Click to View the Full Thread

Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Hunting in the BWCA :: 2017 Ruff Grouse. Any around?
 
Author Message Text
Zwater
10/19/2018 08:59PM
  
I have heard from a few buddies up by Hill City that they are seeing quite a few grouse. They were up bear hunting in early September, and they saw a lot of grouse.
They hunt thick woods. Again, does anyone think the Turkey expansion has anything to do with the decline of grouse?


"Please no Al Gore global warming comments;)"
 
Pinetree
12/10/2017 06:08PM
  
quote thistlekicker: "Seemed like really low numbers this fall.



The Ruffed Grouse Society annual hunt near Grand Rapids showed a 30% decline from the 2016 event, and 50% lower than the average harvest (36 years of data).



RGS 2017 annual hunt



Spring drumming counts were up 57% statewide compared to last year.
MN DNR Grouse Index 2017



Bad hatch, or low survival of chicks this spring/summer?
"


Very good question.
The Ruff Grouse hunt success was the lowest ever in that hunt.
I actually expected it to be very low. I do a lot of hunting by Longville and grouse numbers there have been dropping since the late 1990's. Around Brainerd grouse are becoming almost rare along with snowshoe rabbits.
I have been hunting grouse since 1958 and this is the first year I never even fired a shot. seen very few. Even when numbers were low for like 40 years I could still see plenty of birds.
I think we got multiple things happening-maybe West Nile virus,it has been shown in Scotland where they have a Grouse similar to ours and deer ticks. When deer ticks are high numbers of grouse drop. More trails and logging roads which grouse like creates easy picking for Great Horn owls and other predators. Egg eaters like raccoons have been increasing northward.
Yeh I have lot of ideas why. Something beyound normal is happening.


I will say the Brainerd Area Wildlife which area goes up to Longville showed spring drumming counts down.
The hatching weather really wasn't that bad.
 
thistlekicker
12/11/2017 11:02AM
  
According to the DNR's 2012 Grouse Management Plan, there's supposed to be an evaluation of progress towards those goals and targets every 3 years, with an associated report published. It's been more than 5 years since that Plan was published, and I haven't seen any sort of progress report.


Only mention this because you'd hope DNR would be looking into some of the issues you brought up, and doing their due diligence in terms of understanding what's going on (above and beyond drumming counts),


MN-DNR Ruffed Grouse Management Plan



 
Pinetree
12/11/2017 01:07PM
  
I agree and after this season I think the pressure is on them to do so.
 
thistlekicker
12/10/2017 05:01PM
  
Seemed like really low numbers this fall.


The Ruffed Grouse Society annual hunt near Grand Rapids showed a 30% decline from the 2016 event, and 50% lower than the average harvest (36 years of data).


RGS 2017 annual hunt


Spring drumming counts were up 57% statewide compared to last year.
MN DNR Grouse Index 2017


Bad hatch, or low survival of chicks this spring/summer?

 
Fortunate1
10/17/2018 01:18AM
  
We had good luck in Central norther mn.
My 7 year old got his first Grouse on Saturday.
My buddies group we're hunting not Isabela and said numbers were down significantlt. Will find out first hang in two weekends
 
Zwater
10/21/2018 11:34AM
  
I just grouse hunted this morning with my lab on 580 acres of private property that I deer hunt up by Crosby. Some of the property was logged a few years ago. I saw plenty of grouse. Only managed to knock down 2. Young and thick poplar and aspen. Tough walking, but my pup had fun. Going to watch the football game, then gonna find a spot for opener for my climber stand. Beautiful clear, brisk morning.
 
Zwater
10/19/2018 09:15PM
  
Walk through thick young poplar and aspens with a good dog. You will jump grouse. Walking 4 wheeler trails won't produce much.
 
Zwater
10/21/2018 10:38PM
  
No ticks on them, also. Stepped on the wings and pulled the feet. Perfect breasts for the crock pot!
 
Pinetree
09/15/2017 04:03PM
  
Anyone see many this summer around the BWCA area or Superior National Forest.
Just curious,I always do a couple of fall Ruff Grouse Hunts around Ely and to the North Shore.
 
Pinetree
10/22/2018 08:13AM
  
Zwater: "No ticks on them, also. Stepped on the wings and pulled the feet. Perfect breasts for the crock pot!"
Deer ticks this year are the lowest in the Brainerd-Crosby-Longville area since 1992 when they first started showing up in the area. Only seen a couple all summer. Other years you could also see deer loaded with them. Look pretty clean right now. It will be interesting to examine them close up during deer season.

 
Pinetree
10/12/2017 04:32PM
  
Anybody hunting grouse? Heard the Sawbill area is very slow. Been hunting by Longville and have hunted about 20 hours and seen zero,where like 15 years ago I would see about 20 birds in a 4 hour hunt. Habitat now is perfect,but no birds or snowshoe rabbits,just deer ticks which are coming out in numbers this week.
 
walleye_hunter
09/19/2017 06:58AM
  
I saw several grouse driving on the Gunflint Trail this summer. I didn't see a single bird this weekend when I took my shotgun for a walk.
 
Pinetree
09/19/2017 07:30AM
  
quote walleye_hunter: "I saw several grouse driving on the Gunflint Trail this summer. I didn't see a single bird this weekend when I took my shotgun for a walk."


Sounds like from other reports this weekend was slow,but weather didn't help.
I flushed two around home but too many leaves to even see them.
 
brantlars
10/17/2018 07:19AM
  
got a couple up near little Marais on Friday on the way to work...don't usually see them on the way to work but work that day was putting up deer stands for the boss.