The days are getting shorter, the temps cool down in the hurry in the evenings, and the leaves start to fall. The dog gets a bit more frisky when you start loading up the truck for a trip to the gun range or to open up the cabin for fall. You know what's up. Ruffed Grouse Season 2012 opens this weekend. So what can we expect this year afield?
Grouse season by the numbers
Basically, we are few years into the decline from the grouse population cycle peak of 2010. According to the Minnesota DNR, Ruffed grouse hunter numbers (93,800 last year) are below the average hunter count of 115,000. The 2011 harvest of 401,000 ruffed grouse was down slightly from the 10-year peak of 465,000 in 2010 but was still one of the three highest annual harvests of the past ten years. So the bad news is fewer birds, the good news is less hunter competition on your favorite trails.
Three seasons in one
Ours is a long season, Sept. 15- Dec. 31. I break it down into 3 times, early season, prime time, and late season. Early season, about the first 3 weeks, is hot, buggy, sweaty, and thick. With the leaves still up, you may hear more birds than you can see. Bring plenty of water for yourself and your dog, and rest frequently or take the middle part of the day off. Tread carefully as you may not see the tree branch or hollow you are about to put your foot on. And don't forget the bug spray, tick repellent on your boot cuffs, and give your dog too. So why bother with early season? Grouse broods haven't dispersed yet, which means you may stumble onto family groups of a half-dozen or more birds and they aren't as wary, offering closer shots. Many a novice grouse hunter that stumbles into a brood may boast of the fantastic bird numbers in early season, only to be scratching his head later wondering where all the birds are.
Prime time is early October until deer season. The leaves are down, the temps cooler. The dog can pick up scent trails easier. Finally we can see what we are shooting at. The woodcock flights come in offering additional shooting opportunities in the same woods. Rick Horton, one of Minnesota's DNR grouse experts, noted that Minnesota is the destination of some well-to-do individuals to hunt grouse in October. These folks have the wherewithal to be anywhere in the world, perhaps cruising the Mediterranean on a yacht, but they choose to be here. Enjoy this magic time.
Late season is after deer season, and you may be hunting in the snow. This is often a very productive time for me, as there are fewer hunters, you can see better, and a grouse roosting in the snow or a fallen tree top won't flush until the dog is right on top of them.
Tips for a successful early season
Try to practice your gun mount a few times each evening to become comfortable with the gun. You should be able to mount the gun with your eyes closed, and when you open them be seeing right down the rib. Oil your boots as you will likely be getting wet. Do a little Google Earth scouting of unfamiliar locations to look for aspen stands. If you have a dog, do your check cord training in the backyard on heel and whoa. Try dragging a little snack of lunchmeat from an old fishing pole in the yard, then bring out the dog to trail find it.
Ruffed Grouse hunting is an everyman sport, only requiring a gun, a license, and an orange hat. Minnesota offers 11 million acres of public land. So get out there. A good place to start is
www.mndnr.gov/grouse.
Joel Schnell is the editor of www.ruffedgrouseminnesota.com.
His photography can be viewed at www.schnellphoto.com.
See us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RuffedGrouseMinnesota
Grouse hunting possiblesby Joel Schnell
