Where can I find Grouse ?

[kentsboots]

Anyone know decent places in OR to find Grouse ? thats not TOO far from portland area ?

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[Jaybo]

I imagine somewhere away from people, located in densely wooded areas.. NOT SOMEONES BACK YARD...

They sit in the road most of the time, so dont bother looking in the trees. Try to find some good logging areas, and run the roads first thing in morning and late afternoon. During the day the birds roost.

 

[kentsboots]

So pretty much just do some road hunting , any old road out in the sticks .. ?
I used to shoot up in esticada a long time ago , never remember seeing any along the roads up promitory or memeloose , but i guess i wasnt really looking for that kinda stuff back then .

 

[Joe Link]

Are those those really dumb birds that stand in the road and look at you? If so I think I saw a few of those little idiots shooting up near Amboy.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

There's a whole bunch of 'em in every insurance company I ever worked in.

 

[kentsboots]

Are those those really dumb birds that stand in the road and look at you? If so I think I saw a few of those little idiots shooting up near Amboy.

yup , them are the ones , i figure it would be an easy day trip , cheap bird stamp , and i want to take my son with me then that might be the easier thing to find , ive never been much a hunter , but i have shot a grouse before .

 

[finch6013]

I know archery hunting in eastern oregon they are all over the logging roads. Sometimes they are dumb enough you accidentaly run them over. One guy I know killed one with a golf club. I would love to find a place that has them around portland area

 

[kentsboots]

I saw one in Hood River when i was riding there at post canyon , but just one . And i had seen one while driving the roads at the stevenson shooting range , but thats the wrong state for me .

 

[Jaybo]

Just a wee bit of forewarning.... If you dont like "gamey" tasting food... this is NOT a bird you want to go after. It has a pretty strong flavor.. some like... some dont. If you soak it buttermilk overnight, it helps draw quite a bit of that strong flavor out of it. I tend to like it, but my wife and kids dont like the "gamey" flavor. HHAHAh. that just means more for meeee!

 

[mudslinging79]

co worker goes out in the hills between mollola and estacada for grouse

 

[RockKrawler]

I don't know where you are located,but not too far from Timothy Lake are some old FS roads,and on the backside where they have washed out the grouse hunting has been very good to us.
You can drive to the washout,then start hiking,the coveys can be quite large up there,but you will not get too many opportunities if you are a poor shot.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

The boom in coyote and Bobcat population really has their numbers down along the coast where I live, but we head over to the blue mtns. when we need a Grouse fix.
We start low for ruff's then go up for blues. The limit WAS 3 ruff's and 3 blues per day, check bag limits for in possession limits. I love to take a dutch oven with us and MM,mm eat em cooked right there. Blues are about a pound larger, and around twice as likely to just sit tight.

 

[nwwoodsman]

Ton's of 'em out here. Usually spot them when in the middle of logging roads or on the edges in the trees. They usually only come out when I don't have my shotgun or .22 with me though. When I do have a sufficient firearm, they seem to magically disappear before my eyes. Known to start beating their wings 5 feet away when you're doing your business out in the woods, squatted down with your pants around your ankles, almost causing heart attacks and making you fall into your pile. When I was surveying (this is no b.s.) we were stalked, befriended by, and then attacked by a grouse. It did not end well for the bird.

 

[cwegga]

Just a wee bit of forewarning.... If you dont like "gamey" tasting food... this is NOT a bird you want to go after. It has a pretty strong flavor.. some like... some dont. If you soak it buttermilk overnight, it helps draw quite a bit of that strong flavor out of it. I tend to like it, but my wife and kids dont like the "gamey" flavor. HHAHAh. that just means more for meeee!

The flavor like other game really depends on what the grouse has been eating. I had a Cicada fed one last year that was delicious. If you can find one's that have been eating barries If you open their crop and it's full of pine needles...

 

[Blov]

The boom in coyote and Bobcat population really has their numbers down along the coast where I live, but we head over to the blue mtns. when we need a Grouse fix.
We start low for ruff's then go up for blues. The limit WAS 3 ruff's and 3 blues per day, check bag limits for in possession limits. I love to take a dutch oven with us and MM,mm eat em cooked right there. Blues are about a pound larger, and around twice as likely to just sit tight.

There aren't many around Florence. I've heard some say where to go but I've not seen any there.

 

[iusmc2002]

I know archery hunting in eastern oregon they are all over the logging roads. Sometimes they are dumb enough you accidentaly run them over. One guy I know killed one with a golf club. I would love to find a place that has them around portland area

Did he have to get a specific license or tag to hunt with that golf club? Better be careful or there will be bills in legislature limiting the number of clubs a person can buy at one time.

 

[C&H]

Better be careful or there will be bills in legislature limiting the number of clubs a person can buy at one time.

Nah, probably just laws to limit the amount of clubs in your bag.

Back to the thread:
I'm up for some grouse hunting if someone wants company and doesn't mind a beginner. I've never hunted, and never cleaned a bird, but I can walk or drive on a road and hit a bird sized target with my .22 or shotgun...

 

[Sling Blade]

Any news on ruffed grouse hunting this season? As long as it stays so dry here on the west side, it might be worth a try somewhere.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Any news on ruffed grouse hunting this season? As long as it stays so dry here on the west side, it might be worth a try somewhere.

I felt lucky to have taken the three that I have, and probably shouldn't have given the depression their population is in here on the coast. I've seen a few more during Elk archery, but not many. The poor ba$tards don't stand a chance when the Robertkitty's population is up, all they have to do is start drumming, and it's a candy call for them, I've eaten Bobcat though, kinda tastes like chicken, which sorta tastes like Grouse,, hmmmm.

 

[foomanchu]

I took a few ruffed grouse this year. But this was back in September. Saw a lot of grouse while carrying around my rifle (of course!)