Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) are native birds of the young forest. They weigh in at 1 3/4 pounds, are about 19 inches long from head to tail, and have a wingspan of 25 inches. Their broad, cupped wings power them to speeds of 35 to 50 miles per hour during their noisy escape flights. The trademark "ruff" is an impressive collar of feathers the male grouse erects around its neck during courtship displays.

The Grouse is one of my all time favorite birds to hunt, mainly because it allows me the opportunity to be in the deep woods during the fall leave change. This is also a wonderful time of the year to view all animals as they bulk up for the winter. Often I will come across deer, bear, squirrels, rabbits and other birds in my quest for a grouse or two for the dinner table.

Most of the grouse hunting trips that I take start the same way. I check over plat book maps and if possible will pre-trip hike the area of the area we plan to hunt looking for three items:

1. Legal land to hunt. – Never! Ever! will I trespass!

2. Grouse habitat! Look for low swampy, thick woody cover. For example – a small swamp or creek with the following plants near by – aspen, alders, honeysuckles, clover, wild rose, dogwoods with a few conifers for cover. Here is the best way to remember if it is good grouse land. If hiking is easy – you are in the WRONG place! Grouse habitat is very difficult to walk in, has limited visibility and is almost always near water. This is the type of ground you start at, if you do not find any birds in this area then start moving up. Often you will also find them near a gravel road or trail that has sand near it but they only visit these spots, they live in deep, young, thick forest.

3. Size! If you have the time to cover allot of land then find a large forest and cover as much as possible. If you have only an hour or two than a small wooded area and / or a ruffled grouse society trail would work well. Grouse hunting is not about driving down some gravel road shooting at birds standing looking at you as you pass. A real grouse hunter will walk a few miles a day and almost always return with a couple of scrapes from branches. Remember – grouse hunting burns way more calories than it produces!

Just a few more facts about the grouse will help you fine tune your hunt. These birds feed on a wide variety of green leaves, fruits and even some insects during the year but come late fall and winter they feed almost exclusively on dormant flower buds. Their favorites being flower buds or catkins from ironwoods, aspens, cherries, birches and filberts. Look for areas holding these plants close to the ground or young stands. Also, keep in mind these birds are solitary by nature; however you will occasionally come across a few young birds in a loose group. These are typically found near heavy feeding areas. If you come across a loose group be sure to note the plants in the area and look for similar types of food near by as these areas will also often hold a few birds.

The male and female do not mate for life as some birds do, in fact the females move from place to place were the males tend to use a single plot of 6 to 10 acres that he aggressively defend from other males. The drumming sound is made by the male all year long and often comes from the same log or perch area. This sound is used to drive other male birds from the area and is used in the mating ritual. Tracking this sound and finding a male on his log drumming is very exciting and a good challenge.

With my area picked out I am now ready to pack for my trip. Most of the trips involve going on a few nights stay in the woods camping, it’s a good idea to follow you camping list and bring everything you will need for your lodging type. In the woods it’s a good idea to bring along an orange vest, orange cap, GPS unit, map of the area, a small 1st aid kit, glasses for eye protection, plastic bag, knife, gloves, water and plenty of shells. I use a light weight 12 gauge over and under, keep in mind when hunting these birds all day two things are very important. First is the weight of the gun as you will be walking in some tough conditions. This is not a place to bring an expensive gun as it is sure to get a few scratches on it. I will say it again – if you are hunting in a woods that is easy to walk in – you are in the WRONG place! Second is its knock down power, you have just a few seconds to fire and almost always will be shooting into lots of brush.

Now you are ready to hit the woods looking for this hard to hunt bird. If you have never hunted grouse before you are in for a wonderful surprise. These birds will flush at any time, the roar of the wings will get your hart pumping fast during this few seconds you have before the bird is out of range, the grouse will twist and turn accelerating to 35 mph as it flies through the tree tops. You have only a few seconds to make sure no other person is in the line of shot, point the gun, shoot and follow the bird. Trust me, if you kill the bird, you are going to want to know about were it landed or you will spend some time trying to find it!

Here is wishing you all a safe hunting season!

Enjoy the Experience
RandyMan

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