A couple things I can add, just anecdotal stuff I noticed over the past couple years. I get more birds on the old roads than I do in the woods because there is usually something blocking visibility in the woods and it can be very noisy. If I am having a slow day I'll stop hitting the woods and just focus on the roads and maybe pick up my pace a little more to cover more ground, but still occasionally stop and go when it feels right. I feel like if I hit about 4 miles of really searching and don't see anything I'll change my area and come back later in the season. Also, don't get discouraged if you see another truck or atv or what have you coming down the road you are hunting. I have found birds on many occasions after I already drove through or somebody else did.
Alright, fellas, a follow-up here. Went out for grouce twice now. Got one with my .22, saw one flush into the woods. Ran after it damn thing disappeared. So camouflaged these birds it's crazy. My friend took me out last weekend for a duck hunt, and it was a frigging blood bath, lol. I'm also in Alberta 🇨🇦
I live in the Northwestern part of Washington also… I carry a GPS to mark missed and killed birds so I can return to that area later to look again. I’ve found that if I find birds in an area they will return later that day or there are generally birds there next year also. I also carry a sharp tail whistle to mimic the tweets made by grouse when they hunker down, they will tweet back to you and it makes it easier to find them. Listen for drumming, males will generally do this from a downed tree log or stump, I have found MANY on top of stumps. If you’re new to grouse, stick to the roads, open areas or forest edges unless you have a dog it’s very difficult to locate a downed bird in the brush without a dog. All in all, great video 😎👍 I only got out a few times this year and did pretty fair for the few times I made it out. Hopefully we’ll have a warm dry spring this year and a ton of birds next fall! - we’re sure having one of the warmest winters i can remember for many years!
My German Shorthaired Pointer just turned 3. Hunting dusky grouse with a pointer is a whole different ballgame, and I’m addicted. This season, for the first time, I’ve taken friends who have been able to take birds over her points. The friends have had their eyes opened too - this is fun stuff!
Just getting started this year with Grouse hunting this season. Several of your videos have been invaluable in answering questions that have been in my mind. Also, there is a gold mine of added tips from your comments, great stuff! Thanks for helping get me started on a much better footing! Subscribed
Saw 12 grouse today, 10 were in the final hour of light, typically I see 3-7 of them if the area is kind of pressured, yesterday and part of today the weather was nasty so only 1 other guy was out looking in the same woods as me. I'm pretty new but have already bagged some, just trying to get quicker and more confident to take air shots, whiffed the last couple... What I've noticed so far is that weather doesn't really matter, weather as in rain. I seem to see less of them if it is very windy, or they spook easier. Also it can rain as long as the gravel roads aren't drenched, if they are your tires make enough noise to scare any nearby grouse away. I think going by foot quietly is quite nice so long as there aren't too many others in vehicles on whatever area you're searching. Feeling pretty good though, I have found them on all but 1 or 2 short trips and my eyes are picking more of them up fast. Good luck guys.
That's a lot of grouse. I have found that grouse don't mind rain so much but they hate wind. Just my observation. Sounds like you're getting into some birds!
@@CascadeBackcountry The wind was really nasty, I saw only one, but the wind died down almost completely and within 20 minutes I began seeing one every few minutes
Great Tips. I have always been successful near sources of water (creek, stream, brook etc.) near woods roads and trails. My best times of the day for seeing birds have been around 2 pm until dusk. When you walk in a road and see no birds does not mean you won't see them on the way back out. An ATV will not scare them off for long so someone passing you on a trail does not mean that the area has been blown up.
Great video and content on your channel. Most of what I've seen you do is hunt along roads. Curious if you dive off into the wood ever or if you solely stick to the roads?
Thanks! I hunt the woods and mountains frequently but mostly for blue grouse and spruce grouse. Where i live in western WA, it's thick with bushes so hunting ruffed grouse is tough off road. That's why you see me on roads a lot
October 1st is nearing, which is the first day of grouse hunting in my area. Will be my first time hunting in roughly 6 years, life got in the way. Can’t be more excited to get back out there
I was hoping you would put our more grouse hunting videos. Ruffed grouse live in an area of about 10 acres, according to The Bird Conservatory. They really don't need a bunch of land like a deer or elk. They do not migrate either. If you find signs of a grouse, be patient, they are in the area.
Hi, thanks for the videos ! I was wondering if you're using any type of ear protection while hunting ? If so, what is it, or what do you recommend ? Thanks you in advance! :) cheers from Qc Canada
If I'm using a shotgun, I'll usually use these amzn.to/3MEDfPM (affiliate link) They're lightweight, small and you can still hear your surroundings! If I'm way in the backcountry, hunting out of a backpack, I'll usually just use earplugs for weight savings Thanks for watchin!
Another tip is to use your ears. When you get close and a grouse and it knows you are near they will make a peeping sounds like an alarm. It can be hard to hear if you are being too loud but keep an ear out for that little peeping sound when you ware walking through the bush
I seriously think that grouse know when you're hunting them. If I have my bow in my hand I see zero grouse or they flush at 20 yards, if I just go for a fun hike (unarmed) I see grouse all day long and they don't care I'm there. Can't win.
No way eh. Could be time of day stop doing the same thing over and over, definition of insanity ( how I felt turkey hunting this spring til I switched fields)
use a modified choke or looser, I just started but am already bagging them. My advice? go pattern your gun on some paper and figure out where your pellets are going
Birds eat sand & gravel, also known as gastroliths, to aid in the digestion process. The stones help grind down tough food items like seeds and nuts in the bird's gizzard, allowing for better digestion and nutrient absorption.
So How does shooting from a road go with the regs and all? I know it says maintained road, but what is considered maintained? I'm going Saturday and don't want to get in trouble, but there are some nice gravel roads to walk....what's your opinion?
I literally contacted WDFW about this and they just sent me to the regs. They essentially didn't answer, so I just use my own judgment. If it's a well traveled, "maintained" dirt road, I usually won't shoot on it. If it's an overgrown road that doesn't get used much, I'll shoot off it. It's a weird gray area with no clear answers. What does maintained mean? Maintained by who? How maintained? Anyway... I'm sure I didn't answer your question but... gotta use your judgement on this one 😵💫
@CascadeBackcountry thanks for the response. Definitely gray! But that's what I was thinking...get off the main dirt drags. I could be wrong but I feel that rule is more meant for the big game hunting.
This will be my first year Walked about 12 miles today 2 grouse spoted and 1 bear. Not bad but definitely not what you are on. Ill learn. Whats your experience on burn land? I didnt bother exploring it.
Hey that's not bad! Some days I see ZERO grouse haha I don't hunt much burn land. As general rule, when I'm hiking through old forest fires burns, I tend not to see many grouse. I think it's just too open. Good look out there. Keep after it!
I'm still having a hell of a time interpreting WA hunting laws. Say you're walking around that corner and right in the middle of the road is a grouse...can you shoot it? Or do you have to flush it off the road and up into a tree before taking a shot?
Well.... it depends on the road... obviously a paved road is off limits. If it's a main artery logging road that sees a fair bit of use... questionable. If it's a side road that is getting overgrown, go for it. The regulations are vague and confusing so you really gotta use your own judgment
A couple things I can add, just anecdotal stuff I noticed over the past couple years. I get more birds on the old roads than I do in the woods because there is usually something blocking visibility in the woods and it can be very noisy. If I am having a slow day I'll stop hitting the woods and just focus on the roads and maybe pick up my pace a little more to cover more ground, but still occasionally stop and go when it feels right. I feel like if I hit about 4 miles of really searching and don't see anything I'll change my area and come back later in the season. Also, don't get discouraged if you see another truck or atv or what have you coming down the road you are hunting. I have found birds on many occasions after I already drove through or somebody else did.
I agree! Good stuff 😃
For the last 8 months, I got my firearms license, hunting license, and gear to start my first grouse hunt tomorrow. Awesome video for me. Wish me luck
Sounds like you're on it! Good luck man! I'd love to hear how it went and where you're located
Good luck man! Let us know how it goes
Just look for a woods chicken on the ground and in the trees(everywhere) and when they flush know your backdrop beforehand.
Alright, fellas, a follow-up here. Went out for grouce twice now. Got one with my .22, saw one flush into the woods. Ran after it damn thing disappeared. So camouflaged these birds it's crazy. My friend took me out last weekend for a duck hunt, and it was a frigging blood bath, lol. I'm also in Alberta 🇨🇦
Super cool! Hunting is awesome!
I live in the Northwestern part of Washington also… I carry a GPS to mark missed and killed birds so I can return to that area later to look again. I’ve found that if I find birds in an area they will return later that day or there are generally birds there next year also. I also carry a sharp tail whistle to mimic the tweets made by grouse when they hunker down, they will tweet back to you and it makes it easier to find them. Listen for drumming, males will generally do this from a downed tree log or stump, I have found MANY on top of stumps.
If you’re new to grouse, stick to the roads, open areas or forest edges unless you have a dog it’s very difficult to locate a downed bird in the brush without a dog.
All in all, great video 😎👍 I only got out a few times this year and did pretty fair for the few times I made it out. Hopefully we’ll have a warm dry spring this year and a ton of birds next fall! - we’re sure having one of the warmest winters i can remember for many years!
I have found the start stop method to be really simple and really productive.
Nice! It does work
My German Shorthaired Pointer just turned 3. Hunting dusky grouse with a pointer is a whole different ballgame, and I’m addicted. This season, for the first time, I’ve taken friends who have been able to take birds over her points. The friends have had their eyes opened too - this is fun stuff!
That's awesome! I want a bird dog man
Just getting started this year with Grouse hunting this season.
Several of your videos have been invaluable in answering questions that have been in my mind.
Also, there is a gold mine of added tips from your comments, great stuff!
Thanks for helping get me started on a much better footing!
Subscribed
Glad all this info helps! Let me know how your season goes!
Best hack for grouse hunting: use cheap target load rather than expensive upland shot. Works the exact same, if not better with a denser spread
Savin money and gettin dinner!
Use a bow, Killed at least 3 grouse with the small G5 small game head last year
@@dylanritter3660 the bow is fun but man does it ever blow a huge hole through grouse…
Great video, new to this. Is a 12 gauge to much, all I’ve got?
use it. better than not going at all
Saw 12 grouse today, 10 were in the final hour of light, typically I see 3-7 of them if the area is kind of pressured, yesterday and part of today the weather was nasty so only 1 other guy was out looking in the same woods as me. I'm pretty new but have already bagged some, just trying to get quicker and more confident to take air shots, whiffed the last couple... What I've noticed so far is that weather doesn't really matter, weather as in rain. I seem to see less of them if it is very windy, or they spook easier. Also it can rain as long as the gravel roads aren't drenched, if they are your tires make enough noise to scare any nearby grouse away. I think going by foot quietly is quite nice so long as there aren't too many others in vehicles on whatever area you're searching. Feeling pretty good though, I have found them on all but 1 or 2 short trips and my eyes are picking more of them up fast. Good luck guys.
That's a lot of grouse. I have found that grouse don't mind rain so much but they hate wind. Just my observation. Sounds like you're getting into some birds!
@@CascadeBackcountry The wind was really nasty, I saw only one, but the wind died down almost completely and within 20 minutes I began seeing one every few minutes
Great Tips. I have always been successful near sources of water (creek, stream, brook etc.) near woods roads and trails. My best times of the day for seeing birds have been around 2 pm until dusk. When you walk in a road and see no birds does not mean you won't see them on the way back out. An ATV will not scare them off for long so someone passing you on a trail does not mean that the area has been blown up.
Thanks! I agree. Don't stop hunting just because you're walking back to your car
Great video and content on your channel. Most of what I've seen you do is hunt along roads. Curious if you dive off into the wood ever or if you solely stick to the roads?
Thanks! I hunt the woods and mountains frequently but mostly for blue grouse and spruce grouse. Where i live in western WA, it's thick with bushes so hunting ruffed grouse is tough off road. That's why you see me on roads a lot
October 1st is nearing, which is the first day of grouse hunting in my area. Will be my first time hunting in roughly 6 years, life got in the way. Can’t be more excited to get back out there
I'm excited for you!
That was good. Me and my guns are a little rusty but I think were gonna go hit it this year. Thanks for the great video!
Good luck! Thanks for watching
I was hoping you would put our more grouse hunting videos. Ruffed grouse live in an area of about 10 acres, according to The Bird Conservatory. They really don't need a bunch of land like a deer or elk. They do not migrate either. If you find signs of a grouse, be patient, they are in the area.
More grouse videos incoming! Yeah they don't need a lot of room. Even just a few acres is fine. They're out there. Good luck this year 😁
@@CascadeBackcountry Best of luck to you too, brother.
So far this year I’ve found all my birds between the older timber and reprod and the elderberry crop this year has been superb holding lots of birds
Nice! Sounds like you got em dialed in
Thanks for the info. Grouse season just opened here in BC, Canada
No problem! Good luck out there!
Over here on the Eastside water is key. I drve the roads and then hike any little creek drainages i can find.
Good to know! I've yet to hunt anything other than deer and blue grouse on the East side. I'll keep this in mind
Can’t wait for this season. Only my second. Two flushes last year but no birds in hand. All the more excuse explore more 🌲
Three more days! Get out there, remember the basics and you'll be eating grouse for dinner!
Awesome, logical tips. Thanks
Good luck out there!
Super helpful! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Heck yeah! Thanks for watching
Got my first grouse fun time
Awesome!
Great video, much appreciated!
Thanks! Appreciate you watchin!
Love it!
Thanks!!
Hi, thanks for the videos ! I was wondering if you're using any type of ear protection while hunting ? If so, what is it, or what do you recommend ? Thanks you in advance! :) cheers from Qc Canada
If I'm using a shotgun, I'll usually use these amzn.to/3MEDfPM (affiliate link)
They're lightweight, small and you can still hear your surroundings! If I'm way in the backcountry, hunting out of a backpack, I'll usually just use earplugs for weight savings
Thanks for watchin!
Another tip is to use your ears. When you get close and a grouse and it knows you are near they will make a peeping sounds like an alarm. It can be hard to hear if you are being too loud but keep an ear out for that little peeping sound when you ware walking through the bush
It can definitely be hard to hear but a nice tool in the toolbox. Thanks for watchin!
they do make that noise, if you have electronic muffs it's very easy to hear
Enjoy your channel I’m over in Eastern Washington and it’s about the same here cover and what not👍👍👍
Thanks! I've only hunted blue grouse on the east side. Would love to get into some ruffed too. Thanks for wathcing!
They love clover also. If you see a decent amount next to a dirt road look for signs.
They sure do!
Absolutely we cut open the crop on our grouse we caught this year and most were loaded with clover.
I seriously think that grouse know when you're hunting them. If I have my bow in my hand I see zero grouse or they flush at 20 yards, if I just go for a fun hike (unarmed) I see grouse all day long and they don't care I'm there. Can't win.
Haha so true!!
Isn't sparkle donkey a type of tequila!!???
No way eh. Could be time of day stop doing the same thing over and over, definition of insanity ( how I felt turkey hunting this spring til I switched fields)
@@CascadeBackcountry 100% It's also an energy drink ;-)
Haha!
Hopefully this will be my year! Iv been hunting them for years and still haven’t got one…. Iv shot at 4 and missed 4… I’m using a 20g but no luck.
Oh no! haha What size shot and choke are you using?
use a modified choke or looser, I just started but am already bagging them. My advice? go pattern your gun on some paper and figure out where your pellets are going
Birds eat sand & gravel, also known as gastroliths, to aid in the digestion process. The stones help grind down tough food items like seeds and nuts in the bird's gizzard, allowing for better digestion and nutrient absorption.
Very true. Thanks for watching!
Great tips.. thanks for the video
They should do the trick. Thanks!
I saw 17 yesterday must just be highly populated where im at in canada.
I need to go there haha
So How does shooting from a road go with the regs and all? I know it says maintained road, but what is considered maintained? I'm going Saturday and don't want to get in trouble, but there are some nice gravel roads to walk....what's your opinion?
I literally contacted WDFW about this and they just sent me to the regs. They essentially didn't answer, so I just use my own judgment. If it's a well traveled, "maintained" dirt road, I usually won't shoot on it. If it's an overgrown road that doesn't get used much, I'll shoot off it. It's a weird gray area with no clear answers. What does maintained mean? Maintained by who? How maintained? Anyway... I'm sure I didn't answer your question but... gotta use your judgement on this one 😵💫
@CascadeBackcountry thanks for the response. Definitely gray! But that's what I was thinking...get off the main dirt drags. I could be wrong but I feel that rule is more meant for the big game hunting.
Yeah I doubt anyone is gonna mess with ya on some old logging road
If you go Saturday, you're gonna get in trouble. Doesn't open until the 15th now.
@morgankruse4666 haha, good call you're right. I was going to do some coyote hunting as well, was too focused on those seasons
This will be my first year Walked about 12 miles today 2 grouse spoted and 1 bear. Not bad but definitely not what you are on. Ill learn. Whats your experience on burn land? I didnt bother exploring it.
Hey that's not bad! Some days I see ZERO grouse haha I don't hunt much burn land. As general rule, when I'm hiking through old forest fires burns, I tend not to see many grouse. I think it's just too open. Good look out there. Keep after it!
I'm still having a hell of a time interpreting WA hunting laws. Say you're walking around that corner and right in the middle of the road is a grouse...can you shoot it? Or do you have to flush it off the road and up into a tree before taking a shot?
Well.... it depends on the road... obviously a paved road is off limits. If it's a main artery logging road that sees a fair bit of use... questionable. If it's a side road that is getting overgrown, go for it. The regulations are vague and confusing so you really gotta use your own judgment
No one around just bladt it lmao who's gonna know
I found some grouse that was beside eachother shot all 3
Hell yeah! Dinner time 😂
Oh what! I know where you made this video.
That's crazy! 😆😂
Crossing birds. leading any where from a foot to head depending on ranges and load fps 😊 051captinron Washington state waving 👋 😊
Heyoooo!