Grouse

[mallard83]

Who and where will you be hitting up grouse this season. I personally will be going after these stupid birds mostly around Sultan and Northbend and mabey even in the Menastash/Taneaum area this year.

How do you guys like to prepare them for the table? I personally like them in a frying pan with a ton of butter and garlic.

What type of guns/rounds do you shoot for them? I shoot a 12 guage beretta semi auto (same for ducks) with a bird shot (7-8)(not same for ducks I shoot a 4-2).=p~

[SPARKY101]

Single shot H&K arms,remington nitro,Bang:1 shot 1 kill, these shells are awesome more distance for when they fly up high,i mainly target Blues out of morton up the murray line,i got hookups locked gate no entry unless you got murray pass posted on windshield.Can bag a limit everyday if i wanted to.Stuffed one female last year and this year was gonna get male in mating stance to put them together cause the males are so much more colorful.Welp not tight lines this time "Know whats in your sight line"Before you pull that trigger:cheers:

[cavdad45]

I usually hunt grouse near the Nestucca River drainage in the Tillamook forest. I have a couple decent spots up the Clackamas River in the Mt Hood forest that are closer for an after-work hunt until daylight savings time ends.

I shoot a Remington 870 12ga.

[mallard83]

I usually hunt grouse near the Nestucca River drainage in the Tillamook forest. I have a couple decent spots up the Clackamas River in the Mt Hood forest that are closer for an after-work hunt until daylight savings time ends.

I shoot a Remington 870 12ga.

My friend shoots an 870 for ducks, turkey and grouse. One time when we went for grouse he had put some shells in his pocket and we were walking down a gravel road when we see a grouse so my friend racks one into the chamber and fires and the bird all but disappeared and my friend said that it kicked more than it should have. Upon further investigation we found that he had mistakenly missed taking one 3.5" shell out of his pocket from turkey hunting, and of course that was one of the rounds he grabbed to load his gun. Poor grouse never had a chance. LOL.

[cavdad45]

When I was 11 or 12, my uncle and I were quail hunting in Iowa. The dog held a tight point and my uncle went in and kicked out the covey. I drew a bead on one bird and pulled the trigger on the single shot 20ga. In that instant another bird crossed paths no more than 12 inches from the muzzle. It was blown to shreds.

Never suspected that a bird that small had so many feathers, as we tracked them for more than 25 yards to its tattered remains. Poor thing had tail feathers sticking out its beak.

[Lotech Joe]

I haven't hunted grouse in I'll bet over 20 years. I used to go with a Browning 45 pound recurve, or a custom made 62 pound longbow by Keith Anyan. If I go again, and I'm tempted, I'll probably take my single shot 16 gauge Iver Johnson. Camped out in grouse country, sitting around the campfire with friends, drinking ice cold brews and eating grouse roasted over a nice hardwood fire. A warm wool jacket to ward off the night chill and a million stars studded in a black sky. Doesn't get any better.

[big fish lite line]

thats sounds like a lot of fun I'm a pretty serious duck hunter i'd like to try for a few grouse some day.

[Lotech Joe]

thats sounds like a lot of fun I'm a pretty serious duck hunter i'd like to try for a few grouse some day.

It is fun. Grouse are delicious birds too. However, I've been know to take along some Cornish Game Hens just in case I get skunked.

[TroutCowboy]

When I was 11 or 12, my uncle and I were quail hunting in Iowa. The dog held a tight point and my uncle went in and kicked out the covey. I drew a bead on one bird and pulled the trigger on the single shot 20ga. In that instant another bird crossed paths no more than 12 inches from the muzzle. It was blown to shreds.

Never suspected that a bird that small had so many feathers, as we tracked them for more than 25 yards to its tattered remains. Poor thing had tail feathers sticking out its beak.

Funny story! Reminds me of that bird that tried to catch a Randy Johnson fastball. :shaking2:

[mallard83]

I haven't hunted grouse in I'll bet over 20 years. I used to go with a Browning 45 pound recurve, or a custom made 62 pound longbow by Keith Anyan. If I go again, and I'm tempted, I'll probably take my single shot 16 gauge Iver Johnson. Camped out in grouse country, sitting around the campfire with friends, drinking ice cold brews and eating grouse roasted over a nice hardwood fire. A warm wool jacket to ward off the night chill and a million stars studded in a black sky. Doesn't get any better.

I have never met anyone who has hunted grouse with a bow. That is pretty cool. Was it pretty easy to make a clean kill, or did you have to ring a lot of necks?:-k

[mallard83]

thats sounds like a lot of fun I'm a pretty serious duck hunter i'd like to try for a few grouse some day.

I am an avid duck hunter myself, as is obvious by my screen name. Just think of a grouse as a duck that barely flies, is very slow and as dumb as a stump. If you hit the right areas it is very easy to get grouse. Find a legal gravel road and hunt it just after a little rainfall. The rain brings up food for them to eat and this is the best time to get them. And like everyone says they are delicious. Grouse seem have less oil content than duck but I like them both about the same.:thumright

[Lotech Joe]

I haven't hunted grouse in I'll bet over 20 years. I used to go with a Browning 45 pound recurve, or a custom made 62 pound longbow by Keith Anyan. If I go again, and I'm tempted, I'll probably take my single shot 16 gauge Iver Johnson. Camped out in grouse country, sitting around the campfire with friends, drinking ice cold brews and eating grouse roasted over a nice hardwood fire. A warm wool jacket to ward off the night chill and a million stars studded in a black sky. Doesn't get any better.

I have never met anyone who has hunted grouse with a bow. That is pretty cool. Was it pretty easy to make a clean kill, or did you have to ring a lot of necks?:-k

I'd like to say that they were all head shots on the wing, but that would be an out and out lie. We shot at them on the ground and we used either blunt arrow heads or something they call Judo points. Judo points have 4 little prongs sticking out their sides. That way, if you missed (that was often) the arrow wouldn't travel much farther than it's length, once it hit the ground. We went through lots of arrows and very few grouse. Going slow and sneaking up on them was the only tactic to use. Sneaking up on them was good "pussy footin'" practice for deer hunting.

[Fisherman_max]

i used to hunt grouse on my dads property with my small childs recurve bow with target tip arrows.



that was fun until dad got sick of putting the birds out of their mercy.

[Rollin with Rolland]

I've TRIED to hunt grouse with my bow....boy is that tough. Birds have EXCELLENT eyesight I found out. It might not be to bad if you could get a male drumming on a log....then you can get closer. What species of grouse are most common in WA??? ruffed,spruce??

[mallard83]

I've TRIED to hunt grouse with my bow....boy is that tough. Birds have EXCELLENT eyesight I found out. It might not be to bad if you could get a male drumming on a log....then you can get closer. What species of grouse are most common in WA??? ruffed,spruce??

As far as I have found, Blue and Ruffed Grouse are the most common if not the only ones. Does anyone know of any others in Washington?:-k

[Lotech Joe]

Ruffed and Blues are about it as far as I know. Blues being larger and quite a bit dumber. A friend of mine once killed one with a stone. He took about 10 shots and each time he missed, the grouse wouldn't fly off. He would just run around to the other side of the tree.

[Rollin with Rolland]

After a quick (and i mean quick) search, it sounds like Sharp-tail are possible around. Not sure what a Blue is....can't find it anywhere. Is that another name for Sage grouse maybe.....sounds like they are around. The only grouse i have ever seen in the wild are Ruffed. Curious to see others.....

[Lotech Joe]

After a quick (and i mean quick) search, it sounds like Sharp-tail are possible around. Not sure what a Blue is....can't find it anywhere. Is that another name for Sage grouse maybe.....sounds like they are around. The only grouse i have ever seen in the wild are Ruffed. Curious to see others.....

They are about the size of a small chicken. Mostly found in timber country. We find most of them in our neighborhood in areas with lots of cedars and lots of water.

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i2970id.html

Click on the images to right side of the page.

[cavdad45]

After a quick (and i mean quick) search, it sounds like Sharp-tail are possible around. Not sure what a Blue is....can't find it anywhere. Is that another name for Sage grouse maybe.....sounds like they are around. The only grouse i have ever seen in the wild are Ruffed. Curious to see others.....

Ruffs are the most prevalent grouse in the Northwest.

Blues are harder to find and usually found in the higher elevations. They also grow about 50% larger than ruffs.

Spruce grouse are rarer and are usually found in the same areas as blues.

Ptarmigen (probably spelled wrong) are members of the grouse family found above the tree line and are illegal to hunt.

Sharptails and sage grouse I don't know much about but are usually found in more arid areas and not in western OR or WA. I believe there is a draw tag for hunting one or the other, but I'm not sure.