Northern Minnesota, Northern Minnesota Weather!
 

Several years back we adjusted our annual two-week grouse hunt to avoid the warmer temperatures we'd encountered in early October. Well, that plan worked...and then some. We drove the last leg of our trip up in a heavy wet snow storm, and it's snowed three more days since we've been here. It's also been 12-17 degrees colder than average. I've had to order more Musher's Secret to be delivered to us here as our supply is already dwindling. But...we are here and the dogs love it.

Flush rates are not high, but I attribute that more to where and how we're hunting in these snowy conditions. Before the second snow there were spots underneath the evergreens that were still snow free, and we had good success finding birds there, but poor success in getting shots. On our first hunt we followed a new logging road deep into the woods and found birds in the aspen whips. They all flushed out of range, and we have had many flushes from trees. Lots of hunting, very few shot opportunities. On the walk out we saw fresh (and very large!) wolf tracks and those of a wandering black bear, I assume headed to its den.

Aspen has had some nice points, and we're giving him the most opportunities. He is still a puppy, but coming along nicely. He had a nice find that produced a bird delivered to hand. The 1904 26" DH 16 did its job.

We've seen the sun all of 20 minutes on the day after we arrived, and not a minute more since. Yesterday I saw that it was 78 degrees at home in North Missouri (our high here was 28). I'd rather be here with Elaine and the dogs in Cabin #6. This makes year number 33 for us, and although we have different dogs, and Elaine and I are older (and feeling it on these cold days), the enjoyment we have in our hunts, watching our dogs do what they love, has not dwindled.

More snow predicted for Sunday.

Photo Key:

1. The forest roads have been okay, but the county roads are dicey at best. The ground underneath the snow is not completely frozen, and it's treacherous to drive. Thankfully, we know the area and its roads well, and there is almost no competition from other hunters.
2. Most of the water in the area is still open, and this is a banner year for swans. We've seen more than in any other year. A good sign.
3. Our 20 minutes of sunshine!
4. A nice find by Aspen. I'd like to report that we got the bird, but like so many of our chances, this bird was only heard leaving...unceremoniously.
5. Aspen made a nice point and retrieve on this young bird.

At least it is snow and not rain!! Stay safe on the roads.

Ken

looks like a good place to make a snow man....charlie

I will be up there on Monday for a little over a week.

Bruce, it looks like the weather will moderate some next week, thank goodness. Maybe some sun and warmer temperatures will bring the grouse out of the evergreens. We had to order more Musher's Secret to be delivered to us here, but with thawing conditions (hopefully) things will improve for dog work. Not sure where you'll be, but maybe we can cross paths one day.

The forecast yesterday was for no snow. The radar showed no snow. When we pulled up to the spot we were going to hunt, the snow let go (and still did not show up on the radar). It snowed hard most of the day. No hunting on this day.

Hopefully, you'll have some good hunting days before you head back home.

Ken

yep, tough conditions, Garry. Putting up with the same here in the UP. Only had 2 snowfree days out of 12 so far. I rotate 3 setters, so no foot problems so far. Hard on our legs however in the slippery stuff. My hunting pardoned was here for 5 days, hunting by myself for 2 weeks. Hang in there. Good luck to you too Bruce

We went 11 miles yesterday, hitting young aspen, pine thickets, swamp edges, and spruce plantations. The sun was out for the first time since we've been here, and some of the south facing slopes were snow free. I thought I might find a bird or two sunning and looking for "salad" -- nothing! In 5-plus hours of hunting, we moved three grouse -- two only heard -- with no shots. After we got home I got pretty sick with some sort of intestinal bug. Not one of my best days. I think we'll take the morning off and regroup. We have had some of the least productive days in my 33 years of hunting here. We are not even seeing many tracks in the snow, at least grouse tracks. The wolves are on the move and we encounter fresh sign daily. There are some big ones roaming the Northwoods.

Reports from hunters before us were that the bird numbers were decent, so I can only speculate that they are sequestering themselves back in the thickest, protective cover. It was 13 degrees this morning with a stiff breeze, but tomorrow is forecast to be in the low 40s. Maybe the birds will move around more. Hope springs eternal in a hunter. I'm encouraged to read that Harold is finding birds and getting chances. I hope Bruce has better luck than we've had so far.

Looks to be a beautiful place to be afield Garry. I hope you find more birds soon!

Garry,
We are having similar situations here with the grouse and woodcock. A week ago last saturday, we went on private property about 300 acres, and had quite a day with woodcock in about a 20 year aspen forest. We thought most of the woodcock had gone south. My buddy is walking in open fields with small pine trees and finding grouse and some woodcock where he normally does not find many birds. The birds are not in their normal places so he goes to the most unlikely places and usually finds birds. His dog is ranging out 80 yards or more. I hope you get some better weather, the hunting weather has been almost perfect down here, a little cold but the dogs are running hard. We are not finding as many grouse as we hope for so tomorrow I am hunting more open fields with few trees and see if my luck changes. good luck, Ed

Thanks, Ed,

This has been the most frustrating weather we've experienced in the time we've been hunting Northern MN. The forecasts are seldom correct, and even the radar seems bewitched (being close to Halloween, maybe?), showing snow when there is none, and not showing it when it's snowing hard.

We have days on our calendar to mark important things. Yesterday was "Pop's Day," the day my father died. We honor him on this day by hunting, since it was Pop who gave me hunting so many years ago when I first served as his squirrel "dog" at age 5. I was still feeling pretty sick from the bug I had the night before, but we went out late yesterday to a special spot we've been saving. Contrary to the forecast (again!), the weather was windy, cloudy, and cold. We flushed one bird in two hours -- no shot. We found fresh tracks, but no birds following them up. Maybe they are in those unexpected places, but it seems like we've tried those, too.

We'll hit the woods again today. I still think as the weather moderates, we'll see more movement and have our chances. I'm glad you've had good conditions.

Gary

Hang in there and hope you get feeling better. Think about it, a good Grouse hunter must be an optimist. Who else lives to pursue a bird that maybe peaks every 7 - 10 years! With the hand the weather has dealt some of us this year I hope peak wasn’t this year because we didn’t find an increased number of grouse or cock. I agree with you the weather has likely pulled a curtain over what numbers truly remain. All the grouse we took were fully stocked with groceries some with catkins, others had salads of fern tips or winterberry. After the snow came and kept coming everybody moved under the umbrellas. When the sun did decide to go to work it crusted snow quickly. Buzzy's feet took some wear but at the suggestion of a friend we tried Lantiseptic (skin protectant) and he was fine the next day but I did insist he rested and we went and watched a few pups trying to learn the game while another 4” of powder fell in our snow globe. We split the next morning well before daylight, somehow it’s just easier to leave in the dark. I hate leaving every time. So hang in there it’s going to get better.

Garry,
I hope things improve for you, I really have learned a lot in this forum from you and many others about hunting and other things. I try to pay attention, its like having "professors" of hunting at your disposal all a guy has to do is come in here and read the posts. The picture I am posting is where cash went on point on that woodcock. There is a large probably 3 acres that is pretty open and that is surrounded by real good cover. 2 years ago a grouse busted out under a big tree not far from this pic. Last year the same thing, now instead of just slinging my gun over my shoulder when walking across the field, I am at the ready. I also realized that the sun was warming that area up where the woodcock was. Thats another thing I realized from you all in here. Keep the stories coming, I really enjoy them.

UNCLE! The Grouse Gods have conspired, and I surrender...but I'm content. After a rainy Wednesday, we got out for a short hunt and flushed some birds that offered no shots. Two were pointed by Aspen. Yesterday dawned sunny and cold, with the snow was crusted hard. I wish I'd read your post, Brett, before we headed out because Alder ripped an opening in her pad below a nail, and it looks like she's out, maybe for the trip. We went back to places where we'd had some flushes, we hunted tried-and-proven spots that we generally save to the hunt's end, and we tried a new spot on a whim that chance might smile on us. Yesterday was my first day hunting Northern Minnesota when I flushed nary a bird. Someone should write a thesis on why you're so much more tired after hunting on a day like this.

But...we have several more days, and I'm here in Cabin #6 with two fine canine companions, three nice Parker small bores with a history...and the best wife a guy could hope for. We are already scheming about when to come next year.

Photos:
1. Thinking about Ed's open field success reminds me of a year when we flushed "coveys" (broods) of grouse from secluded open fields late in the day. I'm convinced that grouse know they are more vulnerable on a white, snowy backdrop and avoid places like this where they have no overhead cover. Oh, to be here on a warmish sunny day about a half hour before sunset.
2. The last hour of a day taken mostly by rain. We found some birds, but they all went out either far ahead, or screened by cover. This was not the best year to have a puppy in the woods trying to get him experience on wild birds.
3. It's funny how much more optimistic I get when the sun comes out. I know there are no "Dull, Dark Days," but on a birdies hunt, at least let me be in the sun in a beautiful place.
4. The waxing Blue Moon guided us back to the Cabin. Wine, two dogs on the couch, and some warm food helped to soothe the soul after a bridles day.
5. Now here's a sign of optimism if ever there was one. At lunch time we stopped and watched a large pulpwood harvest. This machine strips the limbs from pole-sized aspen and then cuts them to size to be later cut again and loaded on a truck. We have all these spots marked on the GPS, and I only hope I'm alive and still able to walk them in about 5-7 years.

Garry,
My buddy called today with the 2 brittanies, he said he had the best hunting day of the year to date. I am hoping your luck will change. Fred will talk to me a lot about his theories about grouse and woodcock. Today he hunted near his better spots, but he would go in from a different direction and hunt towards his better spots. He had a dozen grouse points between the 2 dogs and 1 woodcock. The birds were not in their normal spots, but close by where he would never hunt under normal circumstances. We had a good woodcock day yesterday in a couple of hours, those birds were near their normal spots. We never saw a grouse yesterday where we usually see some. Its humbling to say the least trying to figure this all out. Fred thinks about moon phases, cold vs. heat etc. he always checks the stomach content to learn and send me pics to help educate me. With friends like him and Hap its no wonder cash is doing so well. I would be lost without them. Hang in there Garry, keep the posts coming, they are enjoyable.

Garry,

Hopefully, the weather gets a lot better and you get a few days to hunt in nice weather before you leave. I have no desire to hunt in the rain whether it is birds or big game.

Ken

Minnesota is currently well above the jet stream so is getting all of "our" spare Arctic air flow. Get used to it boys! The jet stream is way down into northern Texas and is being bumped and deformed west by the current hurricane that came in from the SE. The stream heads from Texas to the NE and is passing just south of Michigan with 100+mph winds at elevation and is combining with the hurricane effect to cause abundant rain in the NE. Minnesota is likely in for cold weather for a bit here. We went from 0-60 on winter up here in Alaska. It was 60+ deg one day then 20deg a few days later and started snowing. It's 8deg here right now and there's 9" of snow on the ground and headed soon for subzero temps. Winter is here to stay.

its rainey and wet here in the south miss area..tempertures around the 50 mark but seem much colder....I m just staying in by the fire....charlie

About 50 and windy here. I am with charlie.

Snowed 6 inch's and 25 degrees here in S.E. Mass. right now. Bless 2020 and kiss the woodcock good bye for this year.

I am still up in northern minn and not doing well . We see a few birds per day and hear several more but in four days we have bagged one grouse. We did have 14 flushes in one day but the birds are very skittish.

The snow and wind have been difficult. Lots of snow , ice, swamp and downed timber. I look forward to the plains. There are times when I feel that ruffed grouse hunting is better to read about than do.

Crazy weather! I'm about 120 miles north of the Manitoba/Minnesota border and 40 miles from the Manitoba/Ontario border. The morning of the 31st the wind was blowing hard from the south and the temperature was 39F. By 2 pm it swung around 180 degrees coming from the north west at 25F, snow, wind gusts up to 50mph, with occasional white out conditions. I hope you're not in it's path.

Nice Bob! Makes sense considering the track of the Jet Stream lately. You're getting air flow that originated up here in Alaska and the Yukon/BC! This is the kind of weather pattern - wild fluctuations of the jet stream and especially ocean currents - that lead to the Little Ice Age from 1300-1850. I personally think that we're slowly headed into another L.I.Age. Forget what the media tells you; the planet has been in a cooling phase for the past 10,000 yrs.

Well, I can say we've had almost every type of weather since we've been here...except good(!). We did have a thawing couple of days, one with sun in the afternoon. We hunted a sharp ridge between a lake and a swamp. The top of the ridge was very narrow in spots, maybe 20 yards, and the drop off on both sides was well over a hundred feet. It was very much like the hunting I remembered from SE Ohio back when the State had birds. On this day we found some, but better than finding them, Aspen pointed them, and he hunted well after so many barren miles earlier in the week.

Yesterday the wind blew so hard in the later afternoon that we came out of the woods for fear of trees falling. I've had this happen once before, and it's not safe to hunt. We'll try to hunt a short while today and pack the truck for our return home tomorrow. As poor and challenging as the hunting has been, I wouldn't trade these days, and I'm already scheming for when to come next year and which guns to bring. The DNR believes the Peak of the Cycle was two or three years ago. I'll be close to 75 at the next one, and I'm hoping to be in the woods with Elaine and some Gordon Setters.

I've enjoyed the replies to this thread. Richard is a better meteorologist than any I've encountered lately. The encouragement from those who know the sting of few birds was meaningful. It was comforting to read that Bruce was finding the same conditions, and that it was not just my poor hunting skills that was the reason for so few flushes. We did have several days with 10-15 flushes, but when you can't see them, you can't shoot them. Oh, well, that's grouse hunting. Our flush rate up to today was about 1.8/hr. It will be interesting to go back and compare that to other years. It's a nice thing about getting old (and there are not many) that you have the years to supply perspective.

Thanks again for the responses. I've got to get Elaine's coffee made so we can hit the woods this morning. Good hunting to all of you!

Photos:
1. You can come up with a lot of stories why the pumpkins were here about three miles back in the woods. The stories get better when it's Halloween.
2. A nice weather day makes you linger, even when the birds don't cooperate.
3. This spine ridge was like being in my old haunts from SE Ohio back in the 1980s and 90s. Unfortunately, the flushes I had chances at were among my toughest shots -- from below me and going down. I saluted a couple with my new CHE 20. Too bad I couldn't blood it on this trip.
4. Two tired friends that have staked out their place in the Cabin. One of the best parts of hunting here is that the dogs can come in and be with us at night.

Garry thank you for your comment's and photos. We need times like this to truly appreciate those days when everything falls in place. Grouse hunting is made what it is by the maddening unpredictability of them.

Daniel, I forgot to mention that earlier in our hunt we flushed woodcock out of about 6 inches of snow and after the weather had been below freezing for several days. Tough, resilient birds. Too bad they can't overcome the human disturbances to their lives.

Wow. Look at where the jet stream is today! A very wild fluctuation. Giving Minnesota and Wisconsin a hammering from the NNW then turning at the Ohio border to head NNE across Michigan and the NE; You can see here why Bob reported the rapid change of wind as this system moved east across his location. Note that the upper level winds are in the 150mph range. I'd guess that the woodcock might be hauling axx south at this point. This system sucking air from us here has us at 1degF as nice fresh colder air flows our way from the north.

https://www.wunderground.com/maps/wind/jet-stream

Garry is that a straight stock CHE?