Ruffed Grouse???

[Captain Ahab]

It looks like I will have the opportunity to hunt ruffed grouse sometime this fall. Any pointers from the peanut gallery? Time of day, general strategy, etc.?

 

[Buckmaster81]

when you see them shoot them??? - the peanut gallery

 

[fj40]

I used to shoot a lot more bark than I did birds. Don't be afraid to groundball em.

 

[SDMF]

Typically they'll sit in trees until the grass drys off a bit, no need to be in the woods @ the crack of dawn. The caveat to that would be if you have access to private land with trails, they'll head for the trails earlier because they dry quicker.

Put in the most open choke you have available, Skeet or Cyl. Draw a line ahead of them going through the trees and shoot there, don't worry about branches etc, the pellets will get through.

Win AA Super Sporting Clays or Remington STS 7.5 or 8 shot is typically what I shoot at them. Doesn't take much to knock them down and the good target loads pattern better than the cheapo stuff.

You'll be surprised how quickly your Cocker adapts. If you find him ranging a bit too far, stop, step behind a tree and make him find you, 2-3 times tops and he'll stay lots closer.

Assuming dogs, I don't shoot them on the ground. Anything after the ground however is fair game and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'll shoot them out of a tree every chance I get. They're too darned tasty to leave to chance.

Like any other upland game bird, edges typically hold the most game. Edges of a trail, edges where woods transition to grass, crops, or sloughs. The wet transition areas are also where you'll find Woodcock (Timberdoodles, not the other thing). Oak ridges can hold a lot of birds but oftentimes the undergrowth is so thick that its a real pain to try to hunt them without a trail. If you do hunt oaks, expect birds near any bigger mature trees as typically it's cleared out a bit around them and creates an "edge".

 

[scrotcaster]

Typically they'll sit in trees until the grass drys off a bit, no need to be in the woods @ the crack of dawn. The caveat to that would be if you have access to private land with trails, they'll head for the trails earlier because they dry quicker.

Put in the most open choke you have available, Skeet or Cyl. Draw a line ahead of them going through the trees and shoot there, don't worry about branches etc, the pellets will get through.

Win AA Super Sporting Clays or Remington STS 7.5 or 8 shot is typically what I shoot at them. Doesn't take much to knock them down and the good target loads pattern better than the cheapo stuff.

You'll be surprised how quickly your Cocker adapts. If you find him ranging a bit too far, stop, step behind a tree and make him find you, 2-3 times tops and he'll stay lots closer.

Assuming dogs, I don't shoot them on the ground. Anything after the ground however is fair game and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'll shoot them out of a tree every chance I get. They're too darned tasty to leave to chance.

Like any other upland game bird, edges typically hold the most game. Edges of a trail, edges where woods transition to grass, crops, or sloughs. The wet transition areas are also where you'll find Woodcock (Timberdoodles, not the other thing). Oak ridges can hold a lot of birds but oftentimes the undergrowth is so thick that its a real pain to try to hunt them without a trail. If you do hunt oaks, expect birds near any bigger mature trees as typically it's cleared out a bit around them and creates an "edge".

Do you hunt them in ND?

 

[SDMF]

Do you hunt them in ND?

No. But I've gotten them in MN and MT and saw a bunch in WY and Ont and Alberta. They pretty much do the same thing/inhabit the same spaces everywhere I've seen/hunted them.

 

[BDub]

I believe that the use of bells on the dogs are common to keep track of them.

 

[Big Iron]

Those bastards are tough to hit when the leafs are still up.

Also- Watch out for porcupines if your in the deep woods chasing grouse. That would ruin your day in a hurry.

 

[3Roosters]

Heck, road hunting in the woods when the leaves have fallen can be your huckleberry even more so than by foot or dog. Miilion years ago when I went to college for a bit in Bemidji, a buddy and I would take to the roads after classes in the fall in Mn northwoods and do well road hunting..probably better results than hoofing it...although I may be biased as I can recall a blue num num in the vehicle a time or two. Not sure of the laws now but back then we had to have the shotguns unloaded and in a full zipped up case( maybe even in the trunk..can't recall that. haha) Some of them birds were dumb dumb dumb as they didn't fly away as we proceeded to lock and load. haha Ground pound? Hell yeah. Look for Aspen trees

 

[Duckslayer100]

I cut my teeth on ruffed grouse in NE MN. It's a pretty tough baptism into the hunting brotherhood, let me tell you.

My favorite gun to use is a youth model 20 gauge with a stock adapter. You pretty much get one shot at a flushing ruff, and gun that snaps up to your shoulder and doesn't whack into a tree while you're mounting it is damn deadly. And even if you don't think you have a shot, shoot! One of the most miraculous shots I ever made was on a flushing ruff that damn near took me off at the knees, then skidded into the woods behind some shoulder-height spruce trees. I got so damn pissed I fired right into the grove and Remy took off after it. Couple minutes later, he's back with a very much alive ruff. I got one BB into his wing and that was enough.

The other thing is do NOT rush. Take it slow. This isn't pheasant hunting where you're practically sprinting across the field. Ruffs are sticky birds, even after being hunted a while. If you walk slow and quietly, there's a good chance they'll hold tight and let you get into range.

 

[SlamminSalmon]

I like to walk slow and stop often. They will chirp and dance back and forth when nervous. Look under the brush and whack them on the ground. I'll leave the dog home 90% of the time on ruffs.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I like to walk slow and stop often. They will chirp and dance back and forth when nervous. Look under the brush and whack them on the ground. I'll leave the dog home 90% of the time on ruffs.

I never hunted ruffs with a dog growing up because we didn't have one. Now that I have them, I wouldn't hunt them without. A good pointer that can hit them at range and allows you to work up for a shot are freaking deadly. Plus, as I mentioned before, they can find the birds that you think you missed and didn't.

 

[Frosty....]

Hey Capt, everyone above covered it well. Only thing I have to add is maybe think about getting one mounted or at least save the tail fan. They are one gorgeous bird! Here is a pic of one from this morning, I had already shot my limit of grouse so I could only shoot him with my camera.

 

[Kurtr]

Hey Capt, everyone above covered it well. Only thing I have to add is maybe think about getting one mounted or at least save the tail fan. They are one gorgeous bird! Here is a pic of one from this morning, I had already shot my limit of 15 grouse so I could only shoot him with my camera.

Frosty you need to post more of your pictures they are beautiful.

 

[guywhofishes]

crap - now it's on my bucket list

 

[Captain Ahab]

Hey Capt, everyone above covered it well. Only thing I have to add is maybe think about getting one mounted or at least save the tail fan. They are one gorgeous bird! Here is a pic of one from this morning, I had already shot my limit of 15 grouse so I could only shoot him with my camera.

If I pop a nice one, I will hit up a taxi. Thanks for the reco.

 

[Traxion]

I have a real honest question- are they really that skittish of birds? We have a few in the Black Hills and they are dumber than a box of rocks. I have had to chase them to get them to fly. Stop beside them on the mountain bike and watch them walk through the aspens like I wasn't there. I've always heard they are a tough hunt, which would be the case here as locating them would be tough in itself.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I have a real honest question- are they really that skittish of birds? We have a few in the Black Hills and they are dumber than a box of rocks. I have had to chase them to get them to fly. Stop beside them on the mountain bike and watch them walk through the aspens like I wasn't there. I've always heard they are a tough hunt, which would be the case here as locating them would be tough in itself.

MN ruffs and the rare, elusive Turtle Mountain ruffs are a different breed during hunting season. They get POUNDED day in and day out and can become damn near impossible to get close to. Plus the environment they are in makes connecting on one in flight a true test in wingshooting. You've heard muskies are the fish of 1,000 casts? Well, ruffs are the bird of 100 shots. I've done more damage to the flora of northern Minnesota with my errant 6s and 7.5s than an entire crew of Canadian loggers.

I have not been ruffed grouse hunting since my grandparents' sold their property north of Chisholm, and a little piece of my heart dies every time I think about the walks I've missed in the woods. I do hope that changes this fall...

 

[riverview]

it is going to be a good year already bought my mn license. the reports I have gotten is they are at the peak cycle, I have had the best luck around swampy areas

 

[Captain Ahab]

it is going to be a good year already bought my mn license. the reports I have gotten is they are at the peak cycle, I have had the best luck around swampy areas

Yep. The pheasants may get a pass this year. Ruffy time for this guy.