Habitat

[Bustercluck]

What kind of habitat do you guys look for when you’re hunting ruffed grouse?

Feel free to share any other species as well, but I keep finding mostly spruce grouse where I’m going so I changed up the habitat and now I’m not seeing anything. Is there any chance my dog isn’t looking for other birds other than what he knows?

I have ptarmigan nearby and the odd sharp tail as well, but I haven’t tried either.

[Gateholio]

Transitional areas that go from road or field to forest, aspen trees, those little white puffy berry bushes that I forget the name of.

[Bustercluck]

I got into a mess of ruffies today. I was out setting up a deer blind and bumped a bunch in a pile of aspen and birch. I was in the same spot as the last time I was out 4 or 5 days ago and saw nothing. Go figure.

[mastercaster]

There's a reason why a lot of the ol' timers called ruff grouse "willows". That's because they were often seen and hunted in lower elevation areas where there was deciduous trees like willow, aspen, poplar, and more brush around. You'll find them in the transition zone, the area between deciduous growth and older 1st or 2nd growth conifers, as well but not even close to the same numbers. There's not very many of them , the odd one, in the heavier timbered areas where you'll find the spruce grouse. Blues or duskies will be up higher in elevation yet again, in more open, almost alpine areas where they can fly down hill as a means of escapement.

I tend to find ruffies in the same areas I find whitetails, at least when I'm in whitetail country.