So, how many birds are you seeing and how much time are you spending hunting?? Larry
Grouse Opener Michigan's U.P.
- Thread starter ACP230
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Saw four grouse and heard one, so far.
The fifth one jumped up behind a wall of brush.
Don't know where it came from or where it went.
Just a grouse wing noise that didn't last long.
The last two trips have been quiet. I saw a squirrel and
a raven on the last one. The squirrel was about 35 yards out
going like crazy across a trail. The raven was just flying around
making a sort of barking noise.
Made seven trips this year. The days when I could hunt a half day, or
longer, are gone. I've spent just short of 10 hours hunting this year.
We've had a lot of hard rain since the season started Sept. 15. On those
days I stayed in.
Put one grouse in the freezer on Oct. 3. It's going to be on the
Thanksgiving table. My wife wraps them in bacon and bastes them
with apple cider.
The MDNR is predicting a slightly better season than last year.
I'd say they are right. Last year it took me nine trips to see any
grouse at all.
The fifth one jumped up behind a wall of brush.
Don't know where it came from or where it went.
Just a grouse wing noise that didn't last long.
The last two trips have been quiet. I saw a squirrel and
a raven on the last one. The squirrel was about 35 yards out
going like crazy across a trail. The raven was just flying around
making a sort of barking noise.
Made seven trips this year. The days when I could hunt a half day, or
longer, are gone. I've spent just short of 10 hours hunting this year.
We've had a lot of hard rain since the season started Sept. 15. On those
days I stayed in.
Put one grouse in the freezer on Oct. 3. It's going to be on the
Thanksgiving table. My wife wraps them in bacon and bastes them
with apple cider.
The MDNR is predicting a slightly better season than last year.
I'd say they are right. Last year it took me nine trips to see any
grouse at all.
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
Man, I miss being able to walk the woods, hunting or not.
Just not posible anymore for health reasons, but reading this kind of story takes me back...
Just not posible anymore for health reasons, but reading this kind of story takes me back...
Went wading through the raspberry canes on an old logging trail today.
I thought they would have lost some leaves but they were still green
and hard to get through. Have found grouse there, but not today. Have seen deer there in the November season. Nothing but trails through the
raspberries today though.
Second spot was a small clearing that used to have a deer scrape in it each fall, starting right about now. None this year and no grouse in the
clearing either. I did bump two on the way to it. They got up out of
brush right beside the main dirt road. No shot at either. They were too
fast and the area was too brushy to get a fix on them.
Walked another trail near a creek. Took a grouse there on Oct. 3.
Haven't seen one there since. Talked to a friend tonight who saw seven and got two out of apple trees near a mostly abandoned old settlement.
Nice day after several rainy days. Supposed to start raining again tomorrow so I'm glad I got out today.
I thought they would have lost some leaves but they were still green
and hard to get through. Have found grouse there, but not today. Have seen deer there in the November season. Nothing but trails through the
raspberries today though.
Second spot was a small clearing that used to have a deer scrape in it each fall, starting right about now. None this year and no grouse in the
clearing either. I did bump two on the way to it. They got up out of
brush right beside the main dirt road. No shot at either. They were too
fast and the area was too brushy to get a fix on them.
Walked another trail near a creek. Took a grouse there on Oct. 3.
Haven't seen one there since. Talked to a friend tonight who saw seven and got two out of apple trees near a mostly abandoned old settlement.
Nice day after several rainy days. Supposed to start raining again tomorrow so I'm glad I got out today.
My youngest son is back in town for a while.
We have been out once. At the end of the trip we
flushed one grouse. It flew low and fast across a
bush road from my side to his. We both had our guns
up but it got behind some trees before he could fire. I
had a better look at it, but it had gone into his territory so
I didn't fire. The day was cool, cloudy and windy. Coldest I'd hunted
this year.
Yesterday I hunted alone, since my son was busy seeing
friends he hadn't seen since spring. I tried a spot that
has been on my mind. Found two berms in the logging road
and no grouse. Have been seeing bear and canine tracks other
places. At that spot there were nothing but deer tracks.
Saw no grouse.
We have been out once. At the end of the trip we
flushed one grouse. It flew low and fast across a
bush road from my side to his. We both had our guns
up but it got behind some trees before he could fire. I
had a better look at it, but it had gone into his territory so
I didn't fire. The day was cool, cloudy and windy. Coldest I'd hunted
this year.
Yesterday I hunted alone, since my son was busy seeing
friends he hadn't seen since spring. I tried a spot that
has been on my mind. Found two berms in the logging road
and no grouse. Have been seeing bear and canine tracks other
places. At that spot there were nothing but deer tracks.
Saw no grouse.
Glad to see you are trying, even if no shots are fired it still a good day. A nice single shot would be a great grouse gun. Seems they find the first tree and fly behind it giving you only one shot. Larry
I started hunting grouse with a single-shot 12 that had belonged to my
grandfather. It got too loose to be safe after a few years. Next up was a Winchester Model 12 in 16 gauge with a PolyChoke on the barrel. I also used a single-shot .410 an all metal Bronco by FIE.
In the 1980s I acquired an Italian over and under 20 gauge. It weighs
six pounds and a bit, handles well, and is my favorite grouse gun.
The stock has a bit of figure and there's a little engraving on it as well as a gold-plated trigger guard. I have other shotguns but have decided to
stick to the Italian for grouse.
When I can't hunt any more (for whatever reason) my youngest son,
is in line for it. Of my kids he's the one most likely to keep on hunting
with it.
I have mostly killed grouse with the OU but it has also taken a
few woodcock and snowshoe hares.
grandfather. It got too loose to be safe after a few years. Next up was a Winchester Model 12 in 16 gauge with a PolyChoke on the barrel. I also used a single-shot .410 an all metal Bronco by FIE.
In the 1980s I acquired an Italian over and under 20 gauge. It weighs
six pounds and a bit, handles well, and is my favorite grouse gun.
The stock has a bit of figure and there's a little engraving on it as well as a gold-plated trigger guard. I have other shotguns but have decided to
stick to the Italian for grouse.
When I can't hunt any more (for whatever reason) my youngest son,
is in line for it. Of my kids he's the one most likely to keep on hunting
with it.
I have mostly killed grouse with the OU but it has also taken a
few woodcock and snowshoe hares.
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Another very quiet trip.
Hunted along and around a logging road made about
five years ago. There had been more logging around it
last year, I think. Lots of slash on the ground but some
new brush grown up among it. Should have held
birds, but didn't. Saw a few deer and coyote tracks. We
might have spooked one by talking. It seemed to run after
standing in the middle of the road for a while.
Color has shifted to brown and yellow. Most of the maple leaves
are down. The understory is still green in a lot of places so
there will be a reprise of the color show in a couple of weeks.
Cold and windy today with just a little sun showing. It was
the best day, so far, this week. Supposed to be a little warmer
tomorrow and I have another place to hunt in mind.
Hunted along and around a logging road made about
five years ago. There had been more logging around it
last year, I think. Lots of slash on the ground but some
new brush grown up among it. Should have held
birds, but didn't. Saw a few deer and coyote tracks. We
might have spooked one by talking. It seemed to run after
standing in the middle of the road for a while.
Color has shifted to brown and yellow. Most of the maple leaves
are down. The understory is still green in a lot of places so
there will be a reprise of the color show in a couple of weeks.
Cold and windy today with just a little sun showing. It was
the best day, so far, this week. Supposed to be a little warmer
tomorrow and I have another place to hunt in mind.
First thing I saw today was two deer. Both very healthy-looking does.
I was still driving to my parking spot and had just come up a rocky
hill making a lot of noise as the truck bounced from rock to rock.
The deer trotted from the middle of a field to the woods.
It had rained all morning, got sunny for 10 minutes, and was threatening
rain when I left the house. Seeing the deer made me a bit more
optimistic about the day. And it didn't rain seriously again till I was
driving home.
I started hunting in a little clearing off the main road. Jumped a grouse
from behind an apple tree. Jumped it, or another, off of a deer trail
at the other end of the clearing. Didn't get a shot off at either.
Too much brush around the first one, and looking the wrong way on the
second. Lots of squawking and flapping with each flush.
Drove back to a little dead-end road near a creek. Shot at the bird
that flew there but forgot to lead it. Walked around some more but
saw no more birds. A few deer and dog tracks on the trails. There are
a few small maples that are still green but the big ones have lost almost
all their leaves.
Cold enough that I wore a camo jacket that I bought for bow hunting and
an orange vest over it. First day for that this year. Have seen 11
grouse, shot at four (I think) and have one in the freezer.
I was still driving to my parking spot and had just come up a rocky
hill making a lot of noise as the truck bounced from rock to rock.
The deer trotted from the middle of a field to the woods.
It had rained all morning, got sunny for 10 minutes, and was threatening
rain when I left the house. Seeing the deer made me a bit more
optimistic about the day. And it didn't rain seriously again till I was
driving home.
I started hunting in a little clearing off the main road. Jumped a grouse
from behind an apple tree. Jumped it, or another, off of a deer trail
at the other end of the clearing. Didn't get a shot off at either.
Too much brush around the first one, and looking the wrong way on the
second. Lots of squawking and flapping with each flush.
Drove back to a little dead-end road near a creek. Shot at the bird
that flew there but forgot to lead it. Walked around some more but
saw no more birds. A few deer and dog tracks on the trails. There are
a few small maples that are still green but the big ones have lost almost
all their leaves.
Cold enough that I wore a camo jacket that I bought for bow hunting and
an orange vest over it. First day for that this year. Have seen 11
grouse, shot at four (I think) and have one in the freezer.
Made another trip with my son.
Drove a lot farther from town to a lake I
hunted by a lot when I was younger. All the
maples and birches, and most of the oaks had
lost their leaves. The only color left was in the
berry bushes and the other brush.
Walked a long way before finding birds.
Saw a lot of canine tracks and a fox burrow with a
dead rabbit in it. Also saw a large, dead raven.
Did not appear to have been shot.
Maybe just too old to keep flying.
While my son was stomping a brush pile hoping to
bounce a rabbit two grouse showed up about 50
yards ahead on the trail. They were in a patch of
sun and looked big and more like a small goose than
a grouse. Then they flew up and were grouse for
sure. Wandered around some more but didn't find
any more.
Remembered to take the camera this time. Got a
couple nice pics of afternoon sun on the logging road,
and my son leaning on my pickup. He's a archaeologist
and is leaving for another job next week. So, this
could be our last hunt for the grouse season. Most likely
we'll get in at least one more, Sunday or Monday.
It's been a good season either way.
Drove a lot farther from town to a lake I
hunted by a lot when I was younger. All the
maples and birches, and most of the oaks had
lost their leaves. The only color left was in the
berry bushes and the other brush.
Walked a long way before finding birds.
Saw a lot of canine tracks and a fox burrow with a
dead rabbit in it. Also saw a large, dead raven.
Did not appear to have been shot.
Maybe just too old to keep flying.
While my son was stomping a brush pile hoping to
bounce a rabbit two grouse showed up about 50
yards ahead on the trail. They were in a patch of
sun and looked big and more like a small goose than
a grouse. Then they flew up and were grouse for
sure. Wandered around some more but didn't find
any more.
Remembered to take the camera this time. Got a
couple nice pics of afternoon sun on the logging road,
and my son leaning on my pickup. He's a archaeologist
and is leaving for another job next week. So, this
could be our last hunt for the grouse season. Most likely
we'll get in at least one more, Sunday or Monday.
It's been a good season either way.
Michigan Outdoors this week had a segment on grouse hunting. You can watch it here: Michigan Out Of Doors TV - Episodes
-db-
I saw it.
Those guys hunt a lot faster than I do.
Let their dogs range out farther than I used to as well.
Can't argue with their results though. Woodcock and grouse in
the bag at the end of the day.
My son left today for an archaeologist job in another state.
So, the hunt last week was our last, unless he comes back in the
late season. He will miss deer season too.
I went out by myself Sunday afternoon. My son had people to see
and things to do before he left. Saw a grouse and took it at the last
place I went. Smaller than the first one and appeared to be a male.
Very quiet in the woods Sunday. Mid-sixties. Few leaves left on the trees. Almost no wind and a feeling of something impending in the air. Monday was colder so maybe a front was on the way Sunday afternoon. I am old enough to feel the changes coming at times.
Today it rained almost all day. Sun only came out in the
late afternoon. No hunting.
I saw it.
Those guys hunt a lot faster than I do.
Let their dogs range out farther than I used to as well.
Can't argue with their results though. Woodcock and grouse in
the bag at the end of the day.
My son left today for an archaeologist job in another state.
So, the hunt last week was our last, unless he comes back in the
late season. He will miss deer season too.
I went out by myself Sunday afternoon. My son had people to see
and things to do before he left. Saw a grouse and took it at the last
place I went. Smaller than the first one and appeared to be a male.
Very quiet in the woods Sunday. Mid-sixties. Few leaves left on the trees. Almost no wind and a feeling of something impending in the air. Monday was colder so maybe a front was on the way Sunday afternoon. I am old enough to feel the changes coming at times.
Today it rained almost all day. Sun only came out in the
late afternoon. No hunting.
BruceM
Member
Well, did you tip one of those brown furry critters with horns over today?
Bruce
Bruce
That's the story around hear. (Darrington WA.)
I still have a dog and a shotgun but no grouse.
A few years ago here in WA they switched the pheasant opener with the deer opener (rifle). The first weekend in Oct. we were pheasant hunting the breaks on the Snake river and I saw some bucks that would drop your jaw. My dog actually flushed a few.
The WDFW (fish comes first in WA) got a lot of complaints from deer hunters. They fixed that by switching the opener. Now the pheasant season opener is two weeks behind the deer opener. So in this state anyway, it's now fish, deer and birds, in that order. Deer hunters don't usually have 20 K boats.
