Scouting for covers

[Zacharysmith]

Grouse have small home ranges but will move if food is not there. Early season feed will be different than November feed generally. Habitat is what I tend to look for. Just looking to see if the cover looks right. That young growth mixed woods get me all warm and fuzzy inside. See you in the Maine woods!

[ASB]

Originally Posted by Zacharysmith

Grouse have small home ranges but will move if food is not there. Early season feed will be different than November feed generally. Habitat is what I tend to look for. Just looking to see if the cover looks right. That young growth mixed woods get me all warm and fuzzy inside. See you in the Maine woods!

How do you feel about logging cuts / tote roads vs overgrown / abandoned farms & apple orchards? Assuming both satisfy the conditions described above. Thanks for the input!

[Harold Pickens]

Alex, those areas you just listed are the key to finding grouse. Grouse are birds of the "edges" so be sure and check out that type of cover, especially old logging roads thru appropriate cover.
I've been hunting grouse across the country for 55 years now, never been to Maine, but am sure it holds true there.
One of the greatest scouting tools is the internet with Google Earth, OnX maps, etc. once you know what good cover looks like, look at the satellite photos of the area, and search for similar looking cover, old logging rds, clear-cuts, etc. I still do this extensively and find many wonderful covers each year, rarely is a cover a complete bust. Best of luck to you, the morning is cool, so off to run the setters in the hayfields and get them in shape, season will be here before you know it.

[Zacharysmith]

Originally Posted by Alex Brushwein

How do you feel about logging cuts / tote roads vs overgrown / abandoned farms & apple orchards? Assuming both satisfy the conditions described above. Thanks for the input!

There is nothing more nostalgic than hunting an overgrown apple orchard. I have many memories of hunts there myself. They tend to hold Woodcock well also. If one is lucky enough to find one that gets seldom hunted or never it is a lifetime treasure. Unfortunately, they tend to get hunted regularly. Some are to overgrow to hunt sometimes. I say to overgrown I mean difficult or impossible to fire at game. I try to stay out and away of those places as I have learned over the years.

Cuts should not see the pressure that orchards or trails get though I tend to believe that grouse are attracted to roads. They are curious, love to warm up in them in the morning and will eats stones in them for their crop's digestion. I tend to look for cuts that have skidder trails every 10-20 yards between. Picture a log landing with fingers outward. Like a human hand. Great for shooting lanes while letting the dogs work the cover. A point between those lanes and a hunter on either side makes a fun time.