Grouse

Has anybody then days seeing grouse ? No matter where I go and when I go, I do not see any, not even flushing in the bushes it's like they not around at all.

Any tips on how to find grouse between snow and there to they go when it snowed?

Thick evergreen patches/ saw three on the way back from the deer stand Wednesday

Think I need to travel a bit more further out the city, I been snooping Thick evergreen patches and the whole nine yard, unless time of the day has an effect

Depending on where you’re located, Ruffed Grouse are almost extirpated now from much of southern Ontario. I live near Fenelon Falls at the north end of WMU 75 and there hasn’t been what I would deem a hunt-able population for the past 10 to 12 years. You can cover excellent cover with a good dog and you’ll be lucky to flush a single bird in a four hour romp. Next to zero spring drumming now. I believe the main cause is West Nile and the latest literature supports this. I go to Gogama - Timmins districts now if I want to actually harvest some birds and let my Lab pick a few up. Bloody sad it is. And now there’s avian influenza and LPD to add to the mess. I’m just waiting for CWD to end my deer hunt as well. Dhould have been born 50 years earlier !

Walk much slower and quieter. Look farther. If you've seen any there before, they are still there and smart enough to hide or run without flushing. My most productive hunts are usually a bit later when the weather gets cold. I find sun kissed fingers of trees near a water source with a mixture of conifers and small deciduous trees. They like to be on the edge of cover with an escape route. At least that's my experience with the southern birds I hunt.

Holly crap that's some alarming stuff bro! Hope that's not fully accurate ... I kinda want to believe it's not ! Lol because dang man that's not what we need !

Ok I will keep that noted, I went to spot I been going to for 2 years now and always seem birds in there, but today and last week not one! Only them big grey woodpeckers which I obviously don't shoot i think they are protected species, but anyhow on one side of the bushings there are water so maybe I'll try from the water side, I did hear noises in the bushes like as if a bird is about to flush but then I don't, I wonder if what you said could be true, them walking away fast instead of flying away

Locate transition zone, from open hardwoods transitioning to thick cedars. I find that they like this habitat. The thicker the bush, the more you will flush and the less you will shoot LOL

i flushed a few over the deer hunt. out towards goderich

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Originally Posted by punkrockerpj

i flushed a few over the deer hunt. out towards goderich

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I have seen birds on every hunt. It would be nice to actually connect on one. I do find them more skittish this year!