Ruffed Grouse Hunting

November 25, 2011. I might call it quits for grouse hunting this year, we now have snow on the ground that will be here to stay. I did flush several late fall grouse in areas of thick aspen regrowth with mixed pines and all in all, I believe it was a pretty good season and I have enjoyed several grouse dinners. The season remains open through December, so if we have a nice opportunity, I may take another walk.

October 25, 2011. Very nice weather for the past several days made it a pleasure to be out walking some trails. There are grouse out there, and they are seeking the clover and highbush cranberries they favor late in the fall. Be looking around beaver pond edges and the edges of creek beds.

October 10, 2011. Very windy conditions knocked down a lot of leaves and underbrush, and the grouse are starting to flush a bit sooner with less cover. I flushed quitte a few, and the others I talked to were also seeing birds. Most expect the best part of the season to be the next two or three weeks.

Sepember 30, 3011. I spent Wednesday afternoon and a good part of Thursday checking some favorite trails. Quite a fair number of birds were flushed, and not nearly that number bagged. The recent heavy winds are knocking down cover and the fall colors are peaking. Wednesday afternoon, I didn't encounter any other hunters at all, but quite a few were out thursday the 29th.

September 26, 2011. The weekend was very nice, with generally moderate weather, fall colors showing through and many birds flushed. The underbrush is still pretty thick and you might not even get a glimpse of grouse you flush, but that will change as leaves fall. The next several weekend will be the best of the year.

September 19, 2011. The first weekend of the grouse season is behind us. There was still quite a lot of cover and the weather was very windy and wet so flushing any bird was a bonus. I walked several trails on Saturday and didn't flush any birds. I did however, see a lot of other hunters out beating the bush. Some had flushed birds, some said they hadn't seen a thing and most all agreed the season will improve when some of the leaves and underbrush clear.

January 3, 2011. The season drew to a close amid heavy snow, making it difficult to get to areas where grouse are likely to be at this stage of winter. Just a handful of people I know ventured out after Christmas, and it was tough moving around. There were birds flushed, but no one bagged any. The next thing to watch for will be drumming counts in the spring.

11/21/10. Winter has arrived in the north woods. The firearms deer season is behind us now, and if you can walk through the snow with relative ease, this is a great oppportunity to get out grouse hunting. Grouse will be seeking cover in conifer stands, and seeking food in aspen stands and bushy lowlands. Although grouse stand out a bit more against a backdrop of white, their camo plumage still works amazingly well. Stop frequently while walking and look around. The slower pace will also make the birds a little edgy and more likely to flush.

Look closely at the photo above, there's a grouse walking on the edge of the road to our hunting camp. Earlier in the season, I flushed a lot of birds, two coveys of about five each among them. I was able to shoot one with the Nikon. The photo is below. The sun caught this bird just right, otherwise, I doubt I would've spotted it until it burst into flight, which happend shortly after the shutter closed.

10/15/10. When the season opened in mid September, fall colors were brilliant and any walk in the woods would be enjoyable, and a larger than predicted grouse population didn't hurt either. Ten days into the grouse season, The Outdoor News published an article by associate editor Joe Albert indicating a strong bird season. Albert talked with hunters, conservation officers and researchers to come to the conclusion that more people are out beating the bush this year than last, and they are having better success too. Checking with local hunters, they all agreed they were flushing more birds than last year. The Ruffed Grouse Society hosts a national hunt where participants provide all sorts of statistical information. Their figures showed more birds were bagged with fewer hunter hours involved than their hunt last year. The national hunt, by-the-way, is staged in Itasca County, just south of Koochiching County.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has released some figures on grouse hunting. First, more birds were taken in 2010 than in 2009. There were also 6% more hunters out looking for grouse. The DNR expects 2011 to the the last year of a three-year population boom cycle, so plan to get out this fall for sure.

This grouse was fully fluffed out to conserve body heat, and was reluctant to run or fly away from us while we snowshoed through a portion of Voyageurs National Park. Grouse are well equipped to cope with winter, this one was browsing catkins and slowly walked into deeper cover as we passed by. I'm guessing he did not fear the slow moving creatures with big feet.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducts drumming counts throughout the ruffed grouse range. A drumming count helps determine the number of male grouse that are engaging in mating behavior. That count is an indication of the number of broods that might be produced.

At the state level, the drumming counts are closely monitored to assure they are done at the same time and place in the interest of obtaining the most accurate data. In the spring of 2009 our area saw a 44% increase in drumming counts. In the northwest part of the state, drumming counts shot up 117%.

I have conducted my own informal drumming counts for about a decade, but mine are not nearly so scientific. The formula is to stop and listen for five minutes about every half-mile on a road with decent habitat. Jot down the number of drums you hear and when you have made a dozen or more stops, do some math. Divide the total number of drums by the total number of stops. This spring, my count increased from .7 drums per stop to 1.0 even. Plus, spring was sufficiently warm and dry enough to provide ideal conditions for chicks to survive.

Go on the same road, at about the same time each spring (I shoot for mid-April) and gather your data. You will soon see there are areas highly favored by drumming males, and you will see how an increase in the number of drums and the number of broods are related.

One day this spring, I spotted a bird just off the highway. By the time I could get the camera, he was heading for cover. The bird looked to be large enough to be a male with clear red phase coloring. Unfortunately, photos of birds in the wild always look more like wild in the wild when I'm behind the lens. If you look, you will see the bird.

You can predict the type of cover most likely to hold some ruffed grouse by keeping your eyes open. Grouse are interested in protection from predators and forage, heavy cover is their best protection. Aspen regeneration that is several years old can easily be found in Koochiching County. These areas tend to hold birds because raptors can't spot them at a distance and swoop in. Heavy underbrush along old tote roads adds another layer of protection. Aspen that are about wrist thick are ideal. Grouse are experts at immediately putting brush between them and whatever they percieve as danger.

Forage is another matter, the birds can feed on quite a variety, but finding trails rife with clover and bushes laden with berries are very good signs.

High Bush Cranberries can be found throughout Koochiching County, they like it a little moist, so keep your eyes open near marshy areas or streams. The red berries can be found well into the fall.

There are many red berries, and many are prized as food by the Grouse, but Highbush Cranberries are very high on the list. Keep your eyes open for any red fruit, especially along an old tote road that has clover for cover. Ten year aspen mixed with other hardwoods and some pine would be the ideal forest type.

The answer to that question is one that you can afford and that fits you well. When you pull the gun to your shoulder, it should naturally seat to your cheek and you eye should be following down the barrel or rib and centering on the bead.

That being said, here are a few things I've learned. A double barrel shotgun not only gives you two shots at a flushing bird, but gives you two options on the restriction or choke. Choke tubes allow you to change them as needed. I like an Over/Under shotgun with a single selective trigger, meaning I have a button I can push to determine which barrel fires first. I choke the upper barrel the most open and the under barrel the tightest. I set the selector to fire the upper first, if a bird flushes close by, I'm ready, if the bird flushes somewhat down the trail, I just hit the button to the tighter restriction and give it a whirl.

If you are forgetful, or aging, I can't remember which it really is, you need to occasionally check to know which choke is in which barrel, that is why I have taped that information inside the forend of the shotgun.

Another feature I've come to appreciate is a top tang safety, or one that is located just above your right thumb as you raise the gun, if you are sure of your target and ready to fire, the safety is already under your thumb and ready to click off.

I prefer to carry a 20 guage and I prefer 7 1/2 shot. Many people carry a 12 guage with light loads, and some like a trim 28 gauge and yet others might carry a .410 or 16 guage. A key to the gun you use is to be familiar with it and it's operation. There is no more important rule than to always treat a gun as if it is loaded and lethal!

Interchangeable choke tubes give you some options. The choke is the amount of constriction the ball of shot passes through leaving the barrel. The tighter the choke, the longer before the shot pattern opens up. I believe that early in the season a more open choke is best because the birds will flush much closer when there is heavier cover. Generally, Improved cylinder, modified and full are your choices and in non-gun talk they are most open, medium constriction and most constriction.

The size of shot is a key part of the pattern as well. The lower the number on the shot, the heavier the pellets, thus the fewer pellets in the load. Number 6 shot is sufficiently heavy, and has enough pellets to develop a decent pattern. 7 1/2 or 8 is still heavy enough and have more pellets in their loads, thus a bigger pattern. Shotguns are used for wingshooting because they are more forgiving on the aim, and the bigger the pattern, the more forgiving the gun.

My first shotgun was a break action single shot, in fact an H & R Topper. While famous, this simple gun was popular for economic reasons rather than beauty and elegant handling. I would guess every baby boomer taught to hunt, hunted with one.

There are many types of shotgun actions and it's obvious that a single shot gives you just one opportunity. You'll get up to five chances with a pump or an autoloader, but you are stuck with whatever choke tube you have installed. You can find lever action and bolt action shotguns too, but they are far less common and often clumsy to use.

If you want multiple shots, less the weight of a double barrel gun, there are autoloaders and pump actions. Autoloaders are nice, no doubt. However, they can be fussy and the best and most reliable command the best prices too. A pump action is easy to use even in thick underbrush and you can find a trim, light gun in about any price range.

I have owned a Springfield, a Remington Wingmaster (870) and a Browning BPS. All three handled well, had nice tight actions, were reliable and easy to clean.

I decided I liked the Browning best and sold the others. Why the Browning? Well, it's the shortest and lightest and it ejects the shells from the bottom, which means no distraction of the ejecting shot shell at eye level.

The lost 40 is not really lost, it is remote though. This 140 acre site was never logged due to a survey error. You can learn more about the lost 40 in another lens. Click the link below.

Check the photo gallery below for a few recognizable places within 100 miles of International Falls. Do you know where these places are?

You can find all sorts of maps to help you locate some likely spots. Topographic maps are very helpful in identifying highground. Perhaps the best tool though, is a county plat map, which will show you what lands are publicly owned, and which lands are private. In the photo, public land is shaded green, private land is white.

Needless to say, it is unenthical, and a bad idea to hunt someone's private land unless you have express permission. You will also find that you are sharing public lands with other hunters, and you need to respect their right to hunt. If you spot an archery hunter sitting in a stand, go back the way you came, and go quietly.

The U.S. Geological Survey provides a variety of topographic maps that can hep you locate high ground. These maps will include any known trace roads, railroad grades or other potential trails at the time the data was gathered, usually several decades ago. The trails may be overgrown, but the topographic information changes little. You can also make some assumptions about the forest type, swampy low lands are clearly marked, and the forested uplands look distinctly different.

Koochiching County has published a county recreation map for many years, and they show the forestry roads, hunter walking trails and small county parks. Plan your trip so you can hit several likely trails to walk. I also like to fit in a spot to take a break for lunch.

Many people lease land for a hunting shack, their lease could be from a forest management company, a private party or the local lands and forests offices. Trails that are well maintained and clearly traveled probably lead to someone's shack. Give them the leeway, you will find plenty of areas with good habitat and less hunter pressure.

Northeast Minnesota has thousands of acres of prime habitat. The Chippewa and Superior National Forests are sprinkled with hunter walking trails specifically maintained for ruffed grouse habitat. Often these trails are the result of a cooperative effort with the Ruffed Grouse Society, an organization that promotes forestry management to improve ruffed grouse and american woodcock habitat.

Harvest of overgrown hardwoods makes way for new forest growth and a rotating pattern of different age classes can produce the types of habitat the grouse need to survive throughout the year.

There will be a link to the Ruffed Grouse Society website below if you'd like to learn more about their mission.

Grouse make for a very tasty dinner. Try deboning and cubing the breast and grilling with vegetable kabobs. They are very lean, so marinating with something to keep them moist is a good option, I like to use terriyaki sauce.

A favorite camp method is to brown the breasts (bone-in) in butter in a dutch oven, then add enough cream of mushroom soup and milk to braise them for an hour or so. Serve the breasts with mashed potatoes, the mushroom soup gravy and corn. If it's the right time of fall, there are likely some farmers selling nice fresh sweet corn somewhere near one of the forest roads you will be driving.

Get out and about in the winter and you will see that wildlife is not hampered by cold and snow. Ruffed Grouse can be easier to spot because of the blankets of white, but they are also able to hide well in heavy cover and will dissappear completely under the snow. Roosting in the snow provides some insulation and it's quite exciting to have one burst out of a snowdrift when you are out on snowshoes.

Grouse have specially adapted feet to help them stay atop the snow, sort of their form of snowshoe. The photo is a ruffed grouse track in fresh snow. Without something to compare, it's difficult to grasp that this track is bigger and wider than one would perceive from looking at the size of the grouse. This track was in the shade on a log where the bird had been pacing, however there were no obvious wing marks in the snow to indicate the bird had been drumming.

That's me modeling the International Falls Chamber of Commerce hockey hoodie commemorating the record low temperature in International Falls. Although often referred to as the icebox of the nation, International Falls is not the record holder. The coldest recorded temperature in Minnesota is at Embarrass, and it should be obvious that many Alaskan cities have even colder temps. These sweatshirts are warm and stylish and sell for $44.00 S-XL with larger sizes costing a bit more, plus shipping charges. Want one, contact me; Pete Schultz, cvb@rainylake.org 1-800-325-5766. That's the Chamber/Convention and Visitors Bureau offices, anyone answering the phone can help you.