Park Falls report

Ranger6

Member
I hunted last weekend near Park Falls. It was my first Grouse hunt in 24 years so awesome to get a chance to hunt them again, I have not lived in a state with Ruffed Grouse since I left home after collage. The first day was windy and a tough hunt and I only flushed six birds no shots. The 2nd day was raining all day I moved 11 birds no shots. The final day Sunday was perfect conditions I moved 16 birds got one shot and killed my first bird. One thing I thought was odd is that in three days of hunting with a good dog I never flushed a woodcock. Great to be back in a place where I can hunt Grouse. Thanks for all the great information on this site.

Tom
 
33 flushes in 3 days will always keeping you coming back, I hunted in upstate NY for several years and we moved 4-5 on a good day, and those were our hot spots. Were you using a flusher or a pointer, and what gun were you using. Nice write up.
 
Pointing lab

To answer a few questions I used my five year old pointing lab who had never seen a Grouse or hunted in the woods prior to this trip. She is an awesome Pheasant dog who spent the last four years hunting wild Roosters in Kansas. Once she got scent on her first Grouse she figured it out. I stopped her front line this Month and had to start it back up as she had a ton of ticks on her. I had thought it was cold enough to quit for the year. I had one frontline packet with me and once I put it on her she was fine. If you hunt that area be careful with the ticks. According to my GPS I covered 38 miles in three days of hunting so she was a little sore but once she stretched out she was fine. Good to be out hunting again.

Tom
 
Had a friend hunting the Park falls area this past weekend as well. He only moved two woodcock the first day. Limited out on day 2 with grouse and 2 more grouse on sunday. Didn't see anymore woodcock though. He was on private land that I don't think has been bird hunted in many years.
 
Run into many deer ticks? I've heard they are a major problem.

Deer ticks are a major problem in a lot of areas.

During my college years the wood ticks around Waupaca were horrible. One time trout fishing a little stream near Scandanavia I came out to my car and was covered with hundreds of wood ticks. Stripped naked on the side of the road, shook out my clothes, but didn't get them all by a long shot. Nothing worse than driving own the road and feel a tick crawling up the inside of your thigh navigating his way to the boys. They got displaced some years ago by the deer tick and now the deer ticks are bad on family property.

There are some areas near Wausau just a few minutes from home that I killed a lot of birds on 20 years ago, but won't hunt today because my dog comes out looking like you took a container of coarse pepper, took off the top and tossed it on him.

We're seeing more around the traditional family hunting grounds in NW Langlade County and this past weekend were picking a few off our pants after coming out of the woods. Around my place outside of Sayner we see wood ticks, but Max has picked up deer ticks where we're hunting just NW of Star Lake.

I've talked to wildlife people in DNR and no one can explain to me why the deer tick has displaced the wood tick. I've never found the two of them in the same place. Wood ticks were normal years ago, now they're gone and it's deer ticks. Along with them come the tick-borne diseases. I hate the damned things, both species.
 
I just returned from hunting not far North of Park Falls. I did find a couple deer ticks on myself and the dog. Even Monday morning after I had hard frost on the windshield I still found one tick crawling on me.
 
I just returned from hunting not far North of Park Falls. I did find a couple deer ticks on myself and the dog. Even Monday morning after I had hard frost on the windshield I still found one tick crawling on me.

The deer tick is much more resilient than the wood tick. We've found them on deer during the gun season, with snow on the ground. I expect to find them into November.
 
Hunted Langland county for the 1st time last weekend and we a great time however the ticks are terrible. After the first two hour walk on Friday morning I pulled over 50 ticks off of my golden retriever. On the plus side most of the tics where still crawling on him and not attached yet. I treated my cloths with permethrin before the hunt and didn't find a single tic on my cloths.
 
It seems from central Wisconsin northward they are numerous. Grouse are often found in areas where ticks like to visit too. Higher, dryer ground the ticks aren't as bad. Lower, damp/wet areas they can gitch-ya. At least that's been the case in my experiences.
 
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