Scouting for covers

[Andy]

I put a lot of birds up on public land that is hunted by other bird hunters. You never know if you're there at the right time or not. I put a lot of miles on that others just aren't willing to do. That being said, we hunted an entire day in Maine a few years ago in the most picturesque part of the area near Rangeley Lakes and it was idyllic. Young aspen, some apple, creeks, conifers, beech nuts everywhere. Not one grouse or woodcock. We drove around too, but limited ourselves to within several square miles which wasn't likely far enough to really find the birds. Back at Grants one of the guides said, "Oh that hasn't held a grouse in years. They prefer across the lower road down low not up high lately." When asked he said there is simply more preferable cover nearby but we never quite figured out what was wrong. Some places hold, some don't. I notice that I put up a lot of grouse in early season and once the broods break up it's much harder. And the places that still look amazing today hold nothing compared to 4-5 years ago when they really produced. There was a saying that was for chukar hunters but it also applies to grouse hunters, "My, you have big thighs and a small head, you must be a grouse hunter."

[bob lyons]

We hunted a grants for 3 years and it was great but only because we hired guides that knew what they were doing.
That area attracts a lot of bird hunters so the birds get taken and pushed out quickly.
Also the area is vast.
In other areas like the coast, Brunswick and the Belfast area there is less hunting pressure but it does not have the amount of foresting like in Rangley but very productive.
Also tremendous amount of road hunters in the Rangeley area.
The opening the season earlier in Maine has not help either it just adds to the road hunters and bear hunters killing time.
We now hunt the same area but do not stay at grants, but we use the same guide. We now also avoid Saturday hunting as their are to many people in the woods.

[Cold Spring]

Just talking here about grouse hunting in the large expanses of state woods here in northeast PA. That's where I've chased grouse for decades. I'm convinced that the birds have gotten smarter since I started hunting as a pre-teen, likely due to predators and hunters killing the dumber ones and the resulting effect on the gene pool. For sure ..... food, water and cover are the primary habitat considerations but given the choice between those factors close to the road or the same farther back in, and if you're physically able, you'll find more birds while hunting in our big woods farther away from the travelled roadways. Whether it’s the traffic noise, new instincts or whatever, the birds seem to be especially scarce and wary close to the roads even though the edge cover looks good. Now, I don't know if all this applies elsewhere but its something to think about.