the woods in the Fall is refreshing even if you don't see any birds.

 

[Jebus35745]

Hope you enjoy the woods looking for grouse. Again, hard to believe it's been a year since you started a thread last year. Good luck, Larry

 

[Shark Bait]

There are only a few high mountain areas in NM that have grouse. I want to go find some one day.

 

[ACP230]

Went out after three today. Got home in time for tuna salad my wife
made for supper. No grouse.

Used my Marlin Model 90 16 gauge today. About the same weight as my Model 12 but I like the balance better. Have carried it off and on but only shot it at a grouse once, years ago.

The bird I saw was probably a turkey poult. It was making grouse-like
movements, but was too big for a grouse. Also had a long neck.
Might have been a goose but I've never seen one on the trail to the
cedar swamp.

Lots of green leaves but some maples, small, or tall, have already gone
a deep red. The ferns are turning brown. Brought a few of the best maple leaves I saw home. My wife likes that.

Got cussed at by a few squirrels. Must have been young ones as
they didn't have the vocabulary some did last year. On the way out
to the truck noticed very small deer tracks in the sandy road. They may
not have been there as I hunted my way in. Or I was too busy looking
for grouse then.

May take tomorrow off. I am not in condition this year and sometimes
need a day of tea drinking and mumbling in my beard to get ready to
go out again.

 

[Kinman]

Grouse season here opens same as bear season, September 1st. I used to love to go up north and fish a favorite lake, the Brookies would be in their spawning colors, after a morning fishing and breakfast cleaned up. Grab my .22 rifle and walk the abandoned logging roads or forestry roads maintained by the state. The state would seed them with sweet clover for the grouse. It was always great after a rain when the grouse would be down getting gravel for their crops, I have never used a shotgun on a grouse in my life...just a .22. I was talking to an old buddy of mine about how I loved to roam the woods with a .22 taking the odd grouse usually ever time out. He said "I was fourteen years old before I learned that grouse could fly." I got a big kick out of that. I think for pure enjoyment of it grouse hunting has all of other forms of hunting beat, it was always just a relaxing walk in the woods. If I had been prepared with a larger caliber I could have taken a very nice black bear once but that would have turned it into work, grouse hunting was leisure at its best. I especially like it when I could go back to camp and whomp up a dinner of grouse and Krafts Parmesian Noodles, I always threw a couple of those in my kit just in case. I have not seen a grouse for years, haven't heard them drumming in the spring, haven't had my heart near stop when they blast out of the cover. Its Turkeys, some genious thought it would be good idea to put turkeys in our habitat back in the 80's, didn't take the long to take over the area, now they are everywhere and the season is not long enough nor the bag limit high enough, they are damned nuisance, although good eating, not as good as a grouse and you aren't allowed to use anything but a shotgun...although a .22 in the head does a very good job of putting them down.

 

[Tubbsy]

Don't think I've ever seen a grouse.... as for turkey, I buy an archery tag every year when I buy my deer tags.

 

[Nevada Ed]

If you are serious about getting a Grouse, you might think about getting a dog.

However a nice walk in the trees is always a fun thing to do and be able to come home for bite to eat.

They say wild game can give a person GOUT!!

Tuna sandwiches are a safe bet.

 

[ACP230]

Nevada Ed:
I used to be a Springer man.

Had one very good one and two that didn't quite live up to his
standard. Also had a son who was extremely allergic to dog
dander. So, after some consideration, the last springer went down the
road to live on 100 acres outside town.

Still miss springers.

 

[ACP230]

Had to take a 100 mile trip today.
Passed through some places where I once hunted
grouse. No time today.

The trees alongside the highway were pretty well-
colored yesterday. Some were afire with red and orange
leaves today. Made the trip more fun.

Plan to hunt again tomorrow, if the rain that is
predicted, holds off.

 

[ACP230]

Wednesday turned out to be a good day to be in the woods.
My wife came along saying, "It's too pretty out there to stay inside."

I'd had a place in Keweenaw County on my mind. We went there and
had a fine time looking at the colors. I don't think the Keweenaw trees
have peaked yet but they are close.

Some of the creeks I've hunted near are quite low. The Gratiot river
was running well, not really high, but in no danger of going dry
either.

Saw what might have been an eagle but couldn't really tell. It was soaring and quite a ways out. No grouse. The trail/bush road was so dry
that there were no deer tracks in it. Usually I see some.

Gun today was the Marlin 90 16 gauge again. Next, maybe a 12 gauge.

 

[ACP230]

It took a while to get back into the woods. Main problem was rain.
We had a lot of it with high winds along with it. I saw a minute of snow
one afternoon. Left me cranky. On the good days my wife and I were
on the road for medical travel. Things went well, but there was no '
real way to fit any grouse chasing in.

Today, 10/7, I went hunting with the 16 gauge OU again. The day was bright and there was quite a lot of color still in the leaves. The day felt lively, and that there were possibilities that were different than last time.
Played Mose Allison on the way to the woods, and on the way home.
"Your molecular structure..."

I flushed a grouse after about 15 minutes of walking a bush road.
It went up to my left and I didn't get squared up to it. Fired at it
anyway and missed. I took another bush road that headed in the
way the bird had gone. Did not see it again, or any other grouse
on that road.

I headed back toward the truck after reaching a large field. I heard a grouse flush wild on the way down a hill toward the creek. I had
planned to walk a trail that ran beside the creek. It had been barren of grouse the first few times. Today was different.

I saw four grouse there and shot at one. I missed that one and
have no explanation for why I did. Flushed more on the way
back to the truck. Saw one but it was on posted land. Did not see
the last one just the leaves moving as it left.

Saw just one other car, a Jeep, or Toyota. It didn't come over to
where I was, so didn't talk to the driver.

The last two trips I saw a turkey each time. None today.
Just a few chipmunks, including one of the smallest I've ever seen in
the woods.

Supposed to have some decent weather during the rest of the week.
Hope to get out again.

 

[ACP230]

The day after the trip described above it started to snow.
We got several inches in two inch (or so) stages. It hung
around due to cold temps for what seemed a long time.
Also a lot of wind. There may have been record winds for
the date on some of the days. I stayed in the house, did
a little writing, and some cooking.

Since early this week the weather has been dry and warmer.
I finally got out hunting grouse today. It was slightly windy,
but sunny and pleasant in the woods.

I saw one crow and several chickadees. No grouse
although I hit the same areas that held quite a few last time
I was out. Spotted one red squirrel moving fast and crossing a
blowdown. Did not stop to cuss at me.

Weather is supposed to be about the same for the next few
days. I may get out another time, or two, before the cold shows
up again.

 

[ACP230]

Put one in the freezer today.
We plan to have it for Thanksgiving.