Grouse: Dusk or Dawn

Swamp Puppy · 09-21-2003, 12:56 PM

Depending on the areas i've hunted it seems to me to change a bit. in the Tillamook forest areas that i hunt i usually do best around mid afternoon. while i was down in the McKenzie bridge area we definately saw more grouse in the mornings than any other time of day. around here in St Helens they just are where you find them.

i find that the weather has some say in when we find them as well. during cooler days with overcast and a little rain the earlier parts of the day seem to be better, but on hot dry days i tend find a few more in the afternoons or evenings.

in all cases i am hunting them by walking down old closed off logging roads. so the times that i find them seem to correspond to when they go out to get their grit.

Bait Bucket · 09-21-2003, 02:33 PM

I'm doing better in the mornings.

The Overfishin Condition · 09-21-2003, 06:10 PM

Well my philosophy has always been... oh, just kidding. If I could hit the grouse when we see them it'd prolly help I s'pose, next time he's a gonner.

Swamp Puppy · 09-21-2003, 07:00 PM

hit them??? i thought he just wanted to know when we saw them. hitting them is a whole different issue. :grin:

C-lice · 09-21-2003, 10:40 PM

My dad and I just got home with two limits of ruffs. I almost always do much better in the evenings. We saw 17 today and didn't even get into the woods until 4:00 PM or so. I don't ever bother going out until then (3:00 PM during standard time).

I think the birds go to gravel roads in the evening to get grit for their gizzards after they've spent the day eating.

ReelTrouble · 09-21-2003, 11:57 PM

So for the last few years me and my hunting partner the Overfishin Condition have been hunting grouse in teh early early morning, with some sucess. However, the last couple of times We have been up we talked to a few people who would swear that the evenings at dusk were much better than the morning, so we tried in the evening, with about the same success rate. Problem is, we have also taken grouse in the middle of the day. I was wondering if there is ACTUALLY a better time than another to hunt grouse.

thanks,

Reeltrouble

id. painter · 09-22-2003, 08:40 AM

Grouse dont have to pick gravel. They are a native bird that has developed the abiltiy to stay in deep snow all winter, with out migration.
They have an acid digestion system. I think???
id. painter

KingFisher85 · 09-22-2003, 07:53 PM

I seem to get a lot after 4:00 PM...

fishuntr2 · 09-23-2003, 06:21 AM

10:00 am on any gravel road. This is when I always seem to see them.

Bounty Hunter · 09-23-2003, 06:51 AM

I seem to remember talking to Brad Bales (sp?) with ODFW about this once and he said that they not only like to take gravel for their craw in the evenings, but they also like to take dust baths. He mentioned that you could look for the dusting areas in dry sections of the road.

IDP has a good point that I'd never thought of. Blue Grouse in 6-10 feet of snow all winter would't have a very easy time getting gravel.

C-lice · 09-23-2003, 10:04 PM

I'm certainly no expert in avian digestion. However, it seems every grouse (or quail) I shoot in the afternoon/evening has a full crop--I make a habit of checking to see what they've been eating so I can figure out where I may find more (elderberries, manzanita, etc.) Those I shoot in the morning rarely have much if any food in their crops. I guess I always assumed they spent the day grazing and then spent the night processing--after getting some grit. I'll look closer at the gizzard on the next batch I shoot.

Timberdoodle · 09-28-2003, 07:47 PM

On a nice morning you will find 'em early flying to berries or cherries or some other treat in a bush or tree. Also early (and late) on the roads for gravel. Mid-day they will feed within heavy cover. If its cold, find them in the afternoon on a sunny edge. They love insects too, so where its warm there are grasshoppers to eat. If the weather sucks and you would rather be in bed, so would they - hunt the heavy fir. Most of my experience is on Michigan birds and I'm still trying to figure out these Oregon birds.