Anyone for MN ruffed grouse?

still_steamn

still_steamn

New member
Hi,
I live in the Twin Cities. I usually do a couple 2-3 day weekend trips in October somewhere in northern MN for ruffed grouse. Still looking for a really good ruffed grouse area. I know of some OK spots. Usually just me and my GSP. It's not real practical to hunt 2 guys over one dog in the woods for ruffed grouse, but it's possible. Someone with a dog that wants to team up would be good.
 
Trip to Upper Michigan

I was going to try and hunt grouse inMinnesota this year,but The DNR told me the numbers are going to be down.So I decided to buy a non-resident small game license in Michigan for $69 and hunt october 1st thru october 6th or 7th.I am going to hunt in the Ottawa National Forest.The DNR there told me they expect the season to be similar as last year,so I am going to take my truck camper and go up and try.I am hunting alone with my male GSP and will camp and cook myself.I have room for one guy if you are interested.My dog is going to be 1 year old and was trained by Ed Erickson near Isle,Minn. and is very docile and gets along with other dogs well.I do have a dog kennel that I trail with me that I think would fit 2 dogs.Please let me know if interested.
 
have to remember that MN has more ruffed grouse then any other state... & even on our down year witch will be this way for the next 3-5 year as ruffed grouse populations go up & down in a 10 year cycle we are at the bottom of the cycle now... i was told the same about the MI ruffed grouse populations??? if they are not on a down year in the cycle thats great news but i doubt it???

also northern MN has ruffed & spruce grouse in the same woods if you hunt the write areas 2x the grouse in the woods MI cant compete with that lol

also if you hit the write areas of MN add shaprtail grouse to the hunt options...

we also have tons & tons of forest both national & state forest as well as many WMAs & refuges that hold tons of ruffed grouse...

the ruffed grouse society hold there annual hunt in MN for a reason many travel from states far & wide to hunt our MN ruffed grouse even on down years we have more ruffed grouse then any other state...
 
Michigan grouse hunt

Oh,by the way I live in Eau Claire,Wis. and love to bird hunt.I had a GSP last year,but he was almost 14 years old and stopped eating so I finally had him put to sleep last November.He was a very good dog.I hope my young dog does well this year.I also am going out to Lemmon,South Dakota and camp at Shadehill State Park for 2 weeks to hunt pheasant and sharptail in the Grand River National Grasslands and also alot of other public land.I will be leaving October 20th and coming back On November 2nd.The Fish and Game folks told me that the sharptail had a very good hatch this spring along with the pheasant.I am retired and will be 68 years old and get around fairly well,so I am going to bird hunt as long as the Good Lord allows.If you are interested in this trip let me know also.Maybe we could work out something.
 
still steamn hi how are you... i am interested in maybe joining you on some hunts early-mid OCT will be bizzy for me with prairie grouse hunting & pheasant season in MN & ND so maybe around halloween to just B4 deer season??? or maybe you would like to try a early season mixed bag prairie grouse ruffed grouse hunt if your into that kind of hunting opportunity???

whats northern MN to you still steamn??? like wear have u hunted that you were not happy with the numbers??? dont have to be specific just general works... like how far are u willing to drive to get on ruffed grouse??? you hunting only state or national forest??? or other public land options???

have u ever chased spruce grouse in MN??? mite want to try them areas for a change???

i have a few areas that hold both spruce & ruffed grouse but they are way up north & in the middle of no mans land... same goes for sharptails & ruffed grouse mixed bag hunt areas but are way up north most are scared to drive up that far for 2-3 days... id be happy to split gas $$$ i about 98%-99% of the time just camp out aka pop a tent & ruff it camp/hunt... is that your type of thing??? i also have some decent to ok areas that are not so far up north & we may be able to do some mixed bag turkey/ruffed grouse hunt or pheasant/ruffed grouse hunt if you want to hunt more southern areas way less ruffed grouse thow??? not always the case... just got to get in good habitat with birds still living... lol

i have hunted all over MN for ruffed grouse but try to avoid the major areas that get hunters from all across the country...

like i said B4 we are in the middle of the 10 years cycle now well actually at the bottom or the lowest point of the 10 yr cycle so it will only get better from here on out!!! so its likely the areas u hunted mite be good areas but the grouse numbers are down...??? there are still areas that hold good grouse numbers in MN just got to know what & wear to hunt em...

if we could maybe work out a hunt or 2 in OCT.- NOV. that would be great no biggie if not but i am game... id rather go up early season for a mixed bag sharptail & ruffed grouse hunt i will be going for the grouse opener so let me know if ud like that kind of hunt??? i love the prairie grouse hunt... so much easier to get shots off then in the ruffed grouse woods lol

i have a young 16 month old small munsterlander so it would only be 2 guys 2 dogs she works close & is really get n the hang of pointing but needs wild birds to tight n her up so she is no pro hunter by any means yet but she will retrieve any thing that falls from the air & listens well & is smart as a whip!!!

keep in touch if interested man...
 
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ruffed grouse

I know Minnesota has great grouse hunting,but I am just going by what the DNR from each state has told me.
 
i am also curious on what the MIDNR said jackson1???

did they say that MI was in a up or down year in the 10 year ruffed grouse cycle??? thats how they always judge the ruffed grouse population trends...

its a little different then pheasant & turkey population trends... the spring weather is the same brood recruitment wise... like wet cold springs dont help ruffed grouse chicks make it to adult hood in the same way...

i just thought it was like WI saying they had a good year for say pheasants & SD saying they are having a bad year pheasant wise for example but SD will still have way way more pheasants then WI ETC. i wonder if its the same for MI & MN ruffed grouse number???

park falls WI claims to be the ruffed grouse capital of the world??? that of course is not true MN has more ruffed grouse period then WI not to mention more grouse & grouse species 4 in total...

so is MI on the up year in the 10 year ruffed grouse cycle jackson1???
 
michigan grouse

They told me that they peaked in 2011,but there drumming counts were the same as 2012 for this last spring.I think that is why they told me to expect the same as last year.They said most bird hunter did very well last year.
 
small munsterlander owner said:
i am also curious on what the MIDNR said jackson1???

did they say that MI was in a up or down year in the 10 year ruffed grouse cycle??? thats how they always judge the ruffed grouse population trends...
Click to expand...

RE Michigan drumming counts. The peak of the cycle was probably 2011. Drumming counts were lower in 2012 and lower still this year.

As I understand it, the grouse cycles in MN, WI, and MI are roughly the same, baring local weather differences.

Bottom line: Yes, there will be grouse in the woods this year. We may have to walk farther to find them. I'm OK with that.;)

NB
 
i herd the same thing natty bumpo that MN WI MI & most of southern ontario canada are all on about the same 10 yr cycle the they will peak on years that end in 0 1990 was peak 2000 was peak 2010 was peak ETC. the yrs that end with 4-5 are the lowest of the low points & only get better from them years on...

the weather only has a role in brood recruitment each season not the 10 yr cycle... of course if all the grouse die off there will be lower grouse numbers in a area... its a age thing all the mature breeding age grouse die off with in 2-3 years of the peak cycle & the same happens to there babys in 2-3 yrs & thus we are left with a down cycle...

in areas with high numbers of grouse the down cycles do not mean NO grouse just way way less then even 1-2 yrs ago... if the habitat is still around come the peak years there will be loads of grouse there...

so in a down cycle year for all states WI MI & MN minnesota would in theory hold more grouse then the other states if we hold more ruffed grouse to begin with correct???

MI is great for ruffed grouse hunting i agree 100% but its like 2nd or 3rd best to MN & MN has spruce grouse in the same range as many ruffed grouse to boot they dont cycle...

any way stillsteamn PM me if you want to chat grouse hunting spots O.K.
 
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The MN DNR is not to accurate when it comes to grouse population. When ever Mother Nature throws a curve ball ( early or late spring ) they are way off on the drumming counts. This year was one of my best for getting a limit per times hunting .
 
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