Where will all you Grouse hunters be on September 15th?

Myself I have mixed emotions of where in Michigan to hunt. I thought of seeking permission to hunt on the grounds of my youth, the area still holds some birds, but I believe I will go back to the area south of Marquette where I lived so many years. The U.P. beckons in a way only those who have lived there probably understand.

I go forth on this date not so much because the hunting is good, but out of pent up desire to be in the woods with dogs and gun again. The air does not yet have that crisp fall scent, but knowing where some birds lay for later in the year is not a bad thing, and the memories are always there.

As the day approaches I have been getting prepared: trying to work the dogs as much possible in this years brutal heat; purchased two mixed flats of RST paper hull shells; been bugging the Smith to get my new gun finished; checked boots to make sure soles ok; checked gear to see what additions needed; and I have been reading Burton Spiller to properly set the mood.

Where ever you all venture on your opening day enjoy.

Chicago Mike

No birds in the UP. Just ticks and wolves now. Go to Minnesota.

No birds in Michigan period, go to Wisconsin. :-)

Such a valiant effort to deter but one hunter, and Erik you don't appear to live in Michigan. http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/images/icons/default/grin.gif
grin As a side note if you cant find birds in the U.P. you are not looking in the right places.http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/images/icons/default/laugh.gif
laugh

I grew up in Michigan and have hunted grouse and woodcock in Michigan to no avail 20-30 days/season every year. It's too bad that there are no birds but the memories are important.

You being a FIB and all, you should not be calling my credentials into question. It was bad enough to have to put up with Illinois drivers in Michigan when there were fewer of you.

I just know that you'd be a lot happier in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

There are no grouse in Minnesota. Drought dried up their little skins, and flooding has now washed their little corpses away. The smart grouse hunters are all heading for Canada, or Maine or somewhere, and only us peasants are left to wander forlorn in the lifeless coverts, behind our puzzled dogs. Oh, sure, I'll carry the little Bernardelli 20ga., just for something to do with my hands. But whether I'll even bother to load it is anyone's guess.

Ah Grousemas, which falls on Sept. 15th this year. As always I'll be in square miles of knee-high brome grass wishing I had binoculars to watch the pointers as they interact with young Prairie Chickens. This year it's time to finally blood the Bayard 16 bore.

It is always a ........wait a minute. You guys aren't suggesting that the only "Grouse" that is hunted is a Ruff are you? You wouldn't do that, would you? Nah, you all would rather hunt blues and sharpies and chickens and sage hens and all the rest, wouldn't you?

Steve: My thoughts were on the ruffs, but a sharptail grouse, or Prairie Chicken as people in the plains states call them is certainly a good way to spend September 15th. What do you folks call true Prairie Chickens?

Erik:
I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and hunted grouse in the Manistee National Forest. I left for awhile and then lived in Michigan again from 1981 to 1992 in both Traverse Ciy and Marquette. Unfortunately, I now find myself back in Illinois. Funny how there are never any grouse anywhere in the United States.

For the life of me I can not figure out how to add the smiley faces?

Opening day is overrated. 'Skeeters you can put a saddle on, and 1 qt. capacity ticks, to go along with birds that are mostly invisible in the cabbage, and dogs working in the heat. Good chance I'll be in the boat that day, surveying the changing colors along the shores of one of the Apostle islands. I have had a wonderful run of good weather over the years right around grouse opener, there just doesn't seem to be much difference between the warm and cold fronts on lake Superior during that part of the month, making things pleasant. The bugs also seem to be on vacation in that part of the world, at that time, as well.
I'll report exactly where the birds aren't, here in Minnesota, one month or so later. The bird counts, pheasant and grouse, sound promising.
Best,
Ted

After reading this and knowning the few non-hunted quail I have left, glad I started taking-up ducks.
My three Labs and I can always find some action if wanted.
Nice traditions with all the trappings in fowling here in the flyways.

Lowell,

How many ducks have you shot in the last 2 years ??

Only a few, but taken just so!
On your own place, your not so heavy handed.
Just so, is what counts.

Dennis: a gentleman doesn't ask such questions. It's not about actually shooting ducks - it's all about nostalgia gear and 'proper' style.

Chi-town, The Nebraska Game Commission refers to them in the aggregate as "Prairie Grouse." The Sharptails are located in the western part of the state, with a few Greater Prairie Chickens mixed in. Here in SE Nebr. there is a remnant population of GPC's that are locally referred to as "Chickens." If you ever wanted to see just how big your dog will run, this is the place to find out.

sv

I can't wait to get back to Manitoba for ruffed, sharps, and spruce all in the same habitat. Sure wish they would start a woodcock season. Here I have broods of pheasants in my yard, garden, road ditches, cropfields and pastures, but the dummies can wait till I can hunt them in the snow. Seven days till doves open though and my old Sauer Model 8 will be smokin' Plenty of local sharps and gray partridge here, and the ponds are loaded with young ducks.

Steve: Thanks for clearing up the Plains State nomenclature. When I used to hunt pheasant in South Dakota everyone there refered to sharptails as Praire Chickens. When I asked them what they called Prairie Chickens they all gave me a funny look and said Prairie Chickens.

Of course depending on where you live many call the ruffed grouse "Pa-tridge".

Hal: Do you, or did you, use a guide service in Manitoba?

Chicago, what do old west Michigan grouse hunters call ruffed grouse?

Erik: Pretty much Pats when I was growing up, now I would say grouse is more prevalent, at least among the circle of friends I hunt with. As you know if you ask some locals about grouse hunting they give you a funny look, but ask them about Pats and you gain some level of credibility.

And your part of the state?

Maloney, those are some damn good reasons for it all.
Now add a few ducks in the mix, days in the blind and good dogs.
...and a great gun of course....why ol'boy you've got yourself a hobby.

Well done, PATS it is. Or are.

St. Joseph to Cross Village. We lived on the shore from '58 to '85. I still have property there.

"DAMN SCARCE"

cluck, cluck -- no birds here in Wisconsin - cluck, cluck You may want to consider one of those other places. There is very little land here that is not paved. cluck, cluck Please don't call me that weekend. I will be at work. wink, wink, or maybe church

Good luck.

I went grouse hunting a few times, after walking up and down mountains and chasing a handfull of running birds in some of the nastiest cover i ever saw. I think they should survive, especaily without me hunting them.
Ridding on a nice gaited horse seeing a classy bird dog standing on point. With a covey of well-mannered (sit tight) bob whites is too enjoyable.
I can't wait for Thanksgiving.

Dale:

That kind of hunting is becoming much more appealing as I get older. I have already stopped much of my brush busting and now concentrate on walking old logging roads. Perhaps we will be talking face to face someday.

Shoot straight.

Dale/Tom: I saw an article awhile back about a fellow who hunted grouse on horseback with his dog. They worked back roads, and it sure seemed like a nice way to go. Easy to carry water, food and of course the daily grouse and woodcock. Now if the horse doesn't spook when the deer runs by we are all set.

We already have too many folks out 'hunting' while sitting on their arses - granted, their ATVs are noisier than horses, and smell a bit worse, but both make a mess of the trails.

Personally, I prefer hunters who walk the grouse woods on their own hind legs.

Here in Washington the opening day for grouse is Sept. 1st. Two weeks ago I was scouting and found close to a dozen blues in the "neighborhood". This one sat for a portait, let's see if I can post it...

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee195/Roper1952/bigblue.jpg

Golly, it worked!

Anywhooo, sorry you fellahs have to wait 'till mid month...I'll be thinking of Ya'll on Saturday morning...

No birds here in Wisconsin, suggest you find another location!

Ruffed grouse are virtually extinct in the Upper Midwest. The only remaining breeding populations are in Canada and New England. I urge all grouse hunters to head northeast if they want to get the last few ruffs before they're gone.

Rick: Nice looking bird and it looks like you need to be a billy goat to get to them - true?

Roy and Jack: With grouse being extinct in the upper midwest, do you all have your gun collections up for sale on the cheap? Being closer to the Northeast I will probably have more use for them.

Tom my experience is that walking old logging trails is usually more productive than "brushbusting." The trails are artificial openings where there is more sunlight, more foods like clover, and seem to form territorial boundaries.

Neighboring NY opens on the 21st of september, our season is closed until october 1ish or so...opening day isn't much good for taking birds, but it's a great way to air out the musty gear and put all that summer dog-training to some semblance of use. If lucky I might get to put a few little holes in some still-very-green leaves and hopefully mentally mark a few spots that need a walk-through later in the season. I probably won't take any birds then either, but what the hey (all New Englanders worth their salt know that the only huntable bird populations are in Maine).

I'll take the thick stuff, thankyouverymuch. There may not be any extra birds, but it keeps the riff-raff out--I tend to be a bit anti-social in my fall pursuits.

Ran the pup on Greater Prairie Chickens last Saturday am....averaged a bird contact every 7-8 minutes for two hours........and never came within 200 yards of a bush, much less a tree. You guys are hunting in the wrong place. Sorry.

sv

Sometimes, but you'd be surprised to find that most of my hunting is fairly level ground. The logging spur roads that branch off the forestry road have overgrown to little more than cattle trails these days. However most are level across the hillside and lead into coverts along the way. A mile or so off the road there's little if any other hunters and the birds don't get skitterish until mid October. By then the "orange bloom" of deer hunters invades all the the most remote coverts. That's when I head higher...or farther east after chukar.

I hunt, wherefore I am. Wouldn't do me much good to hunt in Nebraska, since there I am not! Besides, I rather like it here.
(although I'm quite certain I could find a way to stomach 15 bird contacts in two hours without having to don protective clothing including a helmet and goggles....)

We had a fine opener. My friend from Arkansas shot his first Chicken 5 minutes into our hunt. It was a banded bird, the first we had ever seen. The Bayard was properly blooded, the dogs handled well, and all is good in Chicken country. Here are two photos, one of a typical point on Chicken ground, the other is the Bayard.