Garry,
The grouse I hunt especially later in the 2nd season,can flush way ahead of us, I can see the dog birdy, way ahead, then I walk up and see the fresh grouse track, then nothing, and usually about that time the grouse will fly off from 40 feet or so in the big pine trees where I hunt sometimes. You have to be quick on the trigger to even get a shot off. Last year my buddy with 2 brittanies and I hunted one of my spots in the 2nd season in December and the dog went on point, we had just had about 6 inches of fresh snow. I was walking towards the dog, I whispered to Fred, theres no tracks!! he said the bird is buried under the snow ( I did not know grouse did that) as I got up close to the dog a grouse burst out of the snow heading right at me, I raised up for a shot, realized he was to close, turned completely around and shot and missed, then fred said where there's one there's usually 2 birds, as that was sinking in, another grouse took off right out of the snow. I stayed in the area for 5 minutes studying all this, I have learned so much from those 2 guys that helped my wife and I out with our brittany. My brittany cash will look up in the trees now, I think he is trying to tell me he saw them fly up there. It is very hard to see a grouse 40 feet in the air, but occasionally you can depending on the type of pine tree. I am sure getting an "education" spending time in the woods. This has been quite a journey...
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