From VA to Where??? Hunting Advice Needed!!

leeave96 · Post by **leeave96** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 6:53 am

I've got my WPG in training and she is scheduled to be finished-up first week in January. I'm in western/central VA and quail are no where to be found in the wild and grouse are almost as scarce. This dog is primarily a family/house dog and the bird aspect is simply a nod to me and my wish to bird hunt. Having said that, when the dog comes back home, it will be late in the hunting season and a long spring, summer and fall in front of it prior to hunting season. I have a pretty good feeling the dog will loose most of it's training discipline via just being a house dog. I've got a boy who will be 15 and another that will be 17 in a few weeks and I'd like to take them and the dog for a really nice hunt before the dog returns to being a couch potato. I want to go somewhere where there are plenty of grouse. In my neck of the woods, you are lucky to see a single grouse on an all day hunt - if any at all.

So where should we go? Should I try a guided hunt? I don't want to say a blank check is in play here, but if I can get my boys and dog into a great grouse area and have a very successful day or two of hunting, then I think I'd be very happy knowing I imprinted a nice grouse hunt in my boy's memory (and fired their passion for another hunt) and got to see my dog perform.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill

birddog1968 · Post by **birddog1968** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:30 am

Could try western NC , East Tn for grouse....

Aquire some quail or chukar to hold till spring to work with maybe......

Cptmorgan177 · Post by **Cptmorgan177** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:54 pm

I live in E. TN and have WPG also. I am going to western NC to Grouse hunt this year. I have heard some really good reports from people early walking this year.
Who did you get your Griffon from?

bwjohn · Post by **bwjohn** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 6:41 pm

Honestly, e tn and nc are not going to be not much better.

That time of year i would say try a preserve of some kind. That is to late in the year for good grouse territory.

If you wanted to make a trip you could check into going south. Does ga or fl have hunt able quail anymore?

But you could start planning for next year, in that case I would go to vt or nh early october.

Brandon

leeave96 · Post by **leeave96** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 7:08 pm

Cptmorgan177 wrote:I live in E. TN and have WPG also. I am going to western NC to Grouse hunt this year. I have heard some really good reports from people early walking this year.
Who did you get your Griffon from?

My WPG came from Scripture Kennels in MN.

Thanks,
Bill

setternewbie · Post by **setternewbie** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:16 am

There's really a lot of good preserves in central Virginia. I looked at a bunch of dogs in the Scottsville area, and every breeder I talked to had a preserve on their property. There's a bunch of good ones that are highly advertised around too. For preserve birds, I really like chukars. Good flying, hold nice for a dog. It might be a little easier way to introduce dog and boys to some hunting. Don't give up either, there's still grouse around, you just got to work for them. WV has better densities and habitat in places, but there's still birds to be found in SW VA anyway.

Brazosvalleyvizslas · Post by **Brazosvalleyvizslas** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:17 pm

There's a chance that I'll be out there next summer and plan on getting a huntable population of Tn. Reds and Kansas Ringnwcks started. If that happens you could come visit.

cmc274 · Post by **cmc274** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:36 pm

PA is open until 3rd week of January. Kansas is open until sometime in January too. I'd be looking at those two spots.

northern cajun · Post by **northern cajun** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:20 am

Everybody is talking Grouse :roll: :roll:

I know grouse are really fun to hunt but.......

Don't forget WOODCOCK. I believe you have a pretty long season on them.

Central Virginia WMA's, and Cumberland State Forest are loaded with woodcock from reports of hunters in the area.

leeave96 · Post by **leeave96** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:00 am

Update: Looks like my dog (and me) will be ready for a hunt the week between Christmas and New Years Day.

So I'm wondering what my options are for both grouse and potentially quail. I'm only interested in wild birds, which rules out some hunting venues within easy striking distance from near my neck of the woods, around Roanoke VA. Reason I'm considering quail - whereas I had been focused on grouse, is simply weather. It seems more grouse are present as one goes north of me, but then the weather becomes much more harsh with it too. I'm wondering if I can find a quality grouse hunt by going south and with it more favorable weather.

Again - any ideas for a decent areas to consider for a wild quail or grouse hunt would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!!!!!!
Bill

MATT4126 · Post by **MATT4126** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:06 pm

you will have about 2 weeks of woodcock season left, and the birds should be plentiful. I was out yesterday for the first day of the second season and moved 8 birds in about 2 hours. they are holding real tight, but my dog had a great day and did good. let me know where in va you are and maybe i could direct you to some woodcock habitat.

unless you have access to a bunch of private land west and south of waynesboro grouse are hard to come by. they get a lot of pressure on the public land in GWNF and i have walked all day for a flush i didn't see or shoot at. wild quail are in short supply in central va, but can be found in way southside (lunenburg, mecklenburg, franklin counties). again, private land is almost a must.

leeave96 · Post by **leeave96** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 5:01 pm

MATT4126 wrote:you will have about 2 weeks of woodcock season left, and the birds should be plentiful. I was out yesterday for the first day of the second season and moved 8 birds in about 2 hours. they are holding real tight, but my dog had a great day and did good. let me know where in va you are and maybe i could direct you to some woodcock habitat.

unless you have access to a bunch of private land west and south of waynesboro grouse are hard to come by. they get a lot of pressure on the public land in GWNF and i have walked all day for a flush i didn't see or shoot at. wild quail are in short supply in central va, but can be found in way southside (lunenburg, mecklenburg, franklin counties). again, private land is almost a must.

I'm near Roanoke. I hadn't thought about woodcock.

Thanks!
Bill

birdyhunter · Post by **birdyhunter** » Sun Dec 16, 2012 10:43 am

I live in north fl and though quail are spotty, there is a hunt able population here. Its just a matter of getting on them. My advice would be to find a good preserve if you want to get on lots of birds.

JIM K · Post by **JIM K** » Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:41 am

unless we hunters start shooting over heads of birds on publicland, hunting is going to get a lot worst.
i had about 50 grouse flushes and about same here in on privateland and i shot 3 grouse and couple of woodcock.
yet you can drive a mile next to my land and great habitat and see no birds.

cant hunters wake up and see they are ruining our hunting.
look at deer in pa, ALMOST gone in great hunting areas like WMU2G northcentral pa.
i hunted 2 weeks and never saw deer, first time in 46 yrs.

this is why i am pushing for NO KILLING of birds areas on publiclands here in pa.
but most hate me for it, THEY WANT TO KILL OFF EVERY BIRD.
jim

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