New Hunter first Grouse

[Tyke]

I just started hunting this September and I've only been out hunting grouse. I finally got my first one on the weekend! I was excited once I spotted it on the trail and got a shot at it. I'm using a 10/22 and got it right in the head so I thought it was gunna drop dead. After maybe 20 seconds it was done flapping around so I went to retrieve it from the bushes. I grabbed its legs and it flapped around and fell out of my hand and kept flapping on the ground. I didn't want it suffer and what I've read and seen people do on YouTube is grab it by the neck and swing it around so I did that and then set it back down. It flapped a couple times then stopped so I picked it up and brought it to the trail and then back to the truck. Im posting this cause it was my first kill and wondering if this is a typical way grouse die? And if anyone has any tips after I take my shot.

[Travalanche]

That's normal. It's nerves. Wings flap like crazy for a bit. if your not sure if its dead just step on its head to finish it off. Congrats on the grouse! some of the best meat out there!

[monasheemountainman]

yep when you shoot anything in the head it will dance around like that, especially chickens they go bananas nut fear not my friend he was dead and didnt suffer. congrats on your first one

[adriaticum]

Good for you, keep on trucking.
Bigger things are yet to come.

[albravo2]

Good for you! Nice shot.

Yes, that is the way they die. You know it was a kill shot if you see them start doing the funky chicken after the shot. You'll be able to tell the difference between a wounded and dead bird as soon as you wound one.

Some good recipes on here, I hope you enjoy it.

[Travalanche]

Get yourself some panko bread crumbs add some chili powder, salt and pepper and fry that breast up in some of yesterdays bacon fat!! mmmm good.

[wideopenthrottle]

there's a reason for the expression "like a chicken with it's head cut off" when something is flailing about...they got some nerves them chickens...not much for brains though...heheheh

[SuperYeti]

We had the oddest thing happen to us a couple weekends ago. My hunting partner took a grouse with his 20ga from about 15 yds away, took the head off clean, we both saw it, immediately after the bird shot at least 100' straight in the air above the treeline, the wind caught it, and it drifted off into the bush. We were both just stunned, kinda sitting there in awe as this thing cooked off. Talking to a few people afterwards, apparently it does happen from time to time. Go figure...

[Tyke]

Thanks so much for the all the info and that is a crazy story SuperYeti ! I'm excited to get back out this weekend and next year for some deer!

[604Stalker]

Yeah Ive blown right through heart and wing on both sides, shot em in the head /neck and had this happend. I now use a shotgun seems the shock to thwir system from the blast puts them down alot faster.

[Tyke]

Ya a shot gun would be nice! I've flushed so many and tried to follow where they went so I can get a good shot but walk right past them and then they fly away again lol. It's super fun though makes me wanna go out every day!

[HarryToolips]

Way to go, grouse are tasty...after this season, get out for spring bear, lots of fun and good meat if it's not a garbage bear..

[Buckmeister]

Good going!!!

I love hunting grouse. It's a nice consolation after not getting any dear. I have gotten more grouse this year than any year prior, but that is because I have made sure to bring the 22 or my .410 along on my deer hunts. One strange thing that happened recently was I shot a grouse with the .410, the head was off, guts and legs removed, but a bit of his neck was still attached and whenever my finger brushed his neck as I was plucking any remaining feathers one of his wings would start flapping. Felt really creepy. It was a spruce grouse. Tasty but a little chewy when cooked.

[Gumsehwah]

I agree.

I just found that I was losing birds when shot with the .22 . . .

Using the 16 g knocks them down, and I use the single shot just to make it so that each shot counts.

[AgSilver]

I had a grouse that I hit in the neck with the 22 last year and it hadn't quite died and was flopping around (a la injured rather than dead style). My dad says "well, you've gotta go break it's neck now", so I head over and try to break it's neck. But...as I'd shot it in the neck, there wasn't as much there and as I was twisting to break it...well...let's just say I broke the neck by removing the head from the body.

I'm looking down at both hands going "this is NOT what I wanted to do at all!"...felt a bit weird for full on ripping a head off but it's a good story now.

[brian]

I put down lambs with brain shots and their back legs can pump like crazy for a good while even though touching the eye shows no reaction. They're dead but the body just doesn't know it yet. It freaked me out the first time this happened to me, I thought I missed the brain and hit the spine and did a poor kill.

[ff89]

after i shoot em, i run up and twist their heads off like a bottle cap, doesn't take much effort

[Singleshotneeded]

I just started hunting this September and I've only been out hunting grouse. I finally got my first one on the weekend! I was excited once I spotted it on the trail and got a shot at it. I'm using a 10/22 and got it right in the head so I thought it was gunna drop dead. After maybe 20 seconds it was done flapping around so I went to retrieve it from the bushes. I grabbed its legs and it flapped around and fell out of my hand and kept flapping on the ground. I didn't want it suffer and what I've read and seen people do on YouTube is grab it by the neck and swing it around so I did that and then set it back down. It flapped a couple times then stopped so I picked it up and brought it to the trail and then back to the truck. Im posting this cause it was my first kill and wondering if this is a typical way grouse die? And if anyone has any tips after I take my shot.

If they still flop a bit then step your toe on their head for 15 seconds...then step on the wings close to the torso, and slowly pull up on their legs. Rinse a bit with water and toss them in a bag and into your cooler. :-)