Ruffed grouse cycle

D

Daisybuck

New member
I know it's off-species, but I suspect more than a few on this forum do a little grouse hunting along with their ringnecks. Am I the only one who has noticed grouse populations seem to be holding steady rather than slipping as one would expect after the last ``up'' cycle? Maybe it's just because I have been hunting with dogs for the past seven years and now flush more birds regardless of the overall population. I was even seeing more when I was out skiing without the dogs last winter.

Ideas? Conspiracy theories?
 
Another one of my favorite birds. I have found the numbers to be good also but real spotty. either the birds are there or not.
What type of dog do you hint with?
 
Them's Labradors

I have two labs, Daisy, 7, and Buck, also 7. Daisy is my primary hunting partner. Buck spent most of his formative years being coddled by my wife rather than chasing ``gray chickens.'' Buck had a nasty tendency to run the length of a logging road, flush all the birds and come loping back grinning. He got sent back to the truck. Oddly, when I started hunting pheasants he either figured it out or the terrain was more to his liking because he's a pretty darn good pup -- he ranges while Daisy stays close and never misses anything (wish I could say the same about myself.)
 
I have had some great Grouse hunting. I'm lucky enough to be able to step out my door and start hunting from the edge of the yard. Not always do I use a dog. I like to walk very slow and stalk the birds. Many times on those lazy Indian summer days. The birds will hold tight and just start to cluck, fan their tail and walk slow. Sit, walk, fly up in a tree or flush. They are dead and in my game bag. I admit to being a meat hunter. I like wild game and I'm there to harvest. I do use a dog a lot in the early season when the brush is thick. Heck, I hunt nearly everyday and my dog does get some action nearly everyday but I may choose to leave them out of certain walks where I know the location of the birds.

Picture005-1.jpg


Picture012.jpg
 
Last edited:
Show Off. :D
I was wondering how long it would be till you out a picture in here:cheers:


@Daisy
Where about do you hunt at? I don't ned a GPS location just a general idea.
I mainly hunt north of Hibbing area.
 
I would soooo love to have resident grouse down here in SW WI. Congratulations.

Best I've seen in 20 some years is maybe...5 birds in one week, and that very seldom. Over all, probably brought home 5 total in all those years.

Don't think I've seen any in the last decade down here. Up Nort', there have been reports of nice concentrations of them, as you say, maintained over the past few years.
 
It just happens that we are lucky to have good shooting, when it comes to Ruff grouse. I can't brag on lots of Pheasant hunting because we exactly ZERO! pheasants up here. It's my one flush Lee, I have to pull it out from time to time...:laugh::cheers:
 
Onpoint: Nice birds! I think your description pretty much supports my theory that birdy cover seems to hold birds whether the cycle is up or down. From my own experience there are places I go to year after year and seem to find birds -- there are one or two where I like to take guests because they are like gumball machines -- you go in, you jump birds nearly every darn time.

It also seems nobody really hunts Ruffs anymore where I hunt (Aitkin, Pine counties) and everybody just chases whitetails. I do see some taking birds while out on their ATVs, which is a bit of a bummer for me personally as it is not my idea of getting out into the woods, but I'm not them and don't know their circumstances.
 
Daisy, it's all it what grows there and timing of the plants ripening seeds, fruit, berry, Etc.

I have found, find Dog Wood. the ripening Dog Wood berries are a top choice of Grouse. There's a ton of things they eat and they follow the supply as each of these plant/tree seed, berry, leaf, Etc become food for them. You may find birds there a day, maybe a week or so and then they move to a new food supply.

Check their gizzard and craw for just what their eating.

grouse10-1-08-4.jpg


grouse10-1-08-3.jpg


I find you will find birds in low areas where there are Alders, a white clover source, Dog Wood, high bush cranberry, some sand for them to pick for grit to grind their food in their gizzard and a water source
 
Last edited:
Goldeneye: I hunt northern Aitkin (North of Palisade and south of Hill City) and eastern Pine county (near Kerrick, Holyoke.) There is a ton of public land there and very little pressure. Believe it or not I find myself straying into less productive cover/areas just to add some variety. I wonder if anybody else has the same issue. You park, drop the dog, load up and take the same path you took last week to the same cover because you just know that is where the birds are. It is part of the reason I took up pheasant hunting three years ago -- I needed to see something different. Heck even the dog knows the spots and I have to keep her from charging straight to them.

Maybe I'm just too dull-witted to come up with a better plan. :eek:

That and I should probably be buggy-whipped for being anything less than thrilled about an abundance of quality habitat in my little corner of the woods. My karma is gonna run over my dogma.

@onpoint: Thanks for the tip. I'll have to look at the cover found in these hot spots to see if they share any features then start looking for that on new ground.
 
On a walk on the ranch this past April I could stand in a spot and hear 4 drummers. I thought that was encouraging.:)
I do most of my ruff hunting in the Paul Bunyan State Forest, only 10 miles from the ranch. I would say the population has been about steady in the forest the last decade. Not like the old days but an afternoons walk will get you about a dozen flushes.
 
During the 80's and 90's limits were quite common.:)

01-01-2008094510AM2-1.jpg
 
mnmt: Heck yes, I remember those mid- to late-90s hunts. There was a spot across the road from our camp (sadly, now posted by new owners who want the property kept pristine for whitetails) that had a large gravel pit. Flushes would go on for a minute or more as bird after bird rose from where it was gathering grit in the evening. I shot boxes of shells in there and every week more birds were back.

Thanks for the memories.:D
 
Daisybuck, The big female chessy, her name was Daisy, what a great dog and companion she was.
Many times a grouse flush in heavy cover, I would blast at the bird through the leaves and branches "thinking maybe" I was often surprised and proud, Daisy would hit the brush bringing back a bird.:)
What a all around bird dog she was.
 
I have done very well over the years and have basically stoped paying attention to what the grouse "cycle" is at. Like what most of you have been saying, if you can find good grouse habitat in MN, chances are your're going to find some good hunting. I do most of my grouse hunting about 30 miles north of Grand Rapids, MN. The best day I had last year we flushed 12 within a few hours, and to me thats a great day.
 
Don't know what to expect as far as the cycles are concerned, I really only started hunting grouse in earnest two years ago. I hear stories from friends of mine about how bad in can get in the down years. I had a memorable evening hike last fall, late October, and flushed 27 in about 2 3/4 hours....hardly flushed any during the first 45 minutes. Funny, I walked out with the same # of birds that I did the next morning when I only flushed 4! Same exact hike, too...

I normally flush a bird every 12-15 minutes, but I hunt mostly evenings, and I think that that is a premier time to be out, at least where I hunt. I really love grouse hunting....I feel like putting one of those in my vest is equal to about 10 roosters! I still can't believe it when I knock one down! Can't wait til fall...not much more than 3 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I have seen no proof or relevance of "Cycle" from what the DNR forecasts to what the actual population of the Ruffs is going to be going into the Fall hunting seasons.:eek:
 
I have to smile looking at these comments. They remind me of hunting with my dad -- who gets out less and less now as he's getting older. He told me with ``partridge'' all you needed was a pair of sneakers and a shotgun. And he said he remains amazed to this day when he sees one fall. I agree.

He's also the one who first showed me how to hunt pheasants. He took me twice when I was a youngster (y'know, single shot .410 with the impossible hammer) whatever he was teaching, it took. And he's still teaching me stuff, by the way.

I think the cycle must matter less to those who hunt with dogs than without, I suppose. After reading all these great comments, I'm reminded it doesn't matter at all when I get out with Dad and the pups.

Look, you guys got me all wistful and nostalgic now... Dang.:eek:
 
Daisybuck said:
I have to smile looking at these comments. They remind me of hunting with my dad -- who gets out less and less now as he's getting older. He told me with ``partridge'' all you needed was a pair of sneakers and a shotgun. And he said he remains amazed to this day when he sees one fall. I agree.

He's also the one who first showed me how to hunt pheasants. He took me twice when I was a youngster (y'know, single shot .410 with the impossible hammer) whatever he was teaching, it took. And he's still teaching me stuff, by the way.

I think the cycle must matter less to those who hunt with dogs than without, I suppose. After reading all these great comments, I'm reminded it doesn't matter at all when I get out with Dad and the pups.

Look, you guys got me all wistful and nostalgic now... Dang.:eek:
Click to expand...

The first real bird hunting I ever did was grouse hunting with my dad and one of our old springers. I was about 6 years old and was carrying a real old single shot 20 gauge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top