Grouse habitat

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ruffbritt4
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Grouse habitat

Post by ruffbritt4 » Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:51 am

Will grouse be in an area in the summer that is thick when it has foliage but move out in the fall when the foliage dies? One of my covers is an old apple orchard and I found grouse in it in the late summer but in November there were none. There was a fresh snow so possibly they moved onto conifers? Thanks

Mountaineer
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Re: Grouse habitat

Post by Mountaineer » Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:28 am

Ruffed grouse look for cover, food, security and all the rest.
A late summer draw would be apples and I expect that would continue as long as any area provides some appeal....or the birds get kicked out by various pressures.
Stay away from hunting any well...as necessary an in thinking of the bird first.
Time of the season can affect how comfortable a grouse is and when they will head out of Dodge....November will have them feeling less comfortable....from wiseing up alone.

For a spell, pines can attract birds needing what they deliver but seldom would that entail satisfying all their needs.
I suspect that grouse often get pushed by us and hold up in pines for the feeling of cover they provide.

Grouse are pretty much where you find them.....the numbers pre-dispersal not always a guarantee other than of the moment.

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ruffbritt4
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Re: Grouse habitat

Post by ruffbritt4 » Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:54 am

So they probably had no access to the apples that were under the snow and went to find a new food source, are apples a summer and early fall food for them?
Edit:you answered my question, thanks

Mountaineer
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Re: Grouse habitat

Post by Mountaineer » Fri Aug 28, 2015 2:14 pm

Maybe.
Grouse would likely prefer whatever is best....whenever and wherever.
I would say that happenstance enters alongside choice in their little noggin.
Grapes could be a bigger draw seasonally...or even old bittersweet in late season and as better foods are gone.
Keep track and develop a mental file of where you find them during season, during different times of the day, which way the slopes face when you move them, moisture, etc. and you will be a step or two ahead as each season passes.
Just husband them well if their populations do not support mining a covert more than once or twice a season...hunting ruffed grouse can be additive to a decline based upon local particulars....never forget that truth. :idea:

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ruffbritt4
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Re: Grouse habitat

Post by ruffbritt4 » Fri Aug 28, 2015 3:57 pm

Mountaineer wrote:Maybe.
Grouse would likely prefer whatever is best....whenever and wherever.
I would say that happenstance enters alongside choice in their little noggin.
Grapes could be a bigger draw seasonally...or even old bittersweet in late season and as better foods are gone.
Keep track and develop a mental file of where you find them during season, during different times of the day, which way the slopes face when you move them, moisture, etc. and you will be a step or two ahead as each season passes.
Just husband them well if their populations do not support mining a covert more than once or twice a season...hunting ruffed grouse can be additive to a decline based upon local particulars....never forget that truth. :idea:
Thank you for all your help, I will have to think about what you said about where I find them and the conditions, it would probably help me a lot. And I don't shoot more than 1 grouse out of a cover in a season. That is, of course, providing I can hit that 1 bird haha.

Mountaineer
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Re: Grouse habitat

Post by Mountaineer » Fri Aug 28, 2015 4:06 pm

It is good to be judicious with any ruffed grouse population but some will withstand both our hits and our misses( :idea: )...better.
Good luck this season.....Pennsylvania is blessed in many ways.

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ruffbritt4
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Re: Grouse habitat

Post by ruffbritt4 » Fri Aug 28, 2015 4:58 pm

Mountaineer wrote:It is good to be judicious with any ruffed grouse population but some will withstand both our hits and our misses( :idea: )...better.
Good luck this season.....Pennsylvania is blessed in many ways.
Thank you, got a new pup so I'm very excited to get her out.

walt501
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Re: Grouse habitat

Post by walt501 » Sat Sep 05, 2015 12:50 pm

I hunt Grouse in NW Ontario and what I've noticed over the years is that once things freeze up Grouse will move to the tree tops to eat buds. Even though there is still plenty of clover along roadsides for grouse to eat, I've never seen them utilize it once it's frozen. My theory is Grouse won't eat frozen food because the energy to warm it is less than the energy obtained from eating it. Tree buds likely thaw out on a sunny day, even if the temperature is below freezing and that is where I find the Grouse.

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