From: jsemrad@ems.cdc.com (Joe Semrad)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Re: Mn grouse hunting trip report
Date: 13 Oct 92 12:58:47 GMT
Organization: Empros Systems International, a division of CDC
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu

First, an update.  Grouse hunted again this weekend, along the Mn-Ws
border.  The bird numbers were worse than last week, only one flush
for the day.  The good news was that my shooting improved, and the
bird is now in my freezer.

The leaves are almost completely down in the area.  We passed through
many areas that looked like they "just had" to hold grouse.  I'm sure
if we had a dog we might have seen a couple more birds.

The bugs were pretty much also gone, except for some small black ticks
(bigger than deer ticks).

The woods were much busier than last weekend.  I saw a lot of ATV's on
trailers and empty trailers, by only one actually being ridden.  I
wonder where they go on those things?

I also lost $10 at the blackjack table in Hinckley.....:-{

In article <1992Oct12.091611.11579@doug.cae.wisc.edu>, mrein3@cfsmo.honeywell.com (Matt Rein #3) writes:
   I wrote:
|> > 
|> > Trip Report: Ruffed Grouse hunting
|> > 
|> > When: Last weekend
|> > 
|> > Where: Public land in north central Minnesota in the vicinity of Mille Lacs
|> >
|> 

[...]

|> 
|> > The last bird, and the one most memorable, came as I checked "one last
|> > spot" before going home.  I heard some rustling in the leaves and
|> > spotted a red phase grouse obviously agitated with tail fanned out and
|> > black ruff puffed out.  He was strutting about trying to determine if
|> 
|> I would say 90% of the time when you see a bird all "ruffed" out, there
|> is another one close by, very close by.
|> 

Interesting.  There was no second flush at the shot, but perhaps I should
have checked the area out more carefully.  I was running up against sunset,
however.

|> > I was a threat or not.  I watched him for several seconds and then
|> > stamped my foot and yelled "fly" as I wasn't going to pot him on the
|> > ground.  Unfortunately I blew the easy shot, again shooting slightly
|> > behind as is my (bad) habit.  It seems that there is something about
|> > the first hunt of the year that destroys my ability to shoot. Oh well,
|> > better luck next time.  I guess I'd rather go home empty that shoot
|> > one on the ground.
|> >
|>  
|> Sounds like you've been reading too much Ron Shara and Dennis Anderson.
|> You blew the easy shot when you flushed it.  There are two kinds of grouse
|> hunters in this state, those who read too much RS and DA and those who
|> have birds in the freezer.
|> (For all you non-MN people, RS and DA are two clowns who write for the Twin
|>  City local papers.  They talk too much about how bad ATV's are, how
|>  immoral a groud swatter is, and how if you don't have a dog, you are
|>  not a REAL hunter.  They are both good writers but have that "I'm a fly-
|>  fisherman" elitist additude.)
|> 

I've never read DA and I don't enjoy RS nearly as much as Sam Cook in
the Duluth paper (he has some great books BTW, "Up North",
"Campsights", and one more whose name escapes me).  Actually it was my
father who started me on the idea that ground shots were less than
sporting.  That said, I will admit I have shot them on the ground in
the past and on the rare occasion I see one on the ground there is a
part of me that says shoot it before it gets away.  In fact I used to
"allow myself" one on the ground per season.  However, of all the
grouse I have ever taken, all of the shots that are memorable to me
are where I've knocked the bird out of the air.  It's not a religious
issue with me though, just my current personal choice.  If I had to
feed my family it would be different.  I suppose it could be justified
more for dogless hunters since there usually is no problem recovering
a ground shot bird.

BTW I also hunt dogless, because I don't have the facilities to
properly maintain a dog where I live.  There is a book on grouse
hunting (the author's last name is Walrod, but I can't remember the
title) that claims that lone hunters are the "real hunters" since they
don't have the extra canine help.  Having done both, I can see both
sides of the argument.  Until I get a house with a bigger yard hunting
with my own dog just isn't an option for me.

|> 
|> At the end of the month a friend and I are gonna go up north to a place
|> where we have never not limited out on partridge.  That is where I'll
|> judge how bad the population really is this year.
|> 

I'm tempted to try Southeast Mn.  I've heard the population there
doesn't boom and bust as severly as places further north.  I deer hunt
that area and I saw decent grouse numbers there during deer season
last year.

Regards,
Joe
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