Grouse were the best tasting wild game bird that I have ever eaten, very difficult to hunt especially without a dog and in thick cover the window of opportunity to shoot gives all the advantages to the Grouse. You guys have to love your sport to hunt as you do.
The reason the grouse are busting on you is because the slow methodical approach of your Vs does NOT work on the savvy King of birds. You need a dog with pace - lots of pace. Your dogs also work too close to you. You are in the grouse's "home". They hear you guys coming (in close proximity to your dog) and the grouse are on notice/running long before your dog has 1/2 a chance to point them. The shear volume of birds and the juveniles (like the one your dog bumped up into the tree) will inevitably get you some grouse shooting. Finally, 12 gauge semis are far too chunky to get you on grouse. You don't need that third shot - it's a waste especially in dense cover. Kudos to the Ides family for their habitat efforts. ….truly remarkable!
In all my years of grouse hunting you are literally the first I've heard 'complain' about a dog hunting too CLOSE lol. The very reason I use a Brittany and not a GSP is because the latter is far too rangy (most of them anyway). How are you even getting a shot at a grouse when you use a dog that doesn't hunt close??
Mark from eastern Tennessee here.I like jumping grouse along with my light 20 Guage Belgium browning.I use #7 and 1/2 shot.A grouse is a pretty big bird,so you need enough shit to bring him down,but not enough to destroy the bird,where you can still eat it.Improved cylinder is a great choice of gun choke.
@@sonyascott6114 I will assume you have never hunted the woods of Northern, WI? It is a completely different ball game than TN is. A 12 G with 7-8 shot in the early part of the season is nice to have. Once the leaves drop you can then run a 20G.
This is a long and involved comment. I'd have to argue with you as the Capital of Grouse habitat and homeland. The U.P. of Michigan is a much better place to hunt. I have been to both places and still hold Michigan as the better place to hunt, if you have the legs to do it. Lots of walking in young growth but seven to nine flushes in an hour. I won't argue with your guides or their dogs, but I love the U.P. I will argue with the choice of 20Ga. for Grouse. Manly because a semi-large to large load of 20 Ga. is not ballistically the best load out there. Yes, .....I am a 16 Ga. freakesta and a SXS recent convert. I was always a stackbarrel person in 12 Ga. , but have been converted by my times on the trap field. And by unruly roosters in Ohio. My own Grouse dog breed is Brittany. And you guys are all using autos!!!! GHOD THOSE THINGS ARE HEAVY!!! Isn't that wonderful though about having a dog lock-up in front of you? 3:07 Vizslas are excellent dogs, but take a much different path to train. Too much for me. That's why I stick to Britts or Springers. So far,...4:20 in the vid, I like what you are doing. Finding them,.......yeah, ....hitting them.......whole different story. Been there, done that and have the T-shirt. I love it.........clearcut and habitat! YESSSS! What all Grouse need. This video is so much informative than the others that just show kills and pretty scenery. 6:47 beautiful tail fan. 9:01, ......how many autos did it take to kill one Grouse? That noise.........you never get used to it. The flush. At least you guys show that you miss,..........like the rest of us! OK, I now see that you are sponsored by Benelli, so I can take down the 'aarrrrrr' about using autos. 12:01 beautiful shot of a Grouse! Nothing like having a bait fish that is at LEAST 6 inches long on your rod. I don't Muskie fish, but it must be fun to have a predator like that attached to your line. Better than Bass or Walleye fishing! Are you guys using 6500C Abu Garcia reels? I love it!! Even the guide loses a fish! You guys are so real! Pheasants Forever!!! Yesss! A member from long ago. My God, just pull-out your 380 for self-protection and pot her! 100 pounds of sweet meat to take home! Nothing like hearing a drummer. Your life is not complete until you hear a Grouse drumming upon his log. 19:35 normal for all of us Grouse hunters.............trees and ..........how could I miss? HEHEHEHE Not the birds in the bag, but the places and people you meet.........YES!!! OMG you hit it on the head! Some of you young people do know what it is all about! Thank you!
Roger Beckner to start with I’m from Wisconsin so I agree with them (ha ha) but my Minnesota buddies think they are in the grouse capital. It seems like grouse capital is wherever a grouse hunter lives. Not all o/u are light n not all semiautos are heavy. 20 ga is a great grouse gun. So guys who shoot o/u or sxs don’t miss. Hahahahaha thought so.
@@brentbusick2245 My O/Us weigh 6 3/4 to 7 1/2 pounds for 12 bore. Only semiauto is an 1100 in 12. We all know how heavy they are. 20 bore for me just doesn't work. Does for a lot of other people though. I picked 16 for the best trade-off in weight, shot load and speed of shotstring, handling and feel between the hands. Missing? We all miss. Except for the tall-tales bunch. I did go 12 strait on roosters one season with my O/U. Grouse........I've shot more Birch, Hemlock, Pine, and Oak than Grouse! And lots of air. I pick my gun and action for the game involved. Light SxS for fast and close game; O/U for longer range and slower, bigger flyers. Everyone has their own pew in the hunting Church.
Grouse were the best tasting wild game bird that I have ever eaten, very difficult to hunt especially without a dog and in thick cover the window of opportunity to shoot gives all the advantages to the Grouse. You guys have to love your sport to hunt as you do.
This is an exceptionally well produced video.
My best buddy from high school and college summers. We still stay in touch. Keep on truckin good buddy!!
I would highly argue that the ruffed grouse capitol of the world is actually the western end of Michigan's U.P.......not Wisconsin.
Really nice video, thanks.
the dog in the intro peed on that car and got caught on camera hahaha
Numbers are very low in park falls ever since it was call ruff grouse capital
In Alaska's interior the limit is 18 Ruff Grouse a day, I have gotten limits many times.
Matt Riser I would kill to have that, limit here is 5 and near the end of season you could go all day not seeing one
18:32
Why does that grouse appear to have band on its left (our right) foot?
The reason the grouse are busting on you is because the slow methodical approach of your Vs does NOT work on the savvy King of birds. You need a dog with pace - lots of pace. Your dogs also work too close to you. You are in the grouse's "home". They hear you guys coming (in close proximity to your dog) and the grouse are on notice/running long before your dog has 1/2 a chance to point them.
The shear volume of birds and the juveniles (like the one your dog bumped up into the tree) will inevitably get you some grouse shooting.
Finally, 12 gauge semis are far too chunky to get you on grouse. You don't need that third shot - it's a waste especially in dense cover.
Kudos to the Ides family for their habitat efforts. ….truly remarkable!
You called it!
In all my years of grouse hunting you are literally the first I've heard 'complain' about a dog hunting too CLOSE lol. The very reason I use a Brittany and not a GSP is because the latter is far too rangy (most of them anyway). How are you even getting a shot at a grouse when you use a dog that doesn't hunt close??
Mark from eastern Tennessee here.I like jumping grouse along with my light 20 Guage Belgium browning.I use #7 and 1/2 shot.A grouse is a pretty big bird,so you need enough shit to bring him down,but not enough to destroy the bird,where you can still eat it.Improved cylinder is a great choice of gun choke.
@@sonyascott6114 I will assume you have never hunted the woods of Northern, WI? It is a completely different ball game than TN is. A 12 G with 7-8 shot in the early part of the season is nice to have. Once the leaves drop you can then run a 20G.
Etiquette?
Everyone just blast off!
Really?
No way!
This is a long and involved comment.
I'd have to argue with you as the Capital of Grouse habitat and homeland. The U.P. of Michigan is a much better place to hunt. I have been to both places and still hold Michigan as the better place to hunt, if you have the legs to do it.
Lots of walking in young growth but seven to nine flushes in an hour.
I won't argue with your guides or their dogs, but I love the U.P.
I will argue with the choice of 20Ga. for Grouse.
Manly because a semi-large to large load of 20 Ga. is not ballistically the best load out there.
Yes, .....I am a 16 Ga. freakesta and a SXS recent convert.
I was always a stackbarrel person in 12 Ga. , but have been converted by my times on the trap field.
And by unruly roosters in Ohio.
My own Grouse dog breed is Brittany.
And you guys are all using autos!!!!
GHOD THOSE THINGS ARE HEAVY!!!
Isn't that wonderful though about having a dog lock-up in front of you? 3:07
Vizslas are excellent dogs, but take a much different path to train. Too much for me. That's why I stick to Britts or Springers.
So far,...4:20 in the vid, I like what you are doing.
Finding them,.......yeah, ....hitting them.......whole different story.
Been there, done that and have the T-shirt.
I love it.........clearcut and habitat! YESSSS! What all Grouse need.
This video is so much informative than the others that just show kills and pretty scenery.
6:47 beautiful tail fan.
9:01, ......how many autos did it take to kill one Grouse?
That noise.........you never get used to it. The flush.
At least you guys show that you miss,..........like the rest of us!
OK, I now see that you are sponsored by Benelli, so I can take down the 'aarrrrrr' about using autos.
12:01 beautiful shot of a Grouse!
Nothing like having a bait fish that is at LEAST 6 inches long on your rod. I don't Muskie fish, but it must be fun to have a predator like that attached to your line. Better than Bass or Walleye fishing!
Are you guys using 6500C Abu Garcia reels?
I love it!! Even the guide loses a fish! You guys are so real!
Pheasants Forever!!! Yesss! A member from long ago.
My God, just pull-out your 380 for self-protection and pot her! 100 pounds of sweet meat to take home!
Nothing like hearing a drummer. Your life is not complete until you hear a Grouse drumming upon his log.
19:35 normal for all of us Grouse hunters.............trees and ..........how could I miss?
HEHEHEHE
Not the birds in the bag, but the places and people you meet.........YES!!! OMG you hit it on the head!
Some of you young people do know what it is all about!
Thank you!
Roger Beckner to start with I’m from Wisconsin so I agree with them (ha ha) but my Minnesota buddies think they are in the grouse capital. It seems like grouse capital is wherever a grouse hunter lives. Not all o/u are light n not all semiautos are heavy. 20 ga is a great grouse gun. So guys who shoot o/u or sxs don’t miss. Hahahahaha thought so.
@@brentbusick2245 My O/Us weigh 6 3/4 to 7 1/2 pounds for 12 bore. Only semiauto is an 1100 in 12. We all know how heavy they are.
20 bore for me just doesn't work. Does for a lot of other people though. I picked 16 for the best trade-off in weight, shot load and speed of shotstring, handling and feel between the hands.
Missing? We all miss. Except for the tall-tales bunch. I did go 12 strait on roosters one season with my O/U.
Grouse........I've shot more Birch, Hemlock, Pine, and Oak than Grouse! And lots of air.
I pick my gun and action for the game involved. Light SxS for fast and close game; O/U for longer range and slower, bigger flyers.
Everyone has their own pew in the hunting Church.
Roger Beckner I’ll stick with my Rem V3 that’s around 7 lbs
@@brentbusick2245 Good for you. Stick with what works for you.