caddisguy
11-15-2018, 10:02 AM
I had a lot of fun with the grouse this year so far on the roads and off... got a bunch on the ground, out of trees, off stumps and was able to wing a few on the flush. A Region 2 spot I was banking on as a November BT area turned out to be a dud (not even a deer track 2 days after the snow hit) but at least it was filled with grouse. Even picked up a nose for them which helped in detecting and bagging a few and almost caught one by hand during a little foot chase (before he remembered he could fly)
Sitting under a douglas fir as a make shift blind, doing some light rattling I noticed some of the curious little buggers would start hanging around me and checking me out, particularly when putting my rattle set down on the ground and picking it back up. I didn't think too much of it, just figured that these birds are more comfortable and even curious around animals that are sitting still vs walking (same area a footstep at 50 yards on a road will make them flush)
Coincidentally, some "grouse calling videos" showed up in my suggested videos on YouTube the other night and I went down a bit of a rabbit hole. Apparently calling them is actually a thing. I figured this could be useful for those cases where you see a grouse run off into the brush but can't locate it and didn't hear it flush. That said, I'm not sure if this falls under "hunting" or "playing with your food", and TBH I'm not sure if I could shoot a grouse that is following me around, but these calling vids are pretty neat so I thought I'd share for anyone who wants to give it a try :)
Anyone already tried this? How often does it work with a bird within say 15-20 yards?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0KyKL-fxsg
Sitting under a douglas fir as a make shift blind, doing some light rattling I noticed some of the curious little buggers would start hanging around me and checking me out, particularly when putting my rattle set down on the ground and picking it back up. I didn't think too much of it, just figured that these birds are more comfortable and even curious around animals that are sitting still vs walking (same area a footstep at 50 yards on a road will make them flush)
Coincidentally, some "grouse calling videos" showed up in my suggested videos on YouTube the other night and I went down a bit of a rabbit hole. Apparently calling them is actually a thing. I figured this could be useful for those cases where you see a grouse run off into the brush but can't locate it and didn't hear it flush. That said, I'm not sure if this falls under "hunting" or "playing with your food", and TBH I'm not sure if I could shoot a grouse that is following me around, but these calling vids are pretty neat so I thought I'd share for anyone who wants to give it a try :)
Anyone already tried this? How often does it work with a bird within say 15-20 yards?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0KyKL-fxsg