Looks like I will be in Maine for a week Grouse hunting soon and wondered if any of you had any tips. I am used to hunting the Mtns of NC and VA.

I will be staying at the Wilderness Escape Lodge; have you all stayed there before?

Thanks and God Bless, Louis

If its anything like grouse hunting in minnesota ,My best advice is be ready.You only get a few seconds to shoot before they are gone !

Since I've never chased grouse anywhere other than in New England, I'm afraid I cannot offer any advice as far as differences. This much I do know, however: shoot fast and true. And prepared to be humbled a bit. Have fun and post pics. Oh, and watch for timberdoodles. They're likely to be about.

Good luck up there......and once you find them would you be so kind as to let me know exactly where they are?

youngoutdoors:

I think Norton is telling you that Maine is the "Pine Tree State" -and ruffed grouse do not live in pine trees. (That's for spruce grouse-an entirely different kind of bird) You want to be in an area where there are hardwood trees as well as sunny slopes (at certain times of the day)and only just occasionally the evergreens. In other words, a mix of where deciduous and evergreen meet. Deep north Maine woods are not so great for ruffed grouse. (I now can expect the Maine Licensed Guides Association to come after me! I really do like Maine and think it's great for deer -just not so good for ruffs!)

quote:

Originally posted by Gerrypeters375:
youngoutdoors:

I think Norton is telling you that Maine is the "Pine Tree State" -and ruffed grouse do not live in pine trees. (That's for spruce grouse-an entirely different kind of bird) You want to be in an area where there are hardwood trees as well as sunny slopes (at certain times of the day)and only just occasionally the evergreens. In other words, a mix of where deciduous and evergreen meet. Deep north Maine woods are not so great for ruffed grouse. (I now can expect the Maine Licensed Guides Association to come after me! I really do like Maine and think it's great for deer -just not so good for ruffs!)

Come to Mt and I will Show you all the ruffs that you can shoot in pine trees as well as firs and larch and spruce. You can find ruffs from the tree line to the river bottoms they are quite adaptive. The blue grouse like the higher elevations and the franklin ( spruce grouse)seem to like the wetter spruce bottoms. but our ruffs are 2000 miles away from your birds. But wherever you hunt them you had better shoot fast because with ruffs when you snooze you loose.

wetdog2084:

This old ruff hunter found your comments very interesting. I almost laughed out loud at your last comment in your remarks that "when you snooze you lose". Yeah, your ruffs must be like ours! Your woods are a mix, I assume. (I'm only saying that ruffs do not care for an exclusively evergreen woods area)

Garrypeters375 The forest around my area where I hunt is mostly a mix of evergreens ponderosa and lodgepole pine, firs, spruce, and larch with a few aspens and birch and ceader here and there but not many. There is various low lying brush under the trees and in the clear cuts. over the past few years I have been jumping ruffs in the cottonwoods on the river bottoms it still surprises me when I do because I don't associate ruffs with that kind of habitat. When you open the gullet of the ruffs you will find different berries and usually young larch needles early in the season until the larch needles fall and knickanick. Come out to Nw mt and I will take you grouse hunting in the lodgepole for ruffs. you will not have a problem taking all Three species of mountian grouse. I would love to go to new england for ruffs and wood cock.

Oh, I miss grouse hunting in MN. But I do enjoy the fact I shoot more at quail in one weekend than I did all season in MN.

I miss those long, cold rainy gray days, followed by a hot shower and a fire in the fireplace.

You guys are more than welcome to come on up and join us!

The Grouse around here in NC are pretty hard to find. I think there are just too many Hawks, possums,coons, and such. Ground nesting birds don't have much chance. I wish trapping was like it used to be.

God Bless, Louis

When I lived Just north of Knoxville TN I tried hunting for ruffs the locals said that they had grouse "all over" after 4 days hard hunting I gave it up never even heard a bird.

wetdog 2084:

I want to thank you for your gracious invitation to hunt ruffs with you. Your invitation is typical of the courtesy and hospitality that I have experienced in the West -and I have seen all of the Western states (except Washington and Oregon) Due to age I must decline.(very regretfully, I should add) I think that we hunters always want to hunt what we don't know. Thus, I would have loved to hunt antelope, mountain goats and sheep. You mentioned that you would like to hunt woodcock. It really would pain me to have you come two thousand miles east to "hunt" a bird that just does't measure up to the ruffed grouse. People can argue about it and tell hunting stories - but what do you say about a bird that spirals up in alders - and if you wait unrtil he clears the trees (where he then hesitates as to which way to fly -and then, of course, is when to fire and is then a simple standing target). Somehow, a ruff always seemed more difficult for me! Your mention of shooting ruffs in a "bottom" ( gully? low land where a brook or small river flows in rainy season?) did surprise me ,too. Dry area? The mention of cottonwoods also surprised me -unless the cottonwood has some kind of buds that a grouse might feed on. (Being a strictly Eastern "tenderfoot",my knowledge of cottonwoods is confined to what I know of you guys hanging rustlers and other outlaws from them! Anyway, regards.

quote:

Originally posted by nugman:
I

First, grouse are called "partridge" (or, if you want to sound like a "Mainuh", it's pronounced "pahtridge").
.

In deep woods northern New England (top of NH up through ME), I've often heard them referred to simply as 'birds'. As in, "Didja see any horns out theyah today? Nope, but I got a couple a' birds for supper..."