my 1st try at grouse

hey everyone,

Ever since i saw a turkey run across the road on the way to our family cottage i thought about hunting but it was always on the back burner since i didn't know anyone that hunts. I ended up selling a couple of ice augers to a gentleman that hunts and my step son was with me and showed some serious interest so i booked the courses and am now trying to make my 1st harvest.

I struck out this spring on turkeys but did actually call some birds in and even had my used mossberg 500 to my shoulder but just didn't get the shot i needed. While i was turkey hunting i did flush some grouse and made a mental note of where to come back when the season opens since i have a small game license.

This afternoon was my only chance to get out and it was really wet walking but i kept busting through what i thought was good grouse habitat and out of the corner my eye in the distance i saw a bird flush, didn't hear it with my earplugs, i turned and got a glimpse of the colours and thought yup that's what i'm hunting for, maybe next time i'll actually react and get the gun up. I didn't see exactly where it went and kept at it but didn't get a 2nd flush. About an hour later i made a triple bird flush and got my gun up the safety off and like the rookie i am i missed, between being startled and trying to decide which bird to shoot at i burned up the precious time i needed. I did get a couple more flushes out of the same birds but each one was further and further away since the birds were already on alert, oh well a bunch of lessons learned, i try to congratulate myself on finding birds and getting a chance.

well back to t.i.t.s. for more practice and i'll start shooting from a low hold instead of shouldering my gun before i call for the bird, man i can't wait ill the skeet is open there so i can practice pumping and shooting again, but nothing except real experience can get you ready birds flushing when you least expect it.

thanks for reading and happy hunting

Ya the grouse can kinda scare the crap out of you !lol I have missed many and probably continue to miss many more.:) But you enjoyed your hunting experience and thats what really matters. Good luck on your next hunt and thanks for the hunting story.

Leave the plugs in the truck next time. You can hear a lot of things the grouse are doing before they flush. Listen for them in the leaves, occasionally they'll "coo" or whatever you'd like to call that noise when they're startled. Walk slow. Stop often. Listen and watch.

Best of luck

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Originally Posted by mbhunter

Leave the plugs in the truck next time. You can hear a lot of things the grouse are doing before they flush. Listen for them in the leaves, occasionally they'll "coo" or whatever you'd like to call that noise when they're startled. Walk slow. Stop often. Listen and watch.

Best of luck

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Good advice mbhunter but your description reminds me of Elmer Fud. :)

Agree with the ear plug comment. Hunting no matter what the game you need full use of your ears especially grouse. Forget the ear plugs. You certainly won't experience hearing damage from the amount of shooting associated with grouse and woodcock hunting.

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

Good advice mbhunter but your description reminds me of Elmer Fud. :)

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Compliment accepted!

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Originally Posted by Cass

Agree with the ear plug comment. Hunting no matter what the game you need full use of your ears especially grouse. Forget the ear plugs. You certainly won't experience hearing damage from the amount of shooting associated with grouse and woodcock hunting.

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X3 It's really important to be able to hear what is going on around you. Grouse are a pretty challenging bird to shoot.

Yep you want to use your ears and eyes for grouse, and southern grouse in particular. Walk slow, look lots and then slow down some more. I think in the north, because there are more birds and they don't flush quite as easily, covering more area often is the more productive option. In the south I'll also work a lot harder to follow a flush since there is a good chance (especially without a dog) that I might only see/hear a bird or two the whole day.

Last year I lost track of how many times I was out, and how many flushes, I had before I got my first one down. I might go out today after work because the one thing I know for sure is I'll never get one sitting at home.

I find my ears are more irritated by friends shooting beside me than the gun on my own shoulder. You should be okay without them. keep at it. Much more of a challenge to shoot a flushed grouse than one sitting on the road, have a blast!

I've been at it a few years, but yesterday was my own first 2014 outing with my young apprentice hunter. She carried the 20ga all day, and, after a 2-1/2 hour hike, we flushed 2. She didn't get a shot off (I doubt I would have either if I were the one with the shotgun) and that was it. An hour into the 2-1/2 hour hike back...it started to rain hard. We were soggy, cold and birdless when we arrived back at my truck...and within 5 minutes of changing into dry clothes, I was being asked when we're going out again. Nothing like a kid to remind you what youthful optimism is all about. :)

I'd say keep at it, I know I am. If I factor in last season (no birds in 5 hunts) I know I'm a glutton for punishment..maybe the biggest glutton I know. Maybe my apprentice needs a new mentor! :) On a side note, I was fishing north of Sault Ste. Marie about 10 days ago and having putting in about 15kms on the boots up there...I can confirm what everyone says about northern birds vs. southern birds. The ones we encountered up there (only armed with a fly rod) wouldn't move off the trail until you were about 8' away from them. Man....I wish some of those things would fly south!