From: mrein3@cfsmo.honeywell.com (Matt Rein #3)
Subject: Mn grouse hunting trip report
Organization: Honeywell Systems & Research Center
Date: 12 Oct 92 09:16:10 CDT
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu

> 
> Trip Report: Ruffed Grouse hunting
> 
> When: Last weekend
> 
> Where: Public land in north central Minnesota in the vicinity of Mille Lacs
>

I was out last Saturday also, just south of Mille Lacs. 

> 
> Well folks, the reports that the grouse numbers are way down are not
> wrong.  I spent 8-10 hours busting the brush for three flushes, and
> they all came in the last 90 minutes before sunset.  The only good
> thing was other people must have heard about it and decided to go duck
> hunting instead (Saturday was Mn's duck opener) because there were
> fewer hunters than normal for public state forest land.
>
 
I always spend the duck opener in the woods looking for partridge.
Even in good grouse years the woods are pretty empty on duck opener.
Usually you have the woods to your self.

> The conditions were great, temperature in the high 60's or low 70's
> (maybe even a bit too warm for my tastes).  The majority of the leaves
> were down and those that remained were brilliantly colored.  There was
> a good mixture of aspen of various ages, pine, and hardwoods in the
> area.
> 

I thought it was a little hot.  In a t-shirt the mosquitoes ate me alive
and in a light jacket I got too hot.  The trees were in full color where
I was, quite nice to look at.

> The first flush surprised the heck out of me as I had been walking all
> day without seeing anything so my guard was down.  I managed a feeble
> attempt at a shot but it wasn't even close.
> 
> I was more prepared for the second flush but I shot behind the bird.
>

I seen a few on opener but the cover was still to heavy.

> 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.

> 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.)

> None of the other hunters I spoke with had seen more than one bird all
> day.  A couple of years ago the same area produced many more flushes
> per day.  I guess we have a few more lean years before the cycle goes
> up again.:-(
> 

Last year I would come out of my better spots with a few birds EVERY
time I went.  Two years ago I'd get a limit 50% of the time and be
darn close the other 50% of the time.  Three years ago a friend and I
came out of the woods after a whole day hunt with 6 shells left between us.
Last Saturday I saw ZERO birds, heard ZERO birds, and talked to people
who had the same luck.  Same place, same cover, same tactics.  When the
DNR said the population went down 40% last year and 40 percent MORE this
year I think they were being a little optimistic.
 
> Has anyone else been out?  How has the grouse hunting been in other
> parts of the Midwest so far this year?  I haven't decided whether to
> go after grouse or pheasants this weekend.
> 

I'll be pheasant hunting tomorrow morning.  I suggest you do the same.

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.

Good thing the DNR raised the possession limit to 6 for pheasants this year.

--
- Matt Rein


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