doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Not good-potential early closure of WI bird season

Read it, here:

http://ruffedgrousesociety.org/WI-Grouse...tm_medium=email

Don't hunt grouse there, but, West Nile might start to be a factor.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Best,
Ted

My state closed the Grouse season almost 20 years ago , and I don't think it'll ever be open again before I go for my Dirt Nap - even though I flush out a Grouse or three while hunting rabbits in the same bottoms.

This is going to do little or nothing for the problem. I do all of my bird hunting in northern Wisconsin, and there not much bird hunting going on between Nov 30 and Jan 6 to start with. I don't have the numbers in front of me but I would imagine the peak of the grouse harvest would be somewhere around early to mid October.

Two years ago was the best grouse season of my entire life, the birds were everywhere in the area we hunt. Talked to other people who hunt bordering counties, and they had average to poor seasons. One of my theories (which is probably worthless) is that habitat is becoming so broken up and separated by development and/or logging practices, the traditional annual peaks and valleys in the grouse population are becoming very localized which makes it more difficult to accurately study and predict.

We'll see where the West Nile study goes as well.

Flintfan,
I found the grouse hunting in the western part of Michigan's U.P. to be less in numbers this past season than before. Your point on localization would seem correct. I wonder what the real reason is for a shorter season, and which states will follow suit.
Karl

Agree with Flintfan. Grouse hunting in northern Wisconsin in the winter is self-limiting. Once we have a fair amount of snow on the ground, unless you're a snowshoe hunter, there's a lot of very good grouse habitat that becomes essentially inaccessible. ATV trails, which provide very good access in the fall, don't get plowed. You're pretty much stuck with hunting fairly close to plowed roads.

Did you not hear the latest...






Low Grouse populations are Donald Trumps fault.

We can only hope it's not true. I have seen a marked decrease in 'spots/flushes' and killed birds in Northwest and Northeast WI for the last 3+ years, when production should have been rising, - sad!

Any word on numbers in Minnesota yet Ted?

Yes, I read that late-breaking fake news from rocky mtn bill earlier today. It no doubt involved Russian collusion. There's one more great reason why we should all be voting for the Democrats who want to take away our gun rights.

My state cancelled its late grouse season that normally opens after deer season in December. But I heard that Trump and Putin and the Amish Dutch were poaching them anyway. Between them and West Nile virus, the poor grouse don't stand a chance.

Not to answer for Ted, Lloyd, but, MN drumming counts down 29% from last year according to the DNR. My local report looks OK, (boots on the ground). I can't wait regardless.

Chief

And hey, at least it's not GWB's fault now!