Grouse hunting

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Find a clear cut that's around ten years old on the plateau or the Cherokee NF and then you'd be lucky if you got into them. Most places I used to hunt they are mostly gone.
 
I don't know what happened to them here but they are gone. I used to love to see them in the woods.

I heard a bunch drumming and saw several in Minnesota this spring. Three different ones were drumming at the same time in one spot.
 
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Put it this way. This is even with a dog. You will walk miles and miles and probably not see one in some tough terrain. We usually average from the truck and back about 8 miles. And not get the dog on one. Sometimes the dog gets hot scent cause one has been there but who knows when. Then on your 3rd or 4th outing you'll see one or 2. So if you don't like watching dogs work or anything forget about it.
 
On another board long ago we had a fellar from Canada, posted pictures on his hunts, 22 rifles are legal or were then. would love to be able to do that some day but afraid it's too late these days. Minnesota I think still has a good amount of numbers to keep from crossing the boarder
 
Michigan and Wisconsin have good public land Grouse hunting. Michigan manages areas for Grouse and Woodcock (GEMS) Grouse Enhanced Management Sites by clearcutting certain sections for new growth ,planting food and cover sources and such. Hopefully they will keep managing some areas down here in TN for Quail and start doing some management for other Upland Birds.
 
Willysman said:
Hunted the South Cherokee for many many years. Used to jump 12-15 a day (no dog). As the years went by the numbers steadily declined. Old growth forest and no new cuts due to tree huggers. Lucky to see one now. Sad.
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hopefully TWRA's new quail project will help the grouse. i can remember hearing that low Thumping sound they make as a kid but i haven't heard that in years
 
JOS said:
Michigan and Wisconsin have good public land Grouse hunting. Michigan manages areas for Grouse and Woodcock (GEMS) Grouse Enhanced Management Sites by clearcutting certain sections for new growth ,planting food and cover sources and such. Hopefully they will keep managing some areas down here in TN for Quail and start doing some management for other Upland Birds.
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To my Knowledge TWRA has hired someone From Kansas to help bring the quail numbers back. hopefully this is true and the grouse will follow
 
Setterman said:
More ideal habitat then we've ever had around here and starting 5 years ago the birds just vanished. I still go some but rarely move a bird these days. 10 years ago we'd find a dozen birds in good cover now there's zero.

Really sad, and not sure it'll ever return
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that's really strange to me too, just last weekend I spooked a grouse in the middle of old growth woods on my grandad's farm in Scott County. that's the first one I've seen since I was a young kid. What's even more strange is that when I go to Foothills WMA I don't see a single quail or grouse even in all that timbered land
 
Chickencoop96 said:
that's really strange to me too, just last weekend I spooked a grouse in the middle of old growth woods on my grandad's farm in Scott County. that's the first one I've seen since I was a young kid. What's even more strange is that when I go to Foothills WMA I don't see a single quail or grouse even in all that timbered land
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It makes no sense, I have hunted Scott county since I was a kid and grouse numbers were always pretty steady. in the blink of an eye they went off a cliff for reasons no one knows
 
Hunted South Cherokee (Tellico) for many years. Declined steadily year after year. Not a sudden decline. Still up there a lot. Probably been 5 years since I've seen one.
 
Setterman said:
It makes no sense, I have hunted Scott county since I was a kid and grouse numbers were always pretty steady. in the blink of an eye they went off a cliff for reasons no one knows
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as well as the bobwhites. used to hear them all the time but haven't heard one since grade school
 
Chickencoop96 said:
I wonder if south cherokee's issue is due to reduced amount of timber cuts
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It certainly is. Very little if any timber harvesting going on. Back when I grouse hunted the grouse were in the 10-15 year old cuts. Don't have that anymore. Tree huggers have stopped it. And of course coyotes haven't helped the situation. I agree timber cuts aren't very pretty but it benefits all wildlife.
 
There used to be a ton of grouse in the New River Unit of South Cumberland WMA. It would be nothing to see 15-20 a day, I haven't been up there in several years though.
 

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