Grouse Hunting Basics
Grouse hunting is popular sport for hunters who like the challenge of hunting birds. Grouse hunting often gets grouped in with partridge and quail hunting because there are ranches and land with fairly enclosed areas that offer grouse hunting tours and guided hunts. Grouse hunting regulations vary from state to state and are completely different on grouse hunting  ranches or clubs. Most states have season dates and bag limits so make sure to check with your state hunting regulations guidebook. Grouse hunting Information such as area hunting maps and grouse hunting clubs can be found online or at our favorite spot huntNfishregs.com.
Grouse hunting is a sport that many people consider a bit more exciting than hunting things like partridges and quail because of the different type of flight a grouse has. And unlike duck hunting where a hunter lies in wait with decoys and a call to attract ducks, grouse hunting is done with a line of hunters pushing forward and others with them trying to flush out the grouse. Many people like to think of this type of hunting as a sort of skeet shoot hunting. You walk and wait for the birds to be flushed out. As they fly up, you take aim and shoot.
Ruffed Grouse are the king of all game birds, and sometimes (I mean most of the time) the most challenging. So here are a few tips and techniques that I use and that work well for me.
In order to hunt grouse, you need a place that holds birds. Ruffed Grouse like moist, dark places with little ground cover (like grass), but low overhead cover. I hunt areas here in the Pacific Northwest that are mixed timber and brush along creek bottoms. Grouse need food, and mostly live on buds and berries, but also feed on bugs and clover. Food sources differ from area to area, but grouse typically eat the same things everywhere. What I’ve seen where I hunt is that grouse change their diet as the seasons change.
A good grouse hunting dog provides opportunities that you might not have otherwise had, but that's not to say that a dog less hunter can't do well. The key, for a dog less hunter, is to stop and start through likely cover and change direction often. These unpredictable patterns unnerve grouse and invariably pressure them into flushing. Another added bonus is that when you stop you can sometimes hear the put-put-put of a grouse moving just ahead of you. If that's the case, get the gun up and rush it.
On your way out to a grouse hunt ? Stop by huntNfishregs.com to get all 50 state hunting regulation guidebooks, hunting maps, hunting info including local contacts, special interest and more.