Advice on bird hunting trip to Grand rapids ,MN

J

Jim K

New member
I need some advice and I see there's many here from Minnesota posting..
This is not about pheasants but I couldn't find any forms where I could get an answer possibly I've booked a trip to Grand rapids Minnesota to hunt Grouse and woodcock I have a young Gordon setter..
And here in PA there's not many birds to train a young puppy..
I am staying at Grand rapids for 2 weeks and this year they said the Grouse numbers are higher in the northwest areas from Grand rapids..
I'd like to get some advice on which direction I should go from Grand rapids to hunt Grouse in woodcock and what would be your suggestions on what weeks would be best to be there right now I'm shooting for the second and third week some say 3rd and 4th week...
Any advice would be very helpful this is my first trip how does the state of PA for an older fart at 72 years old and a young puppy..
Thank you and God bless..Jim
 
I haven't done a lot of Ruff Grouse hunting but if it was me I'd prefer to wait until later in the season when the leaves are off the trees and you have cooler temps. Also less chance of dealing with a lot of ticks.
 
I'll second Zeb's remarks about ticks...friend of mine hunts that area, with an English setter, and picks over 100 ticks off his dog early in the season.
 
I go up by Grand Rapids with a group of guys on MNs pheasant opening weekend. Which is Typically around October 15th. Early in the season is tough grouse hunting due to higher temps and leaf cover and woodcock sometimes haven't even begun their migration until October either.
 
Munster927 said:
I go up by Grand Rapids with a group of guys on MNs pheasant opening weekend. Which is Typically around October 15th. Early in the season is tough grouse hunting due to higher temps and leaf cover and woodcock sometimes haven't even begun their migration until October either.
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I booked my trip from October the 12th to the 27th 2 weeks...
I'll be staying in Grand rapids Minnesota..
I had a person on here say he would take me out show me an area to get Rocky on some woodcock...
That was very nice of him..
The leaves should be changing and dropping and hopefully cooler temperatures in the morning I don't hunt in the afternoon 2 hours or so in the morning is enough for me and most likely for Rocky too..
I'll spend the afternoon driving around looking for new places to hunt talk to the hunters etc etc..
Any tips on hunting grouse in those areas north of Grand rapids is appreciated...
 
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Jim, bear in mind that there is a 4 day youth/early anterless firearms deer season from October 16-19 so there may be some people hunting deer during those four days with firearms. You will need additional blaze orange during those 4 days when you are hunting.

Just a FYI
 
Jim K said:
I booked my trip from October the 12th to the 27th 2 weeks...
I'll be staying in Grand rapids Minnesota..
I had a person on here say he would take me out show me an area to get Rocky on some woodcock...
That was very nice of him..
The leaves should be changing and dropping and hopefully cooler temperatures in the morning I don't hunt in the afternoon 2 hours or so in the morning is enough for me and most likely for Rocky too..
I'll spend the afternoon driving around looking for new places to hunt talk to the hunters etc etc..
Any tips on hunting grouse in those areas north of Grand rapids is appreciated...
Click to expand...
I have a place south of GR and the leaves are changing and some are starting to fall. It's still warm and bugs are an issue still. Hope for a freeze or two before you come. Good luck and have fun, it's a great area and beautiful.
 
Can you believe this two days before my trip from PA out my transmission went out of my truck...
So I had to cancel my vacation for 2025 ..
So I'm planning on my vacation in October again this year...2026
Looking at where I should be hunting this year for Grouse ..
Right now it's a motel at Grand rapids cuz that seems to be the cheapest and if Rocky were to get hurt I could just pack up and leave I'd like to get a place for a whole month...
So I'm opened any suggestions on where I should be headquartered and then decent place to stay with TV etc...
Some say I should go more North like towards hibbings Ely and be headquartered or towards bemidji..
Hoping to any and all suggestions where you would be centrally located if you were doing it.
Thanks Jim
 
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Jim K said:
Can you believe this two days before my trip from PA out my transmission went out of my truck...
So I had to cancel my vacation for 2025 ..
So I'm planning on my vacation in October again this year...2026
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear. If you wanna make god laugh, tell him your plans! Check out Fred’s meats in Goodland…north of hwy 2 on hwy 65, about 10 miles…great stuff, smoked salmon included. Nice covers in the area, including a series of x country ski trails close by…I’ve enjoyed hunting them, but there’s probably better pure covers in the area. I love the Chippewa National Forest…don’t have much intel for you, but I’ll get u some next fall…one of my friends has a pudelpointer and shoots good #’s of grouse and woodcock…lives in GR.
 
If I was selecting an area based on sheer beauty, or aesthetic’s, I’d be between hwy 46 and hwy 38…north of hwy 2…it’s hilly in parts of that country, and a combination of hard and soft woods…good amounts of logging as well….
 
3 years ago was on my first trip to Michigan for grouse. Straight cold rolling. 7 hrs from home my oil pressure light went on, went off, went on…she locked up and died right there. Got towed to a Dodge dealer, came home with zero grouse, a few woodcock and a new truck. Went again this past September for opener and jr. shot and killed first grouse he’d ever seen. I. again. got blanked. I’ll be back again next year weather willing. I’m hunting between Grayling and Gaylord.IMG_3236.jpeg
 
Tomahawker said:
3 years ago was on my first trip to Michigan for grouse. Straight cold rolling. 7 hrs from home my oil pressure light went on, went off, went on…she locked up and died right there. Got towed to a Dodge dealer, came home with zero grouse, a few woodcock and a new truck. Went again this past September for opener and jr. shot and killed first grouse he’d ever seen. I. again. got blanked. I’ll be back again next year weather willing. I’m hunting between Grayling and Gaylord.View attachment 12850
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Great pic!!
 
benelli-banger said:
I love the Chippewa National Forest
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I can confirm this as a very large, public hunting location for ruffs and woodcock. I deer hunted there for 27 years.

Get off the trails and logging roads. Get into the thick of it. You will encounter way more birds that way.

Walker, MN is probably the nearest sizable town with lodging.
 
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