What tips to hammer grouse with?

[mungojeerie]

Next season I plan on trying my hand at taking my grouse with the bow rather than the .22

what tips have you found work best?

baskets? Blunts? Field tips?

[madrona sh]

judo points

[mungojeerie]

I'm new to archery. I have a (don't laugh now) older bow, a PSE SilverHawk. I believe it's a 55lb draw. I'm just kinda messing around with it, seems pretty straight forward, 4" groups at 20 yards. I am a little concerned about one thing, I've read a lot online that judo points, blunts etc are meant for head shots on small game only. Grouse have a damn small head and a 4" grouping does not bring a lot of confidence at a small target like that.

Can I get them in the body? What kind of damage would a judo point to to a grouse with a body shot? I'm assuming I should use fluflu arrows?

[Scotty-B]

I've killed plenty of grouse with nothing more than a rock or stick thrown from 10 yards or less. I am not hitting them all that hard, and believe me, I am not that good of a chucker to hit them with head shots all the time - maybe once. A body shot with a Judo Point will be more than effective to knock them down long enough to go pick them up, and that is experience talking. FluFlu arrows are your friend too.

As for shooting them with a 55lb draw weight, I used to shoot them with home made long bows that I fabricated out of 'slightly bent alder branches and 150lb test fishing line for a bow string, arrows made out of the straightest willow branches I could find, which I sharpened the end to a point with my old Uncle Henry pocket knife. I'd use chicken feathers or a skillfully trimmed piece of plastic from a yogurt container lid, for a fletching. The bows (I went through many of them) had a draw weight of not more than 15 pounds and a draw length as long as what I could either pull back, or as long as I could find a straight length of branch for my arrows. Mind you, the arrows would progressively get shorter as I would resharpen them. This was when I was back around 7 or 8 years old. I think you will do just fine with your bow. As a bonus, they will usually hang out to take a third or even fourth shot if you miss them.

Ahhh, the memories. Better than these video games and other fancy dancy blinky beepy things kids sit around playing with now-a-days...
(Whoa, did I just date myself????)

[Trophyslayer]

http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/turkey-waterfowl/turkey-techniques/2009/03/turkey-broadheads?photo=6#1001310731

[E.B.]

A 1 inch long hex bolt in 1/4 " diameter glued into your carbon shaft with no insert. Doesnt deflect much at all after hitting the ground and does minimal damage to small game. 20 cents at canadian tire.

[mungojeerie]

I love hunting grouse, they taste delicious and are a lot of fun, I have shot them with .22, .410ga, 12ga and even a few headshots this year with a .270 WSM. Most I take with the .22 and find that .22 shorts are fairly quiet.

The idea behind the bow is that it will be quieter while hunting big game, though I haven't found that to cause me much trouble as I often see moose/deer shortly after dispatching a few chickens with the .22. I also think that it will a challenge and awfully fun :)

The turkey guillotines look awesome, I really think they would be cool for turkey, but I would be too afraid of damaging a bunch of expensive heads especially as Im new to the bow hunting scene. I have all summer to practice and I plan on practicing a lot. The bolt heads sound just dandy... nice and cheap! but will they just punch a bigger hole in the bird? Im assuming the arrow will pass right through the bird. I also assume the fluflu's will slow the arrow down a bit.

I was thinking about these cheap things on ebay... any thoughts? http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Small-Game-Broadhead-Ultra-Accurate-Arrow-Tip-/120998194755?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2c0dee43

but maybe the bolt is the way to go to start. Thanks E.B.

[NovemberBravo]

http://www.cabelas.ca/product/23125/g5-small-game-head Little bit on the pricey side but they fly like field points and they get the job done. This was my first year hunting and I shot a grouse with them.

[BCHoyt]

Ive used field tips mostly.... Problem is loosing arrows sometimes... Picked up Judo tips before last season but never got the chance to draw on a grouse in season..

[bugler]

Judos work great for grouse. They slow the arrow down on impact enough that it is usually easy to find. Hit them anywhere in the upper half of the body generally kills them quick.

[greybark]

Hey Mongojeery , grouse are notarious for exploding for 20-30 yds aften with your arrow which is impeded with a judo point . Even with expiring in that distance it takes a concerted look for to find the bird . I find that if you take time and slowly push them on to a mossy area or backstop the arrow will get tangled up and keep the bird there .
Cheers

[E.V.B.H.]

I like to use blunts because they are a buck each instead of 5-7 dollars each for judos. Use cheap arrows or arrows found at the range because you will lose a few they tend to pass through and disappear. If using your good arrows think about your background, look for shots with something to stop your arrow. Aim for centre of mass. Lots of fun

[Stéphane]

I killed grouses with Snaros and blunts: But this year, it seemed that everytime I shot one, it flew away after. 3X with the blunts, twice with the snaro and once with a cheap walmart broadhead - it actually flew away with my arrow.
I like the snaro because if you get the head, it decapitates it. Very sturdy. The best for close shots (less than 20yrds)
4326

[Wild one]

I like to use an old broadhead and aim for where the body and neck meet. I spend a lot less time looking for grouse with this method than using judo points. As long as you try and pick a good back drop it is not that hard to find your arrow.

[mungojeerie]

Ohhh lots to try :)

anyone of you judo point guys tried the kondor points? Any pros or cons over judos?

Ive wanted to harvest an animal with an arrow for quite some time. Did a bit of xbow hunting as a kid with an old recurve Barnett wildcat. Never got shooting but missed a great chance at a nice whitetail, my neighbour was dogging to me and he was due to arrive, the crashing in the bush sounded like him so I put my xbow to rest and boom a buck and doe explode out of the bushes and are standing about 10-12yds away from me :(

anyhoo picked up a wildcat 2 off of the forum here last year. Took it out but damn is it heavy and very very awkward to hold on a 4 hr walk in the bush. This is where I started thinking about digging that old silverhawk out that was given to me and see what it does. So far I'm pretty excited! May even get me a guillotine and try poppin the head off a goose in the next month!

[Midland]

A 1 inch long hex bolt in 1/4 " diameter glued into your carbon shaft with no insert. Doesnt deflect much at all after hitting the ground and does minimal damage to small game. 20 cents at canadian tire.

Love it! Great idea!

[Blk Arrow]

I have used blunts with good success as well as written off a few broadheads on grouse. (Don't ask about the cost per ounce). You are aiming for center of mass. Another option I have heard of but not tried is a washer behind your field point.

[aggiehunter]

never liked what judos did...they can twist feathers right into the meat.....and they don't kill quick....a good old two blade broadhead or whatever you have that you don't care about works the best and hurts little meat....IMHO.....

[coach]

never liked what judos did...they can twist feathers right into the meat.....and they don't kill quick.....

I agree. I find they sometimes break as well. I have some of the screw on blunts and like them the best. Neck / head shots are best and whatever you do: resist the urge to shoot at a grouse that isn't on the ground. :-D Makes for some damn expensive grouse meat.

[Ambush]

If you're real cheap, drill a hole in the centre of a bunch beer caps. Put a field tip through the cap and screw them both onto your arrow, cap edge forward. A little noisy and not great flight but cheap, effective and they don't scitter much.

I usually use the hard, screw on blunts. I bought three of the G5 small game heads. Pricey, but deadly. I prefer the bird to be facing away and try for high in the back.

[mungojeerie]

That's pretty innovative ambush. I just might try that and see how accurate they fly.

[backcountrybowhunter]

Rubber blunts work great but still get hem entering body even on rabbits

[Pioneerman]

20 years ago I shot a grouse with the judo points, punched right through it, flapped on the ground and when I was walking up it looks dead, but could see it's eyes open. I was thinking should I step on the arrow as soon as I get close enough or bend over and pick up the bird. I opted to pick it up and it exploded flying up into my face , I leaned back almost falling over and watched the bird fly down the side of the mountain with my arrow stuck through it, guts falling out of the bird and it flew down such a steep slope covered in bush I never did see it again. Not a cheap moment for me lol

[knockturnal]

i shot all my grouse this past year with my bow. 70lb bow shooting a full sized fluflu with a blunt and i still got pass throughs on a bunch of them. On the bright side, the didnt go anywhere.

[leblanc]

thanks for starting this thread, im hoping to come across some grouse as well, might even try my old recurve or just the .22, but never tried to find or hutn grouse, hoping i can find somewhere just outside Victoria. just not even sure how or where to start. anyone ever look for them around Shawnagain?

[Scuba_Dave]

Leblanc....Ya they are around Shawnigan. You just have to get into the forestry roads...Almost ran over quite a few there last year hahaha

[leblanc]

Leblanc....Ya they are around Shawnigan. You just have to get into the forestry roads...Almost ran over quite a few there last year hahaha

awesome! thanks Dave, ill take a look through soon :)

[LeverActionJunkie]

Is there any sort of FLU FLU type of fletching that will work with Whisker Biscuit type rests? I'd like to shoot at more birds etc, but don't see a small bird slowing down an arrow much, especially on a miss.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Is there any sort of FLU FLU type of fletching that will work with Whisker Biscuit type rests? I'd like to shoot at more birds etc, but don't see a small bird slowing down an arrow much, especially on a miss.

nope .... get a bow fishing rig ;)