Grouse Hunting

[trapperpete]

Anyone out there target grouse in the adks?

[Woodly]

I did those and woodcock many years ago. Woodcock were easy, grouse tough lol. How are their populations now?
We see both around here, Broome Co.

[trapperpete]

I dont see any when deer hunting indian lake.

[Mallard1100]

Grouse populations are cyclical. When I first started hunting the club I am in now about 7 years ago I could flush up to 50 birds a day while deer hunting. They were thick and everywhere. Sometimes flushing coveys of them if you can believe it. I assume that was around the peak in my area because the numbers have dropped off every year since, but they are still around.

[trapperpete]

mallard what town is your club?

[St.Regis]

I heard 2 drumming when I was out scouting for turkeys yesterday. CNY area.

[Mallard1100]

Originally Posted by trapperpete

mallard what town is your club?

Long lake

[adkman12986]

Had one fly into and broke my Livingroom window yesterday during the snow squall

[chaser]

Like Mallard stated they come and go, 3 years ago in my hunting area of the Adirondacks you were constantly flushing birds during deer season, plenty of times 3 to 5 birds. Last year was a down year, might kick up2 or 3 a day. I did notice plenty of far ranging Fisher trails in the snow this year, so I expect the grouse and hare population to rebound in 2 years.

[Schultzz]

Originally Posted by Woodly

I did those and woodcock many years ago. Woodcock were easy, grouse tough lol. How are their populations now?
We see both around here, Broome Co.

Found that the opposite was true for me. Grouse were somewhat predictable and the Timberdoodle was always a little too fast for me. Of course this was in the forest not in the field.

[Woodly]

Originally Posted by Schultzz

Found that the opposite was true for me. Grouse were somewhat predictable and the Timberdoodle was always a little too fast for me. Of course this was in the forest not in the field.

I shot a few trees hunting grouse. I never missed a woodcock but our dog had to catch one wounded. I probably could've caught it but the dog had a job to do.
I actually quit hunting them because of the ease. They are tasty. We usually stuffed them with rice. I used a side by side 16ga with Imp and Modified chokes.
Grouse, the few I got, we baked them stuffed with an apple usually.
I see both around here and am pretty sure I'd still hit a woodcock and miss a grouse. There are not a lot of either here so I don't bother with them. I enjoy seeing them tho.

[bobadkhunter]

Its interesting the variation of grouse populations from town to town throughout the Adks., I guess I just assumed there was a steady population of grouse about everywhere. Near Sabattis where I hunt I see and flush(5-10) a steady number of grouse I would dare say everyday while deer hunting, a lot depends on weather on any given day. I also see/flush a fair amount of woodcock in Sept./Oct. It does seem when i'm actually hunting them I don't see them but when I am deer hunting I have easy shot after easy shot(if I had my shotgun). Ive seen quite a few walking around already this Spring. Lots of drumming going on also.

[Lucky13]

If two hunters go out on the same mountain and one hunts the south side and the other hunts the north side, they will tell very different stories about the grouse population of the mountain. Same if one is hunting a predominantly old growth area and the other is hunting something logged 4 or 5 years ago.

[Schultzz]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

If two hunters go out on the same mountain and one hunts the south side and the other hunts the north side, they will tell very different stories about the grouse population of the mountain. Same if one is hunting a predominantly old growth area and the other is hunting something logged 4 or 5 years ago.

Hey Lucky where have you been?

[Lucky13]

CORVID 19 has had my tongue. Ands I have mot been out and about at all.

[Finaddict]

I have been in the woods a few dozen times in the last few weeks and noticed that I have heard far more drumming than I have the last few years. I started counting last week and have heard 14 different grouse drumming since then. These birds are very cyclical and are affected by many factors from wet springs being bad for hatch rates to predation by a number of predators. My hopes are up for this coming small game season. My middle son is a blossoming small game hunter who has not yet bagged a grouse. He was able to take some pheasants and squirrels last season but there is nothing better to eat in our woods than grouse in my opinion.

[Buckladd]

Visited our deer camp the other day and heard one drumming. There's been some logging around there so I expect the grouse population to rebound for a bit. They love new growth.

I remember years ago my wife and I kept hearing a grouse near our home in the spring. She said she wished the neighbor would figure how to get his lawnmower running.

[Woodly]

Won't be many or any grouse around here come fall. Neighbor just called and said, You have foxes running all over your yard. I knew. I had been watching them. I hope they don't get all the young turkeys...but the local cats? Have at them Reynard.

[Lucky13]

Originally Posted by Buckladd

Visited our deer camp the other day and heard one drumming. There's been some logging around there so I expect the grouse population to rebound for a bit. They love new growth.

I remember years ago my wife and I kept hearing a grouse near our home in the spring. She said she wished the neighbor would figure how to get his lawnmower running.

When I was younger, I took a friend from the Tug Hill down to Naples for some western NY trout fishing. We were up toward the headwaters on the Eelpot, and I mentioned to him that there were always some loggers up there working, but oddly, the donkey motor seemed to always be the same distance away no matter where I was on the hill. That was when he explained about the drumming. Sadly, that is a frequency area that my aging ears no longer pick up, so I don't hear them anymore, once I knew what I was hearing it was always one of the most welcome sounds in the woods.

[Schultzz]

[QUOTE=Woodly;281140]Won't be many or any grouse around here come fall. Neighbor just called and said, You have foxes running all over your yard. I knew. I had been watching them. I hope they don't get all the young turkeys...but the local cats? Have at them Reynard.[/QU

The coywolf loves when cats are on the menu.