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Ruffed Grouse

When and where was your last sighting? We have never seen one on the south east zone 11. Curious to see if they still around. Would bump them once in awhile outside of Quabbin area and in mid Vermont hunting deer, scare the shit out of me. I haven't hunted birds in years. Like the porky pine never to be seen in the east woods.

Decades ago they would eat berries from a tree outside the bathroom window. Now, all gone; haven't seen one in years. Plenty of fox, 'yotes, hawks and turkeys. Grouse is my favorite to hunt and eat. Wish now I'd had one mounted. King of game birds, hands down and now a relic of the past.

Few and far between in mass , getting less every year. Still ok in northern states.

They are basically extinct in CT. Very sad.... I hunted them with my father and grandfather when i learned to hunt. They were plentiful.

Very few here in central mass. Seem em on occasion bird hunting. Flush a few every year hunting with my buddy’s pointers.

Southern New England has pretty much completed the transition to a mature oak hickory hemlock forest and it is just not good grouse habitat any longer in most places. Not good or bad, just a natural turn of events. Enjoy the turkeys.

I see them now and then in Z6. Maybe 1X the last 10 years in Z9. A few areas in Z6 I see them a time or two a year between biking, running, hiking, hunting, fishing (walking to spots to fish)... As a younger person, I'd see them from the tree a few times a year - they would walk past. But now the ones I've seen were accidental - I busted them and they gave me a heart attack as they flew off! Occasionally hear them drum still out there too.

One of my landowners has one that follows him around all day long on his property in zone 7

I haven't seen/heard them in zone 9 for at least 20 years. I did flush a woodcock in 2021 which was a first since I was a teen (long long ago). crazy looking bird

funny how things change huh Tekoa? never saw a bear or bobcat in my area until the last couple years. place was overrun with turkey 10 years ago, now the biggest flock is maybe 4 birds. used to regularly flush, woodcock, pheasant, and grouse and an occasional bobwhite when I was a teen...now that woodcock in '21 was the only one of those I've seen in decades.

on the town land adjacent to the farm I hunt there used to be a series of mill ponds, we'd always flush puddle ducks from...now they are basically streams (silted in) and only hear the occasional quack.

I'm not sure I've ever seen one in z10, but I've kicked up quite a few in western mass and there seems to be no short supply in the mountains of Maine and NH.

The mature forests don't hold woodcock or grouse.they need specific ground cover and stem counts to live.

Lack of logging/habitat management is the demise of upland game birds, my father would tell me how he use to see wild pheasants growing up also ,sad we don’t have many active logging practices for these birds

I know I’ve seen one here in the last 2 years. Where 9, 10, 11 meet. There were a lot in McDonough NY, or at enough to hear them drum everywhere.

Love chasin my woodcock. Such a fun bird to hunt. Right MGH!?!

Zone 5 I definitely remember seeing more of them as a kid. Now I have a borderline heart attack just once a year when I almost step on one.

In the 60's when on call in the military I couldn't leave my quarters; so I sometimes would call and talk to bird dog trainers all over the country. One trainer , Sam Light , was in Punxatawney, Pa. and was a great conversationalist. He bred champion grouse dogs (setters) and started each dog's name with Sam L's. Some of you older bird hunters may remember him. Gen. Eisenhower had Sam L's dogs. I tried to incorporate some Sam L's bloodline into my dogs and got pretty good results. Sam did not think slow dogs were effective on grouse. He preferred a fast dog that checked back with the hunter and felt a quick dog froze birds allowing more shots. The mention of grouse makes me think of a sweet setter contrasted against the pastels of autumn , the smell of a spent shell and a few feathers floating in the breeze.

BD I have never had any interest in bird hunting, but your last sentence there was pretty tempting.

Jeb, never say never LOL. There was a time I had no interest in deer hunting. Now it's a passion, the deer an icon.

I remember them taking off like a bat out of hell in the hemlock / spruce groves. I can see how hunting with a dog for birds would be a very rewarding experience. Just taking out my sons Lab out and watching them work the scent is amazing. You and your partner working together. Have seen a wood cock twice. Would love to hunt pheasant again with a dog.

Big D. You really paint a picture.

Deerdawg let’s make a plan for next season I’ll take you out with my dog anytime

Gotta agree with Jeb, that last sentence makes me think about getting back into bird hunting, BD.

Wow Wilga, what a generous offer! It appears that you have trained your dog well by the success in the hunts you have posted. I think i would enjoy watching the dog work as much as seeing the birds. When does season start up? i'm going to have to get ready! Thank you for the invite .

Deerdog, If you dont want to wait till next year, my club (swift River Sportsmans club ) has a preserve and I still have 20 birds left to have put out for me and my dog. We can hunt till March.

It starts in October for both pheasant and duck

Used to shoot our seasonal limit in zone 9 for many years back in 70's and 80"s all gone now even in covers that look great and used to harbor birds. "Grouse Tales" a newsletter for grouse hunters doesn't even mention Massachusetts anymore. There still are good to great numbers in northern Maine depending upon spring nesting conditions. of course Minnesota and Michigan manage covers just for grouse and there is great shooting still be had there.

Doc, this talk about conjures up some good grouse "reads"....Burton Spiller, George Bird Evans, WM. Harnden Foster, etc.

doc, the talk about grouse conjures up some good "reads"

A number of landowners in central NH manage their property for grouse and woodcock. I don’t know how successful they are, but it’s commendable. Was told that real grouse country is northern NH.

Used to hunt VT , would love sitting in a field and hear them drum ,thought it was a tractor that wouldn't turn over,before we figured it out.Dcr in ma is doing some land clearing hope it will help with the grouse.

Hopefully Matt. At least for now we have some good woodcock typically! Not that I like wasting a box of shells on a few limits of birds hahahahah

Somebody told me that “the first time you go grouse hunting it’s for fun, every time after that it’s for revenge.” Not sure what he meant by that.

Jeb, turkey, and deer hunting too. BAH HA HA HA!!!

Jeb, that is an awesome quote with an ounce of truth. Grouse addicts kinda remind me of steelhead addicts . They're often thought of as sort of "out there ", LOL.

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