(imacdon with his four legged pal and the first grouse of the season)
Back when I used to pursue ruffed grouse, or partridge as I called them, small game season meant you finally had an excuse to stroll the backwoods trails at an incredibly beautiful time of year.
It also meant that moose and deer season were just around the corner.
Anyone else out after small game? Or waterfowl for the matter, since the duck and goose hunters are out now as well.
Simply put: FALL is the reward we get after struggling through the rest of the year! (awesome photo by the way..)
Outdoorsguy
Yup! It’s a great way to spend time in the woods.
The whole family was out this past weekend. We didn’t see any until, of course – on the way out with the firearms packed. By the time I grabbed 1 from the back of the truck, it was well hidden in the still-thick bush. The wifey was all fired up because she hasn’t shot one yet.
But we did see a fantastic lightning skid mark down the side of a tall white pine. My son found the bark on the trail which was about 30 yards away. Didn’t split the tree….just skimmed down the side. That must have been loud!
Shooting grouse is also a fantastic way to keep up your marksmanship if you use a .22
I love a good walk in the bush and that’s what small game hunting is for me. I just bought a non resident Quebec license so that while away moose hunting or after I fill my tag I can go for some long thoughtful walks alone in the bush.
Once the deer season is over that’s when I really get going for birds in Ontario. If you are a serious grouse hunter after the leaves have fallen is the best time to fill the freezer
got your QC small-game Iggs? Good stuff, now you will have something to do after that big bull is on the ground.
Outdoorsguy
Grouse around here are sparse and have been for years. I remember lots as a kid but seeing more than one on a walk in the woods now is rare, especially with a shotgun. Not only that, they seem to flush 50 yards ahead in most cases. Not sure what’s up with that. I love the woods at this time of the year, lugging a gun or not.
Johan, our grouse back home are a lot like that. The joke used to be that, as you’d walk into one side of the bush, the grouse were already flying out the other!
I would never want to calculate my grouse success rate ‘per hunting hour’ back then…a lot more walking and watching than actual shooting!
Outdoorsguy
I love hunting rabbits mostly. Not much luck with grouse. Shot a few but never found them. Was using dad’s old shotgun a the time. Saw them fall but I go where they fell and they’d be gone. Best time to hunt rabbits is during the first snowfall and their fur is still brownish. Would love to know a few good spots to hunt them in the eastern region of Ottawa. Seems it’s all private land now.
Frank, I’m not sure if you’ve checked out the Larose Forest in Bourget area? Lots of bush and trails there to check out for rabbits.
Outdoorsguy
I forgot to mention that I bought a Crosman 2240 pellet pistol last year and carried it with me while moose and deer hunting. I shot 3 partridge with it. Very accurate out of the box. Works well.
Wow Keeb that’s neat..wouldn’t spook too many moose with the sound of that either! I have an old 22 calibre pellet pistol that’s pretty darn powerful as well just not very accurate.
Outdoorsguy
We are heading out tomorrow for our first grouse hunt of the season. Can’t wait. Our four-legged companion is really looking forward to it too. I bought myself a new 20 gauge this year so I am looking forward to trying it out. I will probably miss more birds than I shoot, but it’s just so great to be out in the bush this time of year.
Hey Hunting Mom, how did your first grouse hunt of the year go?
Outdoorsguy
Outdoors Guy, our first grouse hunt went very well. It started out slow — we didn’t get anything on Friday or Saturday despite the fact that the dog flushed several birds. But things changed on Sunday and we (actually I mean my son Sam) got three Sunday morning before we had to come home. I fumbled a bit with my new gun and missed some chances. It was just a wonderful weekend to be in the bush.
Hey Bud, just back from moose hunting and heading up to the huntcamp on Wednesday to help a fellow camp mate sight in a deer gun, give one of the Beagles a run and hopefully pick off a couple partridge. Fells weird to be back at work, clean shaven, showered, and not too comfortable hehe
No birds, lifted two real close but they are were out of sight so fast with all the leaves on the ground it was near impossible. However, I pulled the chip on my trail cam and moved it and set out some corm. Now I’ll need to go up about every week or so to replenish the corn and change the chip in the trail cam.
When I got home I put the chip in the computer and to my surprise, a beautiful buck, big 8 pointer and another spike, both still in velvet. Also a nice spotted fawn and a couple does, this all without any food, they were just passing through
Good stuff Iggs…but wait, both the bucks still in velvet, when were these images taken? They must have been old?
I put out 6 trailcams last weekend and I CANT wait to check them out when I got back on Oct 30th!!
Forgot to ask how the moose hunt went? You made it back ok?
Outdoorsguy
I made it back fine, the hunt itself is another story.
The camera has been up for a month, forgot to check the dates, but I’ll check tonight
Sure is exciting when you find something like that on your trail cam, even if you never see it in the wild. In my experience, you often never see the big ones in the flesh.
Outdoorsguy
Well I checked the videos and to my surprise there is no date on them. Must be a way for me to add this though. However, the eight pointer was the first video so I’m thinking very early September, and there is another spike on the third video that also has velvet. Also a fawn with light spots.
I don’t really expect to see the nice buck but at least when I’m sitting there in my stand in early November with the last light slowly fading I’ll know in my mind that there is a slight chance that he’ll come wondering out. Just kind of gives you that optimism and second wind to stay in the stand right until the last bit of legal light 🙂
Iggy wrote; “I don’t really expect to see the nice buck but at least when I’m sitting there in my stand in early November with the last light slowly fading I’ll know in my mind that there is a slight chance he’ll come wondering out. Just kind of gives you that optimism and second wind to stay in the stand right until the last bit of legal light”
You hit the nail on the head! I believe that’s why we all do it, and of course all those things you see whilst you’re waiting for him to show up.
Take care Iggs..you have a good one as well
Outdoorsguy
Oh and Happy Thanksgiving everyone, this is a wonderful time of year and here in Ottawa it looks like the weather will be great after todays rain.
BBQing a turkey and cooking a ham at the cottage with about 12 other family members. Should be a weekend memories are made of
Got a bird yesterday and shod have had at least another. Two would be perfect to go along with the Shaggy mane mushrooms I picked as well. Nothing like eating a meal consisting of previously untouched, gmo free ingredients. Still haven’t seen a deer in my neck of the woods.
Sounds good Johan..yum yum…cant beat the mild taste of grouse! (Its like goose only 1 million times better..hehe..actually its nothing at all like goose)
Outdoorsguy
That’s good shooting Johan. This time of year with all the leaves still on the trees they can either run or fly before you even raise the shotgun. Never been able to pick mushrooms because I don’t know one from another sk I’ll stick to wild garlic in the springtime
Any deer hunters out there? RIP Whitetail Guru..
Hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since Rick left us…
http://blogs.canoe.com/outdoorsguy/hunting/whitetail-season-is-upon-us/
Outdoorsguy