Grouse

[thejigger]

Killed another grouse today over Hank. We put 8 up all together. I shot at 3 others and should have had at least one more. I have hunted grouse for many years over my Brittanys and this is the first year hunting with my Lab. Hank stays close and has a great nose which has worked out great so far. I am heading up to Fort Drum tomorrow to chase them around, can't wait! Good luck and safe hunting

[Gill-T]

I grew up hunting grouse over labs. Agree they stay closer as not to bump birds. 

[thejigger]

Hank and I hunted on Ft Drum last Wednesday and killed 1 grouse after putting 8 up. I only shot at 2 so I was very happy. Yesterday we hunted Morgan Hill state property while my son and a friend went skiing. We put 2 birds up, I shot at both and had no business missing the one, but that's what happens. There seems to be a lot of grouse around this year. Good luck and safe hunting

[thejigger]

Hunted 2 different spots today with 0 flushes. I watched Hank get real birdy only to find were a grouse had roosted during the night. I have seen Fisher tracks in every piece of property hunted so far, just wondering if anyone else is seeing the same thing.  Just an awesome time to be in the woods chasing birds! Good luck and safe hunting

[wishinfishin]

Still got time. Good luck.

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[thejigger]

What a day. Hank and I put up 11 grouse.today, 6 from the trees and  5 off the ground. I shot at 3 and didn't connect. Today was such a beautiful day in the woods, spectacular weather for late January, unless you're an ice fisherman. I have been finding many spots to bow hunt next year. I have walked close to 10 miles over the last 2 days, only wish I knew how many miles Hank has traveled. Good luck and safe hunting/fishing

[dukhnter8]

Not trying to steal your spots, but what cover are you finding them in? As in pines, hardwoods, scrubby areas?

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[Gill-T]

Fishers and Coyote increases have put them in the trees now more than ever.  Makes a hard bird to kill, harder.  This deer season I watched 8 birds feeding in ash trees.  They never hit the ground.  They have learned to let you walk right by.  My German Shorthair will hold her nose in the air if there is a bird in the tree.  

[thejigger]

I have found birds in just about every kind of cover you can imagine. I like to find state land with old clear cuts, so there are strips of old pines with overgrown clear cuts between. I also have been finding them in classic thick cover, the kind it hurts to walk thru due to the thorns and such. Something kinda off the wall I have been doing this year is changing my choke and shot combination. Conventional wisdom, I think, is to hunt grouse with an open choke and small shot, which works better with pointing dogs, if the grouse will stay put. Since I have been hunting with my Lab, I have been using a modified choke and #4 shot, it seems the bigger shot has a better chance of getting thru the branches and I can take a little more time pointing the gun. Only 1 time this year did I wish I had the IC choke in. Learning and trying new things all the time>

[Gill-T]

8's or 6's in the tube, 6's for 2nd shot and 4's or 5's for third.  Improved choke for brush or pines.  Clear cuts or more wooded, modified.  

 

[Sk8man]

Fond memories of earlier days (without a dog) when they would flush in the pines and scare the crap of of you and usually when you least expected it

[thejigger]

Hank and I hunted yesterday and put up 6 grouse. Conditions were tough, crunchy snow and the snow that fell overnight where I was hunting was on the branches, making shots nearly impossible. I watched Hank look up in the trees that we put birds out of. He is learning all the time. Yesterday started my 6 day break and we plan on hunting every day. Sunday I am taking my son to the pheasant preserve for his 16th birthday. It is a tradition we started when he turned 12 and something we look forward to every year. Good luck and safe hunting/fishing 

Edited February 1, 2020 by thejigger

[Gill-T]

Eight flushes today in Onadaga County. One bird didn’t make it. Grouse Parmesan tonight!

[thejigger]

Hunted a new area today. We only put 1 up with no shots. Tough conditions again today. Saw a ton of tracks so we will definitely go back when conditions improve. Chasing pheasants tomorrow, then beer and wings for the game

[thejigger]

Just got back from hunting pheasants on a preserve. We reserved 8 and killed 7. We put the 8th one up but it flew towards the club house and my son did the right thing by not shooting. Hank is a machine. The birds were holding very tight today, so tight he actually caught a hen! I plan on walking my hangover off tomorrow hunting grouse again. Good luck and safe hunting/fishing

[thejigger]

We hunted 2 different areas on the Finger Lakes National Forest today and put up 1 bird about 50 yards ahead of us. What a beautiful day for a walk in the woods. Gonna try a new area tomorrow that I have been wanting to check out for a couple years now, then back to the area I saw all the tracks in the other day.

[Gill-T]

One flush at Hanging Bog today. I can only hunt my dog for an hour due to her medical condition.  Bird flushed across street when I had the gun slung over shoulder thinking the hunt was over. Typical. 

[thejigger]

I've been out once so far. Hank and I put up 5 and I killed one. Had fresh snow overnight and I could see where the birds had walked. I watched Hank find tracks on the ground and follow them, so cool. Gonna try and get out this weekend. Good luck and safe hunting.

[Gill-T]

Two for two today ahead of weather change. 

[Cody191]

Never thought of hunting grouse with a lab. Always used them as flushers and retrievers. That’s pretty cool. I’ve had vizslas my whole life. Nothing like a versatile hunting dog.


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[JakeyBaby]

Two for two today ahead of weather change. 

Pm sent, not sure if it went through though......

[Gill-T]

Put up three this afternoon. A couple of Hail Mary shots at one. The others spooked well out of range. Such is grouse hunting