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Chicago
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:18 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 1376
Location: Northern Illinois

Just received the latest issues of Grouse Tales - the official newsletter of the Loyal Order of Dedicated Grouse Hunters (LODGH). About 325 members submitted results for the annual survey and only 29 of us use a 16 ga.

Other interesting tidbits from the newsletter: Michigan again leads the pack in the average flush rate per hour at 1.74, down from 2.04 the prior year and this is the lowest flush rate in the past decade. Wisconsin which had a flush rate of 1.56 in 2016 dropped to .74 last fall. Pennsylvania was up a little at .99 and so was New York, however Minnesota also dropped a little to 1.47. The summary is only shown for MI, WI, MN, PN and NY. Overall results were recorded from 24 states and the province of Ontario, Canada.

Not sure if it is allowed, but I will put in a plug for Grouse Tales and you can sign up for the bi-monthly newsletter for $24 per year. You can view his website at:

www.grousetales.com

Good Hunting,
Mike
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kgb
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 8:06 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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Location: Nebraska

I expect the most common setup would be a 20ga O/U if it's not 20ga repeaters. Labs or GSPs should dominate their category.

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Griffon
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 4:01 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine

Dominate their category? Most likely to need a E Collar turned up to High?

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kgb
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 6:28 am  Reply with quote
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Maybe that, too, but I don't think it's one of the responses requested in the survey!

Gotta figure for every bird shot (at) by a walking cliché with his white setter, a dozen more are threatened similarly by a man shooting a pump gun over his Lab or pointer of other distinction. No doubt they all lag behind ATV straddlers with single shots, handguns and rifles, but that's another ignored category of rufflers.

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Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern
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Griffon
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 6:54 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine

Oh The Ground Swatters.

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3birddogs
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:37 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Sep 2011
Posts: 567
Location: wheeling, wv

Mike,
got mine yesterday, and was going over the stats, always interesting. I am am always in the top of the stats as per birds killed, even as a non-resident. I start early, hunt late, and know what to look for in grouse cover--have been hunting MI. for 32 years behind my setters. I figure I have only 2 good weeks per year now to indulge in my passion, so I dont spend my time in the cabin.I used to run into Ken(grouse Tails) down here in my Ohio covers when the bird hunting here was just as good as the northern states, we have often co-miserated over the decline. Sure, the road hunters take their share, but it doesnt really seem like a big thing--last year ran into a fellow hunting grouse off his mountain bike with a .410 strapped to the handlebars, at least he was getting a workout!
I have 2 young setters who will have their first season in the UP this year, and am excited about it.

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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:47 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2786
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Mike,

Thanks for posting this thread, now that Bill Palmer, Pa's real Grouse Biologist is fully retired. I will eventually Join the LODGH again so my input will actually do some good.

Thanks again for the contact info!

3BirdDogs,

32 Years is a good start, if you would like to take a walk thru the Pa Grouse Mountains some time with us older guys, you are now welcome. Our youngest member now has 35 years under his belt. kgb being one of our unofficial younger members, probably has about 30 years also.

Pine Creek/Dave


Last edited by Pine Creek/Dave on Tue Apr 03, 2018 3:34 pm; edited 4 times in total

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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:48 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

Around here most of our blue and ruffed grouse are potted by elk hunters passing by in or on their rigs. It's frustrating since the birds come down to peck grit along the roads and don't last long once big game seasons commence. There are not many of us in Wyoming who actually hunt these grouse and appreciate them for what they are.

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pumpgun
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:13 am  Reply with quote
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Griffon wrote:
Oh The Ground Swatters.


They do well up north. I'd like to see date correlating make/model/color pickup, and
# of road birds per case of beer.
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tramroad28
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:28 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were

When you look at a state like Ohio, my state for 65 + years, one wonders what the grouse shooters are thinking.
I know what the grousehunters are thinking. Idea

Szabo’s effort has to be a labor of love...kudos to his long, long effort to compile information sent his way.
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3birddogs
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 3:57 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Sep 2011
Posts: 567
Location: wheeling, wv

Dave, my dear older cousin who I always thought of as an uncle, took me to his camp in Potter county and gave me the keys to his camp, and a 20 ga Fox. He died soon after in his ninties, and the kids sold the camp--I still have the Fox and the keys.
The camp was around Shinglehouse.

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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 6:18 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2786
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

3BirdDogs,

Uncles name please, I may have known him quite well! Sounds like your Uncle wanted you to own that Camp, might should have bought it from his kids.

Pine Creek/Dave

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3birddogs
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:27 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Sep 2011
Posts: 567
Location: wheeling, wv

Bob Walker was his name. He had already made an agreement with a local neighbor to sell the camp to him when he passed. He was a retired mechanical engineer for Consol

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PatrickB
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:51 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 592
Location: Minnesota

Been a member for many, many years and enjoy the simple newsletter and annual survey. The results are always interesting. The MN summary data was low compared to prior years but higher than I expected based on poor feedback from hunters during the season. No doubt it was a difficult year with the above average warm weather, wet woods conditions and fewer birds.

As Chicago stated there were not many 16ga hunters. It looked like more members were shooting 12ga guns than I remember in recent years. The 20ga dominated as usual. I usually shoot a vintage Brit SxS but I decided to carry the Fox last season and apparently I was one of the few who did.

If you're not a member and would enjoy a simple newsletter that provides comments and insights from grouse hunters across the country I encourage you to consider it.
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makintrax73
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:10 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 27 Oct 2017
Posts: 80
Location: Joliet, IL

I have not been a grouse hunter for any length of time (2 seasons) but to my observation something very strange occurred last year with numbers in N WI.

I purchased a cheap hunting/fishing cabin with a bit of land 1 1/2 years ago so I made several trips to work on it. In April I took a couple buddies to demo the inside of the cabin and walked the property. Saw a TON of grouse. They were everywhere we went on the property.

By the time hunting season rolled around I would venture to say the numbers flushed on the property was 1/3 what it was in the spring.

I don't know if there was a draw to my property in the spring (more food than surrounding area due to early age class aspen?). What I saw was a huge drop in numbers from Spring to Fall when I assume you would see an increase due to breeding.

Any case I only killed 1 grouse last year, but my setter had a lot of fun running around the woods acting stupid
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