Grouse hunting is good!

KingFisher85 · 10-05-2002, 07:56 PM

Well, the last two days I have been going out grouse hunting in some of the meanest brush around, Barrie bushes, vine maple, and a ten year old new growth forest.
Yesterday was my second time out this year and I dusted 2 nice fat grouse with the shotgun. Them things are hard to get when they are flying.
Today me and a buddy went out and was able to take 4 of them home tonight.
So how's the grouse hunting been for you?

GutshotApe · 10-05-2002, 09:03 PM

Kingfish - Although I bought a bird stamp, I haven't been grouse hunting yet this year. My old dog is lame :depressed: and can't hunt anymore. Maybe by next year I'll have a new dog.

Back in the 60s & 70s I used to hunt elk, deer & grouse up in your area, on Rock Cr above Lk Merwin, around Merrill Lk, Cinnamon Peak, up the Siouxon, Rainey Creek, Mitchell Peak, Muddy River, Ape Canyon, and on up the Lewis towards Mt Adams.

Where do you hunt grouse?

KingFisher85 · 10-05-2002, 10:08 PM

I hunt grouse in the battle ground unit.

Its been real fun out hunting these grouse this year. Its even more fun when you are walking along not thinking that you are going to be seeing anything and then POW one flushes right up in front of you really getting your hart rate up. :shocked:
Yesterday I was walking along and I knew that there should be some grouse down in the bottom of this small draw, well I'm walking on down into it and about 5 feet from my right I see some movement in the brush, GROUSE, I pull up on it and right about the time I put the bead on it, there it goes. Oh I will be able to bust it as its flying away, no can do. Right when I shot it took a hard right and I watched it go flying all the way across this small canyon.
I keep going on down into this draw knowing that there is going to be a good number of wild birds running wild. I'm almost on my hands and knees going in and out of that so called vine maple and over logs. [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]
I pop into this very small little opening and I see movement out of the corner of my eye. There is this grouse running down this log. I pull up on it and vine maple all in my shot. I'm leaning from one side to the other trying to get the best shot posable finally he is right at the end of the log and I got him. Oh ya now I'm thinking all I need is two more and I got me grouse in dumplings.
I finally make it to the bottom of the draw and there goes a grouse, but no shot, just to much brush.
I keep pushing on, stepping over some of the nastiest fallen down maple trees and walking in and out of sticker bushes. Oh there goes the same one, but there is no way I'm going over that way. That makes what I'm on look like a walk in the park.
I keep pushing on, finally it starts to open up "some." There goes one, oh and its a good shot, I take it and I get it. That's two down and one more to go.
I keep weaving in and out of the sticker bushes knowing that my real trail it just a 100 yards or so away.
I look in front of me and all I see is the grate wall of sticker bushes. As I'm looking at this wall of sticker bushes I did not happen to see the grouse that was right in front of me that I almost stepped on. He's gone, up and over the grate wall of stickers.
I keep going on and get right on up to the sticker bushes and I pull out my brush beater knife and start going at it. Does not take much to get in and get out of it. I'm already really wet and can barley feel as a sticker pokes me in the leg. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]
As I'm in full forces to get my way past all this I just so happened to flush up two grouse, were is my gun, oh look at that, Its sitting next to the tree over there. I wanted to set it down so I can cut a path way.
By that time I could see my trail a head of me and said that Its time to go home. I have had it.
I get home and say, I'm think that I'm going to do it tomorrow. [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img] Almost the same story, but I think I learned my lesson and only walked 50 yards or so up this draw. I mostly looked for deer to day tho. But we still got some grouse.
Oh I love this time of the year. :grin:

[ 10-05-2002, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: KingFisher85 ]

GutshotApe · 10-06-2002, 08:34 AM

KF85 - Got the email, thanks. Sounds like you should have a bird dog. You are probably walking right by lots of grouse that sit motionless and don't move unless practically stepped on. And, there have been many grouse that I've shot at and thought I'd missed. The bird flew into the trees or brush just when I pulled the trigger, apparently missing, but my dog would go in and pretty soon come out with a grouse that had been hit with one or two BBs

. GSA