SE MN . . . I can remember swapping reports with a fellow Army Reserve officer (we were both on the staff of the now defunct 205th Inf Bde (Separate/Light). He lived and hunted them in SE MN, often with good results. We lived close enough to enjoy good hunting in NE Iowa. Our best year was 1980, when we recorded 60 flushes on opening weekend. And those birds offered a number of good shooting opportunities. Sadly, since then, things have gone in the other direction. The main problem was cover aging out with little logging and essentially no clearcutting.
Now, having moved to northern Wisconsin, I typically find what Lloyd finds during the early season: Too many leaves resulting in more birds heard than seen, along with too many bugs and too much heat. I did kill a grouse on opening day my first year as a Wisconsin resident. But these days, expecting to shoot a grouse on opening weekend is typically a forlorn hope. The main difference is no shortage of good habitat. But our fortunes don't improve until somewhat later in the season. Fewer leaves and bugs. Cooler weather. And more woodcock to provide some action in the absence of grouse.
Lloyd, do you have much in the way of young aspen where you're hunting? Northern Michigan University did a long study on woodcock in the UP. They concluded that once aspen reaches 10 years of age, it begins to lose its attraction to woodcock.If there's not a regular migration route where you're hunting, you may be mostly out of luck where timberdoodles are concerned.
Last edited by L. Brown; 10/02/24 07:59 AM.
