The thick regrowth will be one of the best spots to find grouse in this region. Maps of the Chattahoochee National Forest showing where clearcuts are located can be obtained from the USFS. In other words, Fats shot at a spot out in front of were a crossing grouse would be. Star and I were very fortunate that I had hunted with Fatsto learn the ropes and where and how to hunt. Without good dogs, our grouse hunting would have certainly been hampered. The never-ending fun and good meals that come with squirrel and rabbit hunting are worth the effort to pursue. Ruffed Grouse in Georgia | The Chandler Lab - UGA Conifers are especially important in the winter, as grouse can hide beneath their boughs when winter snow depths are insufficient for snow burrows. But while the exact plant species are different, the same basic concept applies: thick cover. I just stood there in awe with my mouth open, watching how smoothly and easily his triple seemed to be. A look back on times in the mountains when dogs and grouse mattered most to men like Arthur Truelove and Herb McClure. Being tired from a hard days hunt, I declined. 2023 Georgia Outdoor News. Forests cut within the last 20 years or so seem to offer the right mix of species and density of cover. I know it seems hard to believe todaywith grouse now rare in the north Georgia mountainsbut with Little Mac in his first grouse season we had 341 flushes on grouse. The next days hunt only produced two grouse. We. Pick Your Pockets. There were still a lot of acorns on the ground, and the birds were likely scattered and feeding throughout the forest. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You can camp and hunt. Dropping his snout, he quartered a wedge of scent back and forth around a dank blowdown of brambles and old slash. Arthur said one time, grouse were a lots easier to shoot than birds, because they flushed much slower but made much more noise. - YouTube I hunted small game in New York during winter (early December 2013). Fats switched from bird hunting to grouse hunting in 1947. The American woodcock is a federally regulated bird and, like all states, requires a free HIP number. We continued up the steep ridge, watching with racing hearts as Buck sniffed and searched. I asked him what made a grouse flush so legendary, and his eyes brightened with memories. No Mixed Parties. One of the 2 antlered deer must have at least 4 points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers or at least a 15-inch outside spread. Up until then I had worked with the Georgia Game & Fish Commission, an ideal job for an outdoor person. In the southeast portion of the Midwest, mixed oak woodlands and oak-hickory forests are usually best for ruffed grouse. Dove hunting tradition runs as deep as the culture of southern bobwhite quail. Kate only had one pup. Sometimes a lucky hunter will happen upon an area particularly rich in foods such as late-season acorns or wild grapes that may hold several birds, but grouse are generally solitary by nature. All Rights Reserved. This was helpful to know about grouse that were not pointed. Actually, being a sporting-goods person has been my life-long occupation since 1964. Additionally, small openings and trail networks can benefit grouse because they usually offer green plants (e.g., clover, strawberry, etc.) Its a tough job. I definitely like seeking out hidden and remote pockets of cover. However, I made the only shot I had and that grouse became the eighth grouse in my streak. After World War II ended and the times really began to change, the bird populations in Hall and Jackson counties diminished. When Fats was nearing Dot, three grouse flushed all flying away the same way. 2022 Upland Gamebird Hunting Forecast - Pointing Dog These span-worms completely defoliated the mountain hardwood trees in the summers, which made the mountains look like it was wintertime. You can go in one end and come out the other. No abusive comments, threats, or personal attacks. The most recent scientific study in state of ruffed grouse dates to almost 50 years ago. Her name was Star, too. Ruffed grouse were formerly reported as far . Going to her, I was making a lot of noise crunching in the frozen snow, loud from the freeze the night before. I read a book last year about the grouse in georgia. She would hunt up high on a mountainside or down on creeks in the roughest thickets. When you find a lot of grouse, mark the spot on a map, stand back and memorize its characteristics. He did not allow any loud talking or noise. As you head toward the coast, you get into the rolling Piedmont hills and finally to the flat plains of southern Georgia. I like a cool, overcast foggy day with temperatures just above freezing, he said. This was at a jam-pack group of Fats hunting friends honoring him at the Civic Center in Gainesville, which seated hundreds and hundreds that night. Hunting Georgia for Bobwhite, Grouse, Woodcock, and Small Game I suppose it's possible. This often precludes the proper positioning and preparation of the shooter, resulting in no shot or a poor one. of No. Other guns were poppinglike popping popcorn. Before going to the over-and-under, I shot a Remington Model 1100 in 12 gauge and had all kind of chances to make a triple. At that time of my life in the early 70s, I was a buyer and manager of a large volume sporting-goods department in Gainesville. I wrote some additional grouse hunting tips here as well for anyone thats interested. The dogs were taught hand signals to guide them where we wanted them to hunt, and that required us taking them to those places ourselves, until they learned where we wanted them to hunt. Gear for a typical day hunting grouse should include: blaze orange vest and hat, water, compass, shotgun, size #6 or #7 shells in the appropriate gauge, durable pants and long-sleeve shirt, as well as sturdy waterproof boots. He was brought up shooting live birds from his early boyhood, in a family that realized more income from the quail they shot and then sold than from the cotton they grew. Despite Louisiana and east Texas being the meccas of Southern woodcock hunting, parts of Georgia still get a solid flight of birds. Always said I was gonna take the scattergun one year and get me a couple. Sounds like Canada. Find places where the trees have been removed and replaced with new growth. Finally someone writing about grouse hunting that actually seems to know what theyre talking about! Learn more about our use of cookies:cookie policy. Adults tend to spend more time in mature forests, foraging in the understory. They're in states as far south as Georgia and as far north as Alaska. However, his weight was not all fat, there were muscles in his arms and legs. A minute before, Arthur had not killed a grouse all day, and now he had his limit. Heres my best secret grouse hunting technique: I pack some lightweight stockingfoot waders in my game pouch and head to a place where a medium-size river divides an easily accessed area from a no-access zone. Ask any Georgia grouse hunter, from years past, and they probably knew or have heard of Fats Trueloves grouse hunting. Fats had all the talents needed to become a grouse hunter. Keep comments on topic. Its just a pretty place to be in.. These states also manage their forests well, which means they protect young forest habitats. Arthur wanting to know where I had hunted and all about the hunt. When nearing Dot, three grouse flushed, all going around the mountainside the same way. Grouse hunting with dogs can increase the number of flushes in a day, but many successful outings are had simply by walking old logging roads in the morning and evening. OVERJOYED! Grouse Facts. Accessed at: http://explorer.natureserve.org. We are using a mixture of techniques to survey Ruffed Grouse, including the use of Automated Recording Units (ARUs) and standard roadside drumming surveys. Ruffed Grouse populations have declined in the Appalachian Mountains largely due to landscape-scale changes in forest management. Would it explode or was it a dud? The answer, typically, is toward the bigger, thicker woods, especially softwood stands. The southernmost extent of the Ruffed Grouse range occurs in northern Georgia where the species is valued for its cultural significance. The Pacific Northwest has several very different habitats for grouse. The drumming sound was haunting in the early morning distance through tangled rhododendron and a mystic fog. Was it the homemade fireball moonshine from the night before? Small Game Hunting #14: 1 Ruffed Grouse by 20 Ga. Shotgun. Fats liked for me to hunt with him, and it instilled in me to become an outdoorsman, woodsman, deer hunter, grouse hunter and turkey hunter. North Georgia has a tremendous amount of public lands, said Broderick. Nevers seeded nothings likes this before., My reply back to him was, A little luck got thrown in, and it doesnt hurt most things.. Grouse populations are limited by elevation, and they typically dont exist at less than 1,000 feet, so only Georgias most northern counties hold birds. What could be better? Mike Strandlund is the late editor of Bowhunting World Magazine and bowhuntingworld.com, and is a member of Mike Strandlund is the late editor of Bowhunting World Magazine and bowhuntingworld.com, and is a member of the National Bowhunters Hall of Fame. After Arthur Trueloves legendary Dot passed away in 1969, Truelove gave up grouse hunting forever. Most Grouse I see and hear in Pennsylvania are around 2000' but we don't have huge mountains up here. I realized they didnt understand that in grouse hunting, especially the thick early-season woods, thats about all you get. Can you even hunt them? During the early 60s, Arthur and his dogs had days of flushing more than 30 grouse. On cold but sunny days they often roost in evergreens or stick to sunny sides of slopes. My memories of hunting the ruffed grouse in Georgias high mountains began back in 1956 when I was taken under the wing and taught about a great game bird. He started collecting guns on his 18th birthday and eventually found his passion for side-by-side shotguns . I have seen more grouse in the last 10 years than in the previous 30, but the majority that I've seen have all been up at high elevation. Many hunters use programs like Google Maps to find Ruffed Grouse Habitat. The 5000'-6000' range here is considered to be about the same climate as sea level in southern Canada or the northern tier of states. Late one afternoon when Arthur and I had encountered a hard days hunt, with no grouse in our game bags, Dot became pointed way up high on the mountainside above the logging road where we were walking. In vast expanses of north Georgias public mountain lands, find cover, food and water, and youll find birds hunkered down for the winter. Needless to say, I shot some skeet. Denver was a checking station clerk for the Blue Ridge WMA. That was the last time I ever went grouse hunting in Georgia. A good pointer for grouse is usually one that can be made to hunt close without a lot of hollering. I would doubt seriously if there are many, if any grouse that far south. Go Public For Late-Season Mountain Grouse. loads of No. Youll find swamps down there, too, most notably Okefenokee Swamp. Arthur said one time, grouse were a lots easier to shoot than birds, because they flushed much slower but made much more noise. I wont go that far so much depends on the dog but I will say that dog work is more critical for ruffed grouse hunting than any other gamebird. Further south, deciduous forests (especially maple, black cherry, or beech) that are managed periodically offer a good variety of species and structure for grouse. Although not like cover in the traditional northern haunts of woodcock culture, find the food and you will find the birds. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I manage myself too, If there is a brood, I wont harvest more than two and I try not to hit the same area/trail more than twicebut I live in Northern MN and there is plenty of public land available to hunt. Arthur already had nine seasons of grouse hunting before he took me under his guidance. I am a little offended at the authors comment about anything other than a pointer is a liability and would be better off hunting without a dog. Return To Cohutta For Grouse - Georgia Outdoor News gun was not a problem to him. By January and February, young-of-the- year birds have dispersed from the brood and most winter flushes produce only individual birds. However, Arthur and I deer hunted middle Georgias big deer. No loud talking was ever allowed, which helped prevent wild flushes. Arthur was already at my home when I got there. There are few bird species that are known to take winter in a good way. A great grouse pointer is a joy to watch and hunt over, as is a great flusher, but given a choice of breeds both with average ability, give me the flusher. When I first started grouse hunting with Fats, he had a black and white pointer, who was named Kate. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Here, its legal to shoot small game from roads, so early in the season when its too thick to shoot in the most birdy woods, I walk the shoulder and send the dog in, often getting wide-open shots at road-crossing birds. The reason that I ask is that I recently drove through the WMA and was blown away at how beautiful it was! DNA Samples Needed. Last Day to Receive the Spring Issue FREE Georgia Bird Hunting, Quail Hunting | Ultimate Upland I was wondering if any bird hunters on this site know if there are any grouse on the Russell WMA at Mt Airy/Toccoa ? Anyone born after 1960 must complete a hunter education course before purchasing a hunting license. Arthur said, Herb, you should always go to a dog when it is pointed, because you owe it to the dog and it keeps them honest.. Now well discuss the specific ruffed grouse habitat types in several different regions across the country. Dogs Pointers Bracco Italiano Braque d' Auvergne Braque du Bourbonnais Braque Francais Brittany Drahthaar English Pointer Epagnuel Breton German Longhair Pointer Pointers German Shorthair Pointer With a new Jeep and more time to hunt, I turned to Star and grouse hunting like I had never hunted grouse before. Away went Arthur climbing up that steep mountainside to where Dot was on point. Babe Winkleman Good Fishing / Outdoor Secrets, Bryan Oliver Quick Hits, Videos, Memes, http://www.zerotohunt.com/try-ruffed-grouse-hunting/. I stood there in the logging road flabbergasted and amazed at how smooth and easy Arthurs triple had been made. Then I covered the other grouse just before it was about to enter a larger wall of more rhododendrons, and I shot it, too. You could walk only a fraction of that distance in the right areas and end the day with a heavier vest and a home-cooked wild game meal. Hes acting awfully birdy all of a sudden, whispered Broderick almost to himself. Ruffed grouse can be found in a variety of locations spread out all across the continental United States. I also learned that Fats liked very cold days to hunt grouse, much better than warm days. Thats obviously a completely ridiculous statement. Arthur and I both required dogs that would hunt up the steep mountainsides above the creeks and logging roads. In Idaho, riparian areas and mixed conifers like Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, and quaking aspen woodlands are the most productive. No one knows exactly what has caused the population decline, but Monte said logging restrictions on pub- lic lands during the past two decades have seriously limited grouse habitat. My grouse hunts became more enjoyable during the 1970s, because of an English setter bird dog given to me. When I killed the last one for that season, he congratulated me, and he was proud for me being able to do this. Your email address will not be published. Now is when I seek out the unhunted spots, which usually means places difficult to hunt or get to. Then Herb McClure got Star, and his setter would play a key part in a new mountain legend, the authors run of 13 straight grouse without a miss. The views expressed within the comment section do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of The Sportsman's Guide. In most instances, theyll startle people so bad that by the time they get their composure back, the grouse is already far out of range.. Meyer, Rachelle. , do him a favor and start working him like he's got a marathon, well in advance. If youve got rhododendron or laurel, therell be some birds there. The Georgia grouse season of 1976-77 was my pinnacle season of shooting grouse. Learn how your comment data is processed. Monte suggested using a logging map to plan the days hunt. The last day of the 1976-77 Georgia grouse season, the author downed these three grouse above a steep Towns County logging road to complete a streak of 13 straight grouse-killing shots without a miss. PDF 2021-2022 Season Dates Georgia Outdoor News is your best source for timely news about hunting, fishing and everything outdoors in the state of Georgia. The buds/catkins from both species are consumed by grouse heavily throughout the winter. I was looking forward to next years grouse season, with much anticipation and enthusiasm hoping to keep my straight building. In the northern Appalachian Mountains, deciduous forests with an understory of rhododendron, mountain laurel, serviceberry, and greenbrier are productive habitats both in higher elevations and along riparian channels. He was the best snap-shooter I ever saw. Provided Equipment: Custom Weapon, Pulsar Thermion XP50 Thermal Optics, and The Bog DeathGrip Tripod To Steady Your Aim. Hunters are responsible for knowing and abiding by seasons and limits or be subject to charges and fines. A snap-shooter shoots at a spot. Arthur knew that grouse tend to feed during the day upon the hillsides for grapes, acorns and whatever else they could eat. I never made a triple on grouse either, even when I did shoot a semi-auto gun. JavaScript is disabled. A New England native, he grew up hunting and has spent over 30 years in pursuit of big and small game species across three continents. Look no further than our 2022-2023 season schedule guide. For 10 years I was just a causal skeet shooter as a part of my outdoor nature. Dot was Fats favorite grouse dog. Driving home after my hunt was over for the day, and thinking about the prior two hunts, I knew I had got my limit of three grouse each of those past two hunts. In the photo of three grouse on page 20, two of those were a double. Im going to take off my cap to you for what you have already done, and if you keep shooting like you have for the past few days, I believe you will go ahead of my straight tomorrow., Then he put out his hand and shaking my hand saying, Herb, a little luck thrown never hurts most things., I was back in Towns County by 8:30 the next morning, the last day of grouse season. This gun was bought new and given to Arthur in the 1930s when Arthur was 14. Warwoman is a big tract that expands all the way out with lots of streams and good cuts, said Broderick. Project Upland is an editorial initiative to capture the cultures and traditions of upland bird hunting. With that, I left the man and started up the snow-covered logging road toward Henson Gap. There was a truck already parked there, and I started to drive on away. There are four approved websiteswhere you can complete a hunter education course without a field day, all with varying fees. All grouse had to do to have their craws filled with these 1-inch worms was to look down and pick one up. In Pennsylvania, the ruffed grouse flush rate last hunting season was stable compared to the 2020 flush rate, both of which were higher than the tough years of 2018 and 2019 in which severe West Nile Virus outbreaks impacted the population, says Reina Tyl, Pennsylvania Game Commission. But, my ability as a wing shooter was nothing like Fats Trueloves wing shooting. Ten Commandments Of Grouse Hunting - Guide Outdoors However, Pennsylvania rated 1.35 FPH, which is none too shabby. Yet you can still find good grouse hunting there. I told Fats of my shooting string. The bird hunting season dates, game bird species available, and other information is subject to change. Small Game Hunting #14: 1 Ruffed Grouse by 20 Ga. 2023 Georgia Outdoor News. I, being tired and hot for the day, declined. Two of them flushed to our left, and one going to our right. 2000' there is probably equal to 3500'-4000' here, if you factor in the more northern latitude. When I turned back around, all I could see were feathers hanging in the air, then they were slowly floating down. Arthur had already hand signaled for us to come on up front quickly. Since 1985, many of Wisconsin's County Forests have established cooperative ruffed grouse and woodcock habitat management areas with the support of the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS). Another happening at this same time was a span-worm infestation, which lasted three or four years. My credits for my being a grouse hunter are owed to a great grouse hunter who was the late Arthur (Fats) Truelove, of Gainesville. My lifestyle changed again in 1980. We returned to the truck with empty bird bags and tired legs, but the views of Lake Burton and the mountains beyond had been worth the trip. Denver Davis, born and reared up on Coopers Creek in Fannin County, the heart of Georgias olden-days grouse country. I really did get lucky with this dog and he is an absolute joy to hunt with. If I go out now, Id be lucky to have four flushes.. I have already stated these bird-hunting stories were better than the bird hunting stories in Sports Afield, even those written by the late Nash Buckingham. Grouse more than any other game bird will gravitate to pockets of prime cover, meaning those containing whatever its priority requirements are at the moment. At the end of her story she said, Well, if you have done some things that were true, you should be allowed to brag a little, if you choose. Referring back to that ladys quote, I will say, I, too, have a little bragging I want to do! It takes dogs with plenty of get-up in them to hunt those mountainsides. I am not up in the mountains as some of the guys on this forum, but seeing a grouse is very rare for me. Grouse will occupy old farmsteads in the New England area. While hunting wild bobwhite quail on public lands is certainly possible, the private operations of Georgia attract people from all over the world to experience southern bobwhite culture. Remember, I said these tips were about being successful on a long-term basis. At that cost price, I did some shooting, and thank goodness my grouse shooting was improved, too. My dog, like Dot, could be sent by hand-signals to hunt the hillsides as well as the creeks. You do not kill that many grouse just being a weekend grouse hunter. While they wont generally be as productive as the aspen-birch forests, they can produce good populations, especially if there are mixed conifers and other hardwoods. You may only use pigeons and pen-raised quail in designated areas. The 25,000-acre Chestatee WMA near Cleveland is also a good spot to scout. It was written, I believe in the '80s. I grew up hunting ruffed grouse in the Great Lakes States, and after almost a decade being gone hunting pheasants and quail on the Great Plains, I returned to the grouse woods. Grouse Hunting Georgia Pass - YouTube Ruffed Grouse Hunting Basics | The Filson Journal See them everywhere on the dirt roads grittin. This is the reason so many birds are migratory, whether song birds, waterfowl, or our belovedAmerican Woodcock. After an hour or so hunting there, Star pointed and I went to her, causing two grouse to flush out of the rhododendrons, both going the same way, straight-away. He was delighted, and he shared with me in my joy of shooting those seven grouse. While about 90 percent of Georgia is privately owned, there are still more than 100 wildlife management areas covering about one million acres. grouse-hunting-in-georgia - Project Upland Heard a ton drumming this spring during turkey season, which is promising. Firearms deer hunting is not allowed in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton (north of GA Highway 92), and that portion of Glynn County lying within Jekyll Island. The perimeter of a 10- to 12-year-old hardwood clearcut that harbors patches of evergreen vegetation and a few mature trees to produce hard mast is an ideal north Georgia grouse haven. Gun handling and shooting were instilled in Fats as a very young lad. If its so thick you can hardly swing your gun without smacking a 2-inch popple trunk, its perfect! Busting them up when its so cold out especially later in the day makes for a less likely survival of the night. I had done the unbelievable. Grouse don't just require good habitat, they require a cooler climate. It reminded me how challenging Mr. Ruff can actually be and encouraged me to make an assessment of what it takes to be successful on a long-term basis. That days hunt lasted only 15 minutes, compared to all day the previous two. Their dogs trailed a covey of birds by scent. Positioning yourself for the clearest shot is key. Like other commenters, I take some issue with the authors strong preference for a pointing dog. However, in my experience such dogs are indeed VERY rare. Distance walked does not always equal success. The roads often crisscross through clearcuts, and they provide birds with grit, which aids in digestion. I hunt over a chocolate lab and wouldnt trade him for the world. Dress in warm layers with comfortable but light boots. Georgia Outdoor News is your best source for timely news about hunting, fishing and everything outdoors in the state of Georgia. The next morning, I decided to go Towns County, and it was cold with snow falling and already on the ground. Arthur killed many of those wild flushing grouse by getting a quicker-start on shooting, thanks to Dots barks. This improved my wing-shooting ability on grouse. Chasing Giants with Higgins Outdoors 1.3M views 1 year ago A day hunting Ruffed Grouse. Its tough getting shots, but the birds like that. Whether public or private, sloped or flat, try to find areas that have been cut within the last decade. Fats taught me a lot of lessons about grouse. When Dot died in 1969, Arthur retired from grouse hunting and never wanted to hunt grouse anymore. I truly am thankful for having known him and the times we spent together in the outdoors. These theories are from a man who averaged killing more than 50 grouse every season, and in his best seasons more than 100 grousethree different times he did that. Those two hunts and todays hunt made nine grouse killed the last three times I had gone hunting. Noise will scare a grouse and cause wild flushing, he told anyone who was fortunate to hunt grouse with him. Biologists have concluded that ruffed grouse taken in the early part of the season do not affect the overall survival numbers, but those taken in winter will. Most of northern Georgia is mountainous. Luckily, grouse hunting takes very little hunting gear to get started. Arthur seemed really proud for me, and he encouraged me to go back the next day. This uncanny timing sparked a range of controversy and emotion across the Project Upland platforms that eventually helped inspire Durrells founding of the Minority Outdoor Alliance. When fully mature, the understories are open enough to provide lots of shrub species that grouse forage on (gray dogwood, winterberry, hazel, mountain ash, serviceberry, and others). One little old pellet will bring them down.. Looking for Georgia hunting seasons? Fats theory for wanting to hunt in very cold times was that grouse would hold better to a dogs point when it was near zero or below. Ruffed grouse depend on periodic forest upheaval such as wildfire or logging to create vital edge zones and mixed-growth hardwood stands. Broderick eased his Beretta from its resting position on his forearm.