doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Bird hunting season

Before season I usually just lean mine against a tree and take a whiz on it...if it beads I'm good to go.

Stan, if you hit one of those damn things in your lifetime especially in heavy brush you are considered as a ruffed grouse hunting machine!!

I saw it written somewhere that you'll hear 2 birds flush for every one you'll see (this leaves out the runners), for every two you see, you'll be able to get off a legitimate shot at one (safety, time and all that, "legitimate" meaning "aimed and not just a salute"), and if you're a good shot to begin with, you'll hit one of every two to three you get a legitimate shot at.

So, if you're doing well and a good shot to begin with, you'll bring down somewhere between about 1 out of 12 to 1 out of 8 of the birds you actually flush.

That's what the author said and, if it's in a book, it must be true. It seems true to me and my experience.

Hi Mike, yes I'm looking forward to the UP too. I understand drumming counts are down 25% in Minnesota from a RGS buddy of mine. They usually decline in the 'cycle' before we do, but I believe we are starting the down cycle as well. Guess we will know when we get there since the DNR rarely does drumming surveys in our area. Sounds good regarding your young setter. You have a nice dog there with lots of hunt and desire in him. I bet you will find him to be a great companion for you in the Northwoods this go around. Stan, in terms of grouse shooting, if I'm hitting 50% I'm having a very good day. Some are better than others. I find myself snap shooting (spray and pray) some, but primarily I use a pass through method mostly, rarely it ever utilizing sustained lead. Those little buggers just don't give you very much time and often times they place some sort of obstruction between you and them at the time of the flush. Points help, but it still is a good test of wing shooting ability. 2 skilled hunters often do better than just 1. Last season I was by myself approaching a point under a hemlock. 2 birds flushed behind the tree into the open and I never got a shot. Had we had 2 hunters we could have approached the point in a different fashion where 1 of us most likely would have had a shot, maybe even a double since the birds flew to an opening in the cover. Looking forward to the fall season! Buzz

Most statistics I have seen, for the northern midwest, say you will get a shot at one ruffed grouse for every 10 to 12 grouse flushed and a great wing shot will hit 33% over time. There is a reason they call them the King of game birds and a good day in the field is one grouse in the bag. You need to move 30 to 36 of the gray ghosts to bag one. Now there are days when things go your way and you come home with several and on occasion you limit out (five), but it is a rare occasion and I have friends who have hunted grouse for 30 years and never shot a limit and they are folks who will shoot 23+ in a round of skeet.

Buzz does a tad better than the averages above. I remember him missing one grouse, one! Nobody misses just 1 grouse in over a week of grouse hunting.

Mike

Out west, the dove openner is Sept 1. But, it's so dang hot, I rarely go. Down in Yuma, AZ, it runs 120F most openners. The misery just isn't worth it to me. So, I usually wait till the mid October upland openners. This season, I may make an exception and go down for the dove openner with some friends, since I have that "new" .410 Parker Repro to test out.

My own experience with 30-some years of grouse hunting in NY, VT, WI, ID, and WA leads me to agree with the "stats" quoted above.

I have hunted with guys who didn't follow much of any safety criteria, shooting "at" birds both seen and heard. Mostly they did about as well as the rest of us who shot a lot less often. (And nobody would hunt with them twice except their son or baby brother....).

Thats funny! and true...