Today was Minnesota’s small game opener. To me that means ruffed grouse. I went out for a couple of hours this morning. We saw a few grouse. They were this year’s models and I left them to grow a few more weeks. It was great to be out with the dog. I wish it wasn’t so hot and could have been out longer but it is really hard on the dog.

Anyone else go out?

Thanks for posting. I really need to get into Grouse hunting, my dog LOVES to hunt. I hunt every weekend of Pheasant season in MN or IA, but adding grouse would extend the season. This would be more for my dog than me BTW…

T

I was out yesterday at the open for a few hours by Blackstone/Secret trails (mostly walked the winter ski trail north going to Flash). Got two, one was a large juvenile & the other older. Let one go that looked to be a juvenile & it was too cute to shoot (it was ‘squeaking’ like mad as it tried to run away quickly - I could just hear it saying ‘oh sh*t, oh sh*t!’ lol).
Was planning to go out in the evening, though instead took a trip to Virginia to buy a couple of rifles for other game (hare & deer). Saw a good amount of wolf & deer activity along the trail & it got me itching for some venison in the freezer instead of buying beef this winter.
Had plans to go out again this morning, though a fellow camping near me had excess food which he gave to me & I can’t justify harvesting more meat until I’ve used this up - gotta get eating today!
Good luck all!

PS
Anyone about the Ely area, feel free to hmu if you’d like. I’m planning on quite a bit of hunting this fall/winter, hoping to chase some waterfowl this week. Cheers!

There isn’t any open waterfowl until next Saturday.

I'll be hunting in a few weeks in the Ely area and will give a report then.

Finnboy: "There isn’t any open waterfowl until next Saturday."

Early September goose opened September 1st-15, the earliest allowed by the Feds. Your point though is accurate, most waterfowl besides that exception & early teal don’t start up until this weekend. I’d missed that they close it a week before opening it back up the week after, just seems silly to do that (1-15 then 21+), I’d not have made it out this week for goose anyways though I’m chasing grouse at sunrise tomorrow.

JohnGalt: "

Finnboy: "There isn’t any open waterfowl until next Saturday."

Early September goose opened September 1st-15, the earliest allowed by the Feds. Your point though is accurate, most waterfowl besides that exception & early teal don’t start up until this weekend. I’d missed that they close it a week before opening it back up the week after, just seems silly to do that (1-15 then 21+), I’d not have made it out this week for goose anyways though I’m chasing grouse at sunrise tomorrow."

I wanted to make sure you knew about the closure. It must have to do with the number of days allowed by the feds for early goose.

JohnGalt: "

Finnboy: "There isn’t any open waterfowl until next Saturday."

Early September goose opened September 1st-15, the earliest allowed by the Feds. Your point though is accurate, most waterfowl besides that exception & early teal don’t start up until this weekend. I’d missed that they close it a week before opening it back up the week after, just seems silly to do that (1-15 then 21+), I’d not have made it out this week for goose anyways though I’m chasing grouse at sunrise tomorrow."

a little correction: Minnesta DNR-Zone Dates
Statewide Sept. 1-5 early Teal season

Ducks, coots, mergansers
Zone Dates
North Sept. 21 - Nov. 19
Central Sept. 21 - 29; Oct. 5 - Nov. 24
South Sept. 21 - 29; Oct. 5 - Nov. 24

Finnboy: I wanted to make sure you knew about the closure. It must have to do with the number of days allowed by the feds for early goose."

Thank you for that, Finnboy :)

Nice and cool this morning. Great temperature for the dog. Low 40s to mid 50s around noon. We could use another hard frost now. There are still plenty of leaves around the northland.

There has been an increase in geese moving through in the last week. A sure sign of things to come.

I saw 15 grouse yesterday and bagged 5. Today I saw 7 grouse and was able to bag another 5. A lot of walking but it payed off.

egknuti: "I saw 15 grouse yesterday and bagged 5. Today I saw 7 grouse and was able to bag another 5. A lot of walking but it payed off. "

Boot leather definitely puts birds in the bag up north. There are so many old roads and trails to walk. I really enjoy getting out there. Walking where only the moose, bears, and wolves go is a big part of the experience for me.

Windy day but I got 4 grouse today. I should have got 5 but my own ineptitude cost me. I didn’t see many grouse, but they are out there.

I was out Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. It sure was windy. I saw fewer birds than I’ve been seeing but was still able to get a few. There have been some starry nights in the north woods.

Finnboy: "I was out Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. It sure was windy. I saw fewer birds than I’ve been seeing but was still able to get a few. There have been some starry nights in the north woods."

windy days they stay in the cover. Tough for them to detect predators.

Pinetree: "

Finnboy: "I was out Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. It sure was windy. I saw fewer birds than I’ve been seeing but was still able to get a few. There have been some starry nights in the north woods."

windy days they stay in the cover. Tough for them to detect predators.
"

On Friday they were in the most open cover I hunted and Saturday they were in medium dense cover.

Last weekend they were in thicker cover. The wood cock were especially. I hunted one spot where we dropped down into an alder thicket. It felt like the temperature dropped 10 degrees. It was full of wood cock sign and we put up a half dozen of them.

Tough shoot today. I only saw 4 grouse. One as I entered the parking lot. He teased and taunted me and then scurried off into the woods. A few trails I shot grouse about every time I walked last year have produced 0. I shot one grouse but he flew off. A pile of feathers but no grouse. I tried to follow but the woods were too dense.

egknuti: "Tough shoot today. I only saw 4 grouse. One as I entered the parking lot. He teased and taunted me and then scurried off into the woods. A few trails I shot grouse about every time I walked last year have produced 0. I shot one grouse but he flew off. A pile of feathers but no grouse. I tried to follow but the woods were too dense. "

This is what I’m finding too. I’ve been hunting all kinds of stuff new and old trying to find a pattern. There aren’t birds like we’ve had the last few years. I’m curious to see once it cools down if I see a few more.

Finnboy: "

egknuti: "Tough shoot today. I only saw 4 grouse. One as I entered the parking lot. He teased and taunted me and then scurried off into the woods. A few trails I shot grouse about every time I walked last year have produced 0. I shot one grouse but he flew off. A pile of feathers but no grouse. I tried to follow but the woods were too dense. "

This is what I’m finding too. I’ve been hunting all kinds of stuff new and old trying to find a pattern. There aren’t birds like we’ve had the last few years. I’m curious to see once it cools down if I see a few more."

Nice report, what percent of leaves on the underbrush still around the BWCA.

Here is a picture of me hunting Moose in 1977 by Isabella village around Oct. 10th. Around 18 inches-over your knees.
and in 2012 around Oct. 10th grouse hunting by Isabella lake got about 10 inches of snow.
Conditions sure different this year.

Maybe 70% of the leaves are still on the underbrush.

Finnboy: "Maybe 70% of the leaves are still on the underbrush.


"

Thanks

Flushed 12 grouse today. Mostly in the morning before the wind kicked up. Still lots of leaves but I did get two. Grouse were very skittish and flushed before I could get a shot off. Still, a great day and I’ll be back!

Yesterday I shot 5 and today got 3. I should have got 2 more but I wasn’t paying attention. Birds are out there! I walked lots of miles. Not as many as last year but boots on the ground shall produce!

Beautiful week in the north woods. I saw a few more birds last week. Tried some new ground which is always fun. We had a little rain on Friday night and it sure was nice to have some quiet out in the woods Saturday. It’s been so crunchy since we started to lose the leaves.

Been Pheasant Hunting every weekend since opener. Wish I could get out today…

The birds have been runners…windier than usual, harder to get good points/shots, but still a blast and good exercise.

Braving the snow and cold weather has yielded very few birds. I’ve walked a couple of hours each of the last 4 days. I saw maybe 12 grouse and got one.

I’ve been out too. Birds are harder to find. I found a few Thanksgiving morning. I walked some decent winter cover today and all I saw were tracks. Today was beautiful in the woods though.

I did ok this year in the SNF, not as well as years past, but didn't get out early season. Where I typically hunt, they get a bit of pressure and by October they're super skittish. This fall all together was tougher than years past - fewer grouse and fewer brookies.

I did a walk today into the wilderness. Saw 3 got 2. There were quite a few tracks from yesterday. 6-8 inches of snow on the ground and it’s been snowing for a few hours.

Last days of grouse hunting….I saw many signs of grouse, but saw few. I did manage to shoot one. Also saw grouse roosting between 4:00 and 4:30. The crunching of the snow made it nearly impossible to sneak up on them. I took several long shots and missed and thought, “I’ll see you next season.”

egknuti: "Last days of grouse hunting….I saw many signs of grouse, but saw few. I did manage to shoot one. Also saw grouse roosting between 4:00 and 4:30. The crunching of the snow made it nearly impossible to sneak up on them. I took several long shots and missed and thought, “I’ll see you next season.”"

My experience too. Lots of sign and few birds spotted. I saw one grouse running the last day I was out. The snow was really crunchy and the grouse could hear me coming and they were running.

I saw one Lynx and cross tracks of another. 2 great gray owl too.

Something cool to check out. Boundary Waters Grouse lodge. www.boundarywatersoutfitting.com

bwoutfitters: "Something cool to check out. Boundary Waters Grouse lodge. www.boundarywatersoutfitting.com"

That is indeed an interesting option! Might be a good combo with a couple nights in a canoe...