Not really turkey related but has anybody run across any grouse or heard any drumming this spring?
East Tennessee hunters
- Thread starter Iglow
- Start date
Setterman
Well-Known Member
Zero, used to hear them all over the place. About 5 years ago they basically vanished. In the last few years we've just about stopped hunting them as it's a waste of time. Really sad
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- Dec 5, 2014
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In all my travels in the last 20 years, I've only seen 2-3 Grouse.
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- Sep 27, 2010
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Not heard or seen one in 7 years
Zero here
Union Co. Boy
Well-Known Member
Not in a very long time. They say there are some on the mountains up Powell Valley between Claiborne and Campbell county.
Used to see them all the time here as a kid. I bet it's been 10 years since I've seen one.
We saw one on the side of the road heading towards Cades Cove about a month ago.
I wonder how low the population density can go before they become extinct in the state? If they are so widely scattered how do they get together to breed? Could it be that they are in certain small areas with empty vacant areas in between? Like when you find 1 you've found all of them that are around then you could walk for miles till you found another group? That can't be good for genetics.
Bone Collector
Well-Known Member
I'm not in East TN but I have not seen and grouse, quail or anything in a few years. I did have a covey of about 20 quail on my personal property 5 years ago or so. Saw them 2x then never again. Don't know what happened to them. I did not hunt them. I saw 2 woodcocks or snipes on the WMA about a week ago. They had long beaks, so I figure it was one or the other. They let me get right on top of them and flushed. Scared me pretty good.
Not this year, did see a couple last year.
