Grouse Population Numbers

[PoliticalDog]

Anyone heard what states are gonna have the best number of birds this season?

The Mich. U.P. was down last year.

We are looking at maybe trying Maine...Pennsylvania..Canada..etc this year.

Rick

[george tinkham]

i know it aint here...i tromped around in the wayne good bit last week but no birds...one location i jump a lot is on private land,i'll just say its in se ohio.i have always seen a lot in pa. but haven't been there for a while.

[PoliticalDog]

Well I would like to make a trip to Pennsylvania to hunt but we are still trying to locate a place. We only do one out of state hunt per year so we wanna make sure we can get into birds. I keep searching & searching:D

We to hunt the Wayne in S.E. Ohio and have some good spots already but it take allot of walking to find new populated places. We don't actually try to kill them all so we have some to come back to.

Rick

[Aimrite]

I will be down in WNF myself looking for grouse this year. You need some to hunt with let me know. Im hunting my springer pup for first time this year.
Ed

[PoliticalDog]

Ok Aimrite...

Good luck with that pup!!!

It's always so good to watch a new pup discovering what its all about.

It that a flushing dog?

Rick

[Aimrite]

Yep he is a flushing dog, Field Bred English Springer Spaniel. I’m working with a pro and going to start training to AKC field trial after season in the spring when he matures a little.
This year all about him having fun and getting him birdie.

[gregcincy]

This is a great topic, You know I think states like Wisconsin, and Minnesota have spring drumming surveys they run every year which can give you an idea of what the outlook will be in the fall. This info is usually posted on their websites. Does anyone know if Ohio does this also? If so where can you find the results? PS If any one wants to get out and chase some birds in the Wayne or any of the southern state forests let me know. I would love to tag along. I moved to Ohio a couple of years ago and I'm having a hard time finding people that like to do something other than just deer hunt.

Greg

[PoliticalDog]

aimrite....Hey that's great..What pro you using?

I know theres a guy around circleville that does those dogs.

Greg...Yea there are a bunch of us out there doing the bird chasing. Gets closer to season and maybe we all will have to go for that walk through the hills..lol

I only bird hunt for grouse & Woodcock. Ohio has a slew of deer hunters.

I usely do a search and can find it somewhere but its usually old material

If anyone finds current stuff..let us all know

Rick

[Lance]

If your looking for states with the birds somewhere on the upside of the cycle I'd look east, the northern midwest should be hitting the bottom of the cycle this year and that stuff usually goes west to east. The one thing you can say though about any place you go is that there worst year in the cycle is usually better than here.

As for the ODNR. They do drumming counts and have co-operator that keep stats on their flush rates and birds bagged for the year. If you'd like to do this I'd get in touch with Mike Reynolds at the ODNR or Adam Bump who is the RGS regional biologist. As far as where the info is published, I've not found it but they do mail it to you in the fall if your a co-operator. I usually get my packet in mid September.

Welcome Greg, hope you enjoy the site!

[CatDaddy]

I seen a few this weekend.

[gregcincy]

Where at Catdaddy? Are we still talking about the Wayne NF?

Greg

[CatDaddy]

No this was on private land in Vinton county. I see them all the time down there. I also know of a place in Ross county that has quail.

[straitmeat]

good grouse hunting is gone, will never return. You can thank the Mead Paper Company for that!!

[bmiller]

:yeahthat:

[jackalope]

I hunt a mead lease in Vinton county.. I hear them drumming all the time. every hill every hollow. It's almost like they follow us. Meade is comming into the lease this fall to do some "select cut" that'll help.

[Lance]

I agree that our grouse hunting is damaged goods but why would blame a timber/paper company for that??? There usually our best freind. :confused:

[huntsem]

For the past 5 years or so grouse numbers have increased somewhat in the north central Pa. counties and Allegheny National Forest areas. Some areas of western New York have also had an upswing in grouse numbers for the past couple of years. Last season the ANF area showed about 2.0 flushes per hour were fairly common. The better hunting is usually in areas that have second growth and were timbered or received timber storm damage about 3 to 15 years ago. Select timber cuts and small patchworks of timber cuts among mature timber is better for grouse and varied wildlife numbers than are extremely large clear cuts or large expanses of uncut mature timber. Grouse require some mature aspen trees ( 10 yrs. plus) for food in their winter range.

[benehunter]

I went deer hunting last year in the Allegheny National Forest and jumped a bunch of grouse. They were everywhere. Not much luck in Ohio. I have only seen a couple near Athens on public land.

[boilermaker101]

I tried to hunt mead last year but it was posted thats crap isn't took alot deer of that place nice bucks too. saw alot of grouse love to take my dog up there now, but that would happen.

[bmrenn]

Personally,
I have seen/hunted what I think to be good numbers in the ANF in Pa, (certain areas) I'm not sure that I would make an out-of-state trip for it though. I usually hunt OH and PA but I am actually in the process of planning a trip in somtime around Oct to Michigan. Going up with a friend of mine to upper/lower area for sure, may venture into UP?