Ruffed Grouse???

[Kurtr]

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...

i know a guy from chisholm he drove race car and was damn good at it. Shot a few big deer up there he has

 

[Frosty....]

Thanks Kurt.

Trax...like all game, I think they know when they are part of the menu. Up here, I would rate the stupid to not...Spruce, Ruffed/Ptarmigan, w/ Sharp-tails still giving a fair chase.

Tail fans from today's hunt;

 

[Captain Ahab]

Cool stuff Frosty! I will have to put some fans up at the lake place.

 

[stalker]

How do you preserve the tail feather fans? I have saved a few and pinned them up on the cabin wall. They last for a while but eventually the feathers fall out. I never did any research on a preserving method. I just save another one and put it up, but it would be nice to have them last a little longer.

 

[snow]

Bemidji area is still great,lots of national forest to hunt north and west of town,get yourself a Minn snowmobile trail map,hunt the trails,easy walkin and the birds hang along the trial.

 

[3Roosters]

Bemidji area is still great,lots of national forest to hunt north and west of town,get yourself a Minn snowmobile trail map,hunt the trails,easy walkin and the birds hang along the trial.

Good advice here Snow! We own a little piece of property in this neck of the woods you speak of as it is my hometown area. Pretty much spend every summer weekend at our camper at the lake. May have to return to ruff hunting if the rooster hunting turns south. Mn out of state is like $100 so would need to make a few trips and harvest a number of birds since I am no longer a blue plater for a good number of years now. They are the best tasting bird out there IMHO!
Couple of other bits of advice I could offer are: stop at little town pub and buy a beer or 3..eat a burger, sandwich. Ask where you might find some trails..chances are your barmaid probably is a hunter also! She probably can let you know where trails are. There seems to be lots of pubs along atv/snowmobile trails so pop in and ask. Another idea is ...some resorts are either shutting down for the season or about to.. stop in and grab a brochure, talk to the owner, inquire about their cabin rental for next summer season etc..ask if they have any maps..atv/snowmobile etc..chances are darn good they will have some..even point you in the right direction. Plus..who knows..perhaps you might find a summer resort destination also. Some hunting trails double as biking, or horseback trails in the summer.
In the winter, the snowmobile trails are second to none as far as nice woods and scenery.
Im taking out the dock Saturday morning so hope to do some checking around after that whether to open the wallet and commit to a few weekends for Mn Ruff Grouse.
Last but not least, don't be an ass hat that we complain that most blue platers and sconi's are.
Good luck! Did I mention that they are one tasty bird!!

 

[Frosty....]

How do you preserve the tail feather fans? I have saved a few and pinned them up on the cabin wall. They last for a while but eventually the feathers fall out. I never did any research on a preserving method. I just save another one and put it up, but it would be nice to have them last a little longer.

Hey Stalker,

I pin them out the way I want them to look and then cover the meaty area with borax to dry them out. Not sure how long they will last like this but I have a couple in my truck going on 3 yrs or so. Probably better ways but this is cheap and easy.

 

[Maddog]

How do you preserve the tail feather fans? I have saved a few and pinned them up on the cabin wall. They last for a while but eventually the feathers fall out. I never did any research on a preserving method. I just save another one and put it up, but it would be nice to have them last a little longer.

I do bird taxi as a hobby.

Here is what you can do to make a nice tail mount.
1) cut the tail off at the body and clean the tail feather quills of all fat/tissue. I use a small pair of sharp scissors and use the scissors slightly open to get down and scrape the fat out between the quills. Use a really sharp knife to cut any fat/tissue away.
2) I then wash just the quill area in dawn soap with water and then rinse clean. Dry the quill tips with paper toweling.
3) Then on a clean board/table take a small piece of blue painters tape and tape down just the center feather.
4) Then spread out the tail taping just the outer most (2) feathers to expose the internal feathers.
5) With your fingers lightly spread the internal feathers to expose just a little past the central shaft of each feather.
6) Then when it looks good, lightly tape (blue painters tape) across the outer edge of the feathers to hold them in place.
7) Place a small piece of wax paper underneath the group of tail feather quills.
8) Mix up a little bit of bondo and with a plastic knife spread it thinly on the quills covering them entirely.
This will lock the feathers in place.
9) After the bondo hardens, you can remove the blue tape.
10) To make sure the blue tape isn't too aggressive with your feather(s), first lay it across the leg of your pants. The little bit of lint will make it not stick too great to the feathers, but it will still do the job.

Here is a ruffed grouse that I did a week ago: