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Grouse hunting in KY

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:11 pm
by Hunting cop
Does anyone know any good public land to hunt grouse in Kentucky or Tennessee?

Re: Grouse hunting in KY

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:38 pm
by Mountaineer
As with most of the Apps, KY does little for the ruffed grouse....deer, turkey and even the elk get the focus now.
I would look for any public/private ground in the east next to Almost Heaven, or the Ohio drainage, the reclaimed mine land not set up specifically for the elk and any early successional that timbering has delivered.
TN, east, mountain early successional.
There are pockets of birds in both states, and Ohio.
Good Luck....your task is daunting and I would watch your impact on a bird in steep decline....grousehunters, despite a decline in numbers, are additive in bad times.

Re: Grouse hunting in KY

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 3:23 pm
by Johng918
At one time you could do pretty good in the north east (Greenup,Lewis counties) But now they are more interested in bringing back turkey and elk in the state not complaining the deer hunting has been out of this world.

Re: Grouse hunting in KY

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:29 pm
by phoneman45
hunting cop,

I would agree with the other posts on here. I have lived in Ky since 88 and back in the day grouse seemed to be everywhere but not any more. There are some pockets in the eastern counties such as Lewis, Carter and the counties in the mountains such as Letcher and Pike that still hold birds but the glory days of grouse in this state seem to be passing. Too bad, because i used to move birds all the time in Mason and Robertson counties also. Turkey and deer as well as elk seem to garner all the attention these days, and I have heard that turkey will displace grouse though I dont have any documentation to back that statement up, just something i have been told. Though I am dogless at the moment, if I bought one I would be compelled to travel to other states such as Wisconsin or Mich. to hunt my favorite bird, that or get into beagling. Rabbits here in central Ky seem to be growing out of the ground, unbelievable numbers of little ones here in the suburbs of Lexington. Good luck.

phoneman