How's the Grouse Hunting this Year?

[Gumsehwah]

I'm in the Skeena Region (6-15) and have just got my first hunting permit ever. I was wanting to go out grouse hunting, and was wondering how people were doing.

Feel free to use this thread for an upland bird bragging board. :-)

Gumsehwah//

[huntingmom]

Don't know.
Heading up to William's Lake next week. I'm hoping to come home with a nice deer and refigerator full of grouse.

[Steeleco]

In the area in Reg 3 where my kids both got their deer last week, there was one road chock full of Blues. Never seen so many, and all big. Not too many birds elsewhere mind you.

[swamper]

The last couple of weekends here in the Cariboo I have been seeing a good variety of grouse. Sharptails, ruffies and spruce grouse. It won't be a boom year, but there are a few around.

[nano]

Sunday I will be going out for the first hunt of the year.

[boscheefish]

Great so far!!
flushed 10 or 12 this morn before work in a few hrs, 5 singles and a group of 6 or 7.
Managed to get 5 shots off total and only hit trees just behind them, they were all very fast and spooky today ,long shots,
Our pup did very good even looked for the birds that I didn't hit!

[Elkaholic]

Me personally where I have been hunting have noticed a very dramatic increase in the number of grouse. We are often seeing Spruce roosters with ruffled hens? Kinda weird but hey im no biologist. And tons of big blues.

[Johnny G1]

Seen my first chickin this yr. Dunn lake rd above Clearwater, could have reached out of the car and grab it, pretty skiny lookin bird.

[seanps]

Have seen quite a few in my Region 2-6, lots of skinny youngsters. It's hard hunting in the coastal areas due to the vegetation, will be easier in October once the thimbleberries die down.

[Spirit's Master]

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt333/SpiritsMaster/20120915_142504.jpg

We've been moving a few birds this year already. These are the first two bagged though. Nice plump birds.

cwf

[nano]

Just got in from a day hunt today and saw one group of six. Got one shot off but got nothing.

[pacificsparky]

Mostly hunting in thompson region but have seen a slight increase in grouse already this year, Hopefully should be a good year.

[jml11]

Saw about 20 while out yesterday north of PG...no shotgun with me but no complaints as they were all Sprucies...

[TESKELLY]

Was out in the Princeton area yesterday and today. Got 5 of a 6 member group on Saturday and 3 today as a single and a double. Plenty of them around as we saw, spooked, and didn't get just as many as we got.

[RiverBear]

Spent the weekend up Watching Creek in region 3. I got 6 seen around 20 or more. everytime I seen any there would be a group of them.

[meesemoot]

Birds appear to be very scarce in 6-8 this year. Maybe a result of a cold, wet spring.

[scoutlt1]

Spent the last couple of weeks scouting 3-13 and 8-5,6,7,8

Saw lots and lots of grouse.

[solo]

Daughter's first grouse of the year. She got one out of five while on a camping trip to 3-30 on Saturday.

[Piperdown]

Absolutely hammerd em in region 6 while at the cabin :)

[J-Man]

Didn't see many in 3-17, 2 days produced 7 grouse and 3 bagged. Biggest group was 3 and the rest singles, really dark meat older birds.

[Forestryguy82]

Been good here in the east koots. Bagged 2 spruce grouse last Friday and got 3 ruffies on Monday. All shot with my 10/22.

[s0ylentgreen]

west koots - i got 2 fat ones and saw about 8 in two days of chasing bucks

[buck nash]

I saw a group of seven and was able to bag 3 of them in reg3-11 last monday and got 5 this weeknd same area. I've also noticed that most of the grouse I'm seeing are in groups of 2 or more.


This year is looking great for grouse where I hunt. I'm not bothering to bring any meat with me when I go out cause they're every where.

I have also noticed they are quicker to flush then I'm used to so last time out I started carrying a shotgun and shooting them in the air. Usually I just go for head/neck shots with my 270.

[Chilliwack]

Picked up 1 blue and 2 willows for 2 and a bit days of hunting around the Thompson, saw about 12, should have had 2 more. A few deer but no 4 point or better. A number of bears, here is one I shot, by video. Doing some logging, not sure if you call him a black or a brown, I am not sure. Was hunting in a bit of snow on the Monday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFRigNvqjDY&feature=share&list=UU_4LtEFjHj-ulBHuoq6COmQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX-dOjhf_RE&feature=share&list=UU_4LtEFjHj-ulBHuoq6COmQ

[nano]

Cool vids Chris!

[Gumsehwah]

FINALLY getting out there after school - NO RAIN!!!

Wish my FAC had been processed, but its probably too much to ask for them to process in 5 weeks, but there you have it, BOWHUNTING TIME! :-)

[Gumsehwah]

Just got back a little while ago. Didn't scare up any grouse or bunnies, but found a big pine mushroom. All in all, an enjoyable evening.

[LOC]

Already have more birds in the freezer after two days than I saw`all season last year in 8-5. Seems to be a ton of birds out there.

Hoping to get out closer to home this weekend and try a few spots out.

Here's my mutt with our first bird of the season from last Friday:

http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/534260_10151222951671041_742997488_n.jpg

[finngun]

loc--Here's my mutt with our first bird of the season from last Friday:///

is you 'mutt' doing all shooting too? nice looking doggy..very good hunting partner for sure:mrgreen:

[r106]

was in the merrit area this week and took 5 grouse. there #'s seem to be good there

[boscheefish]

Fantastic morning!
We flushed over 20 ruffies today, limited out quick, region 8,
only came home with 4 birds one got hung up in a tree, I saw feathers fly but it never hit the ground .... Owell for me, I think even the dog was confused haha

[brazen]

Hey i even got my own very first one last weekend, pulled out to made camp and Long bow was gracious enough to help me roast it over the phone. Seeing plenty of em around 8-10, 8-11. Someone ahem Dodged his keys beside a healthy covey up westside...see other post.

[gibblewabble]

16 in 5 jaunts out so far this year almost all spruce grouse though, just d of a mediocre year.

[Legi0n]

This Thursday (Sep 20th) I have only seen 4 grouse on Harrison East FSR, all on the main road.
Been there all day.

[buck nash]

Hey i even got my own very first one last weekend, pulled out to made camp and Long bow was gracious enough to help me roast it over the phone. Seeing plenty of em around 8-10, 8-11. Someone ahem Dodged his keys beside a healthy covey up westside...see other post.

My phone gets really hot when I call back home to my family and get stuck talking to everyone but I never thought of roasting a chicken over it lol.

[hunter1993ap]

i havnt shot a grouse in a couple years but seeing the last pic makes me want to throw in the 22.

[scoutlt1]

My phone gets really hot when I call back home to my family and get stuck talking to everyone but I never thought of roasting a chicken over it lol.

It's a special App....only for the Iphone :-)

[brazen]

rofl, ya you just have to hold it pretty close to the fire and have a bar or two of signal :) (Long bow btw was not real keen on the endeavor either till he learned that i had tinfoil...) I should mention that except for several weeks ago during the past six days crawling hillsides I did not see one single large game animal. Glad it'll be some time before i start chasing them around...

[boscheefish]

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp223/boscheefish/photo_zps959d8089.jpg
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp223/boscheefish/photo_zps6e05b1b3.jpg
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp223/boscheefish/photo_zps2b67d371.jpg

[huntingmom]

Spend eight days in region 5-2.
Got 12 ruffies in two days....rest of six days were being skunked.

[Gumsehwah]

That is one happy looking puppy.
Raining here. . . Again.

[NorthShoreX]

Fantastic morning!
We flushed over 20 ruffies today, limited out quick, region 8,
only came home with 4 birds one got hung up in a tree, I saw feathers fly but it never hit the ground .... Owell for me, I think even the dog was confused haha

That almost happened to me last week, lucky for me the grouse started to flap its wings and knocked itself out of the tree.

[bogtrotter]

One time my dog flushed a grouse and it flew across an empty space and disappeared into a spruce tree. I fired at the spot where it entered expecting it to drop straight to the ground. Nothing happened. I'll bet I stood under that tree for five minutes waiting for it to flush. Then I reached up and shook a bough - the dead grouse almost hit me in the face as it dropped. It had been lying on the bough - not heavy enough to bend it.

[springpin]

Very tasty, thanks for asking!:-P

[orso]

Good amount of grouse around placer lake just after Msnning psrk, the kids and I got our limit in 2 hours.

[marcus44]

Definitely a decline in numbers this year in 8. Haven't seen any bigger groups of birds in the regular spots, most I've seen is 3 in a group (once).

[yamadirt 426]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/tyrante/WP_000491.jpg

[yamadirt 426]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/tyrante/WP_000493.jpg

[sapper]

Great looking dog, Yamadirt. What breed is it?

[yamadirt 426]

Wired hair pointing Griffon. And thank you Sapper :)

[BigSlapper]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/tyrante/WP_000493.jpg

Now THAT Yammy ... is one fat looking chicken!

[yamadirt 426]

I hit him at 15yds max square in the chest with 7 shot field load as he was in a tree. It looked like I shot a goose down pillow. I though great there goes the breasts. I flew/flopped down the hill about 50 yds out of site. There was still feathers floating in the air 10 mins later once we recovered the bird and walked up the embankment. But the remarkable thing is only 1/2 dozen pellets entered the breast. He was tough , It's like he had armor on,lol. Most pellets just barely broke the skin. Ya he's a book bird for sure .

[decker9]

i been seeing TONS of birds in 6-04, mostly spruce grouse tho. Some good lookin bird dog's there guys!! I lost my pup last spring :-( hunting solo this year

[nano]

Over the past 2 days we got 6 birds on our thanksgiving hunting trip here in 8-22 and 8-23 l will post some pics when I get home tomorow night .

[warnniklz]

In 5-02. Me and my brother got 5 and missed 2 in the last 2 days. Let many more live another day.

[nano]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/webkit-fake-url://6CE4A0A6-BB20-4AD0-9D55-F239ABAB59C2/imagejpeg