Indiana grouse hunting

Post Reply
User avatar
Ecw21
Rank: Senior Hunter
Posts: 105
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 6:08 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Indiana grouse hunting

Post by Ecw21 » Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:18 pm

Is there anywhere in Indiana that still has decent Ruffed Grouse hunting? I was born and raised in Perry County, Indiana and heard stories of grouse in the Hoosier National Forest. I'm heading down to Indianapolis for Thanksgiving and would like to get the pup out for a few hours. I've hunted the big forest tracts in Michigan and Wisconsin but wondering how the Hoosier state was faring for upland hunting. I expect that numbers are down since there isn't a large logging industry. Any thoughts?

Thanks all,

Eric

User avatar
jbraun
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Hawesville KY

Re: Indiana grouse hunting

Post by jbraun » Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:05 pm

Hey Eric I am also from Perry County moved to Hawesville Ky about 5 years ago. I have hunted those hoosier national forest hills in Perry County for 30 years and have never seen or heard a grouse or heard of anyone mentioning seeing any.

User avatar
Hotpepper
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1490
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:30 am
Location: Southern Indiana

Re: Indiana grouse hunting

Post by Hotpepper » Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:02 pm

The Indiana DNR website has a lot of information on it. I would also suggest that you call them and they will give you the "skinny" on what you want to do.

When I got my 1st shorthair 20 years ago, went to the area of Eckerty Y and sough of Patoka Lake and found enough to keep me going back, even got to take a couple of them for the table. DNR can give you the areas of clearcuts and well as the US Forrest service on Hwy 37 and that is south of I 64.

Send me a PM and let me know what you find out, might want to go up there myself, it is less than an hour from me. I wish you the best of luck. Lake Monroe just sough of Indy also has the great bird grouse.

Pepper
2009 NGSPA National Champion R/U
OFA Good 06/09
3 years of Age

http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2071

Jeremiah 29:11

God says He has Plans for Me

User avatar
Ecw21
Rank: Senior Hunter
Posts: 105
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 6:08 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: Indiana grouse hunting

Post by Ecw21 » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:59 am

JBraun-good to hear from a fellow Perry County boy...hearing there were grouse in the Hoosier National Forest was more anecdotal. I've been all through the area south of I64 and and had a similar experience--no grouse. There is a so much acreage you would think there is at least a small population but i guess not.

Pepper-Thanks for the info. I will let you know what I learn. I went to school at IU and I'm familiar with Lake Monroe area. Great advice. Whereabouts are you located and what do you hunt down there? Duck? Quail?

User avatar
MillerClemsonHD
Rank: Champion
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Greenville South Carolina

Re: Indiana grouse hunting

Post by MillerClemsonHD » Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:44 am

Ecw21 wrote:JBraun-good to hear from a fellow Perry County boy...hearing there were grouse in the Hoosier National Forest was more anecdotal. I've been all through the area south of I64 and and had a similar experience--no grouse. There is a so much acreage you would think there is at least a small population but i guess not.

Pepper-Thanks for the info. I will let you know what I learn. I went to school at IU and I'm familiar with Lake Monroe area. Great advice. Whereabouts are you located and what do you hunt down there? Duck? Quail?
I used to make my way back to Evansville every year at Thanksgiving, now its only every other year but we spend 3 days hunting quail in the reclaimed strip mines. My dad is from Evansville originally so we go back to spend the holiday with the family. This year is the year off, but I can't wait till next year to take my pup up there as she will be about 18mos next year when we go.

User avatar
Hotpepper
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1490
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:30 am
Location: Southern Indiana

Re: Indiana grouse hunting

Post by Hotpepper » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:50 pm

We live in Evansville and have most of our lives, retired for the past 10 years and hunt the fire out of ducks is what I like to do. I have 4 gsp's so we chase the wiley quail as well.

The U S Forest Service is the best bet, the have all the records of tree cutting and the year it is done. They are generally very helpful.

Some years ago, when we were chasing them pretty hard, we averaged 12 flushes per trip, on occasion we even got to take a couple. My first trip and first contact with ruffed grouse was "I took a double". WOW!!!!!!!!!!!Wondeerful but I have not done it since.

Lots of green briars.

Pepper
2009 NGSPA National Champion R/U
OFA Good 06/09
3 years of Age

http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2071

Jeremiah 29:11

God says He has Plans for Me

dustertoo

Re: Indiana grouse hunting

Post by dustertoo » Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:14 pm

I hunted the Hoosier National Forest south of Lake Monroe, and the Morgan-Monroe State Forest south of Martinsville this October for four days straight, and again one day the following week, and saw one grouse and one woodcock. I did see feathers at a drumming stump, but the birds were scarce. I'm not an experienced grouse hunter, but I have a good shorthair that worked close and thorough. I wish there were enough grouse to make it interesting enough to climb those hills day after day...great excercise and beautiful scenery!

dogluv007
Rank: Just A Pup
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:57 am

Re: Indiana grouse hunting

Post by dogluv007 » Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:11 am

Indiana has really became a joke in terms of the outdoor sports. They could not spell conservation let alone practice it properly. In Indiana at any given moment, you should be able to hunt quail, pheasant, grouse and woodcock, no problem. The main things you see in Indiana, are cheap housing additions and worthless strip malls. When Indinana does set aside a little bit of land. The last thing they do is manage it for wildlife, it gets managed for what a person thinks it should look like. The term I use is "BIG TREE PEOPLE PARKS". It is a place where you can see black top roads, Big Trees and starving deer! That is why I named my first books main title "The Last Seasons". Indiana is a poster child of how not to manage a state for wildlife, it is a joke!

Post Reply