When you’re not watching....

[Dean Romig]

Grouse season just sneaks right up on you!

In the middle of all the BS everybody’s dealing with these days, ourselves included, it just dawned on me that there really is a God and heaven for me and mine is in the thickets and coverts on the scrubapple hillsides in my little piece of Vermont. It’s just two months away and I plan on closing the ‘social distance’ between me and the rapidly escaping grouse with a charge of #8’s from my 28 bore.

It may be a little early but I wish ALL bird hunters find their own piece of heaven this fall !





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[Jerry Parise]

Amen to that!

[Chris Robenalt]

I'm right behind you in my thinking Dean! I'm already looking past the dove opener, and thinking about quail. There's something about that first flush that makes the wait worthwhile!

[Kent Nickerson]

My dog is putting up big communal coveys of 1/2 size birds all over the farm. 20 to 30 in a group with their parents. This could be a fine fall season.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Talked to the people Who own the cabin I rent in the UP. Al lis a go. Going for at least 2 weeks-possibly 3. Was tuning up my favorite grouse gun at the Rock

[Garry L Gordon]

Thank goodness for the optimism of the future bird season. It will be especially sweet for many who have had challenges and sorrows to deal with during these past months. Elaine and I be missing two of our dogs when the season opens, but will have the memories of good times past to greet the promise of the new season.

I echo the comments above, and wish every hunter a good walk in good cover with a loyal dog and favorite gun.

[Shane Jennings]

In the middle of all the BS everybody’s dealing with these days, .....

:D That made me think of seeing this the other day.....

[Gary Laudermilch]

Just spoke with my son. He saw two broods of grouse at work today; one of six and one of 5. Both were nearly full grown. To top that off my setter pointed a woodcock this morning. The juices are flowing!

Everyone will have a wonderful season. No hope about it.

[Rick Losey]

Gary

we would believe you more if there were GPS coordinates :whistle:

[Gary Laudermilch]

Glad to provide location data. You will be wasting your time though as the birds will be elsewhere by the time the season rolls around. And then, it is loose lips sink ships.

[Rich Anderson]

The first ten days of October will see me chasing Mule Deer and Antelope in Wyoming. For the last three years the first 10 days of October has sucked weather wise so I'm changing things up a little. This year will be different as well as I won't be staying for 5 weeks, it will be weekends with a one week stay at best.banghead: The boys are gonna hate me LOL

[Dean Romig]

Good luck on your mulie and pronghorn hunt Rich.


P.S., biologically they’re not even related to antelope.



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[Rick Losey]

P.S., biologically they’re not even related to antelope.
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more like goats if remember correctly

[Rich Anderson]

I haven't been to Wyoming in 5 years, some friends wanted to go so I set it up. It will be nice to walk around with a rifle and do spot and stalk hunting. My deer season is up in the air so at least I can put some venison in the freezer and I love Antelope. Now the big question is what rifles to take:rotf:

I don't believe the antelope has any living relatives.

[Dean Romig]

How is the grouse population doing in everybody's hunting area?




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[Harold Lee Pickens]

Looks to be a good year in the mid west Great Lakes region( I'd be there even if the prediction was poor). Talked to the people who own the cabin I rent, and she said grouse were commonly seen, and Covid-19 was scarce. My buddy just got back from a week flyfishing on the Paint River, Michigamme River , and reservoir, and claimed to have seen alot of birds, along with woodcock flighting around at dusk.
I want to go for three weeks this year , and stay on thru the first full week of November. Earlier is better for woodcock, but I key in on grouse.
Rich, I'm sure I'll see you there.
Dean, what is the prediction for the area where you hunt?

[Rick Losey]

How is the grouse population doing in everybody's hunting area?.

I saw one several weeks ago -



we can get a dog back in the woods in a couple weeks
I hope to scout out some new spots as well as old

[Rick Losey]

Looks to be a good year in the mid west Great Lakes region( I'd be there even if the prediction was poor). Talked to the people who own the cabin I rent, and she said grouse were commonly seen, and Covid-19 was scarce. My buddy just got back from a week flyfishing on the Paint River, Michigamme River , and reservoir, and claimed to have seen alot of birds, along with woodcock flighting around at dusk.
I want to go for three weeks this year , and stay on thru the first full week of November. Earlier is better for woodcock, but I key in on grouse.
Rich, I'm sure I'll see you there.
Dean, what is the prediction for the area where you hunt?

good luck Harold, I always enjoyed my hunts up there. We looked at the northeast kingdom or Maine for this year, but with the crap going on we let the plans sit, maybe next year. just hoping for some local birds for a young dog

[Garry L Gordon]

Good luck to everyone.

[Ted Hicks]

I took a three-day jaunt two weeks ago with a friend across some newly acquired state land in New York's Adirondacks, up near the high peak region. We covered about 25 miles and flushed a dozen singles and six broods. While it was good to see the broods which I take as an indication of favorable nesting conditions, each brood had only three, four or five young as best as we could tell.

Around my usual Adirondack haunts there seems to have been good breeding success. Grayson and I made an 8 mile loop over logging roads in one of my best areas and found five broods and a half a dozen singles. Over the past 5 years this loop was a bust except for an occasional single or two.

So things are looking up compared to the previous few years. We are currently in a two-month hot and dry spell with the word "drought" being tossed about by the weather folks. Not sure what effect this may have, if any, come October.

[Daniel Carter]

Today i recieved the woodcock wing reports from F & W. Last year we killed more mature than juvenile birds, usually it is 3 young to 1 adult. This year was the reverse 3--1 adult.
This only indicates our very limited results and i will have to wait to see if our results are indicative of a poor breeding season in 2019. I hope to see their whole survey results soon.

[Richard Flanders]

Haven't seen a single grouse around here in at least three months and our season opens in 4 days if you can believe that. We're about at the bottom of the cycle.

[Dean Romig]

In my several decades of grouse hunting in VT I have seen several lows in the grouse cycle. They always come back up to one degree or another... some peak years are better than the peak years in other cycles, and some are not.

I am sorry to hear of your low in the cycle Richard. I don't know if WNV has affected the birds in your area but here in the Northeast it has had an almost devastating effect.





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[Ken Descovich]

I spot grouse almost daily at one of my springs on my property I hope they stay there till September.

[Mike Koneski]

We're good for mudbat. We actually had at least one hanging about inside the short course during this past week's SxS event and we usually find them where we do habitat work on the gamelands. As for grouse I see a few on our property. I may have to hunt up near Cold Spring's cabin though. He always finds grouse on the old roads on those gamelands! :cool: :whistle:

[Frank Srebro]

……...As for grouse I see a few on our property. I may have to hunt up near Cold Spring's cabin though. He always finds grouse on the old roads on those gamelands! :cool: :whistle:

Mike my friend you're always welcome to hunt with me but this year your cell with its map location app stays in the cabin and turned off. :whistle:

Well I kinda anticipated the cell in your pocket last time and didn’t take you to Lilac, God’s Road, Slashings or any other favorite grouse haunts. :rotf:

[Mike Koneski]

What cell phone? What’s a mapping app? 🤣😂😱

[Dean Romig]

onX is a great hunting app.






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