# Grouse populations



## Star1pup (Aug 3, 2004)

Grouse populations have been way down here in Ohio so a group of us went to the grouse capitol of the world in Wisconsin. Guess what? They were practically non-existant there too.


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## rac123 (May 20, 2004)

I think the turkeys and the explosion of racoons is hurting the population???I havent seen one around Coshocton cty[western side]for a long time! I sure miss em'! when was the last time you heard a quail sing?????


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

Pitt, WVU and Kentucky Universities are doing a 15 year study on grouse. They are in year 11. Grouse have a ten year cycle of up and down. What they have found is that hunters take less than 1% of a yearly hatch. Foxes, raccons and such take around 3% of a hatch. The number one killer of grouse is "HAWKS". The precentage is in the 60s for hawk kills of a hatch.
They also found that loss of habitat ads to the problem. But with the increase of hawks the ten year high that should have occurd has not happened. The hatch rate and youg chick survival is up but when they are half grown the hawks start in on them. 
West Virginia is trying to pass a hunting season on hawks to try and control the problem. 
Hope this hads some insight into the discussion.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

If the Hawks are becoming a problem, they should thin the population down a bit.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I have never seen any numbers put to the effect of hawks on pheasants but I know that it is substantial as well. I used to raise pheasnts for release and I have seen more than once when a hawk made a kill. I also noticed a considerable increase in the sightings of hawks in my area during the years in which I was raising and releasing pheasants.

I know a guy who used to run a private hunting preserve for a guy and he used to trap hawks and owls to control them. I know this is very illegal but he was instructed to do so and actually had the game warden turn his back to it saying he did not know anything. One interesting thing that he told me was that the birds that he took were mostly owls. He claimed that the owls were even more damaging to his bird population than hawks.


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

I just got back from a 10 day grouse/woodcock hunt in the Chippewa National forest in Minnesota, near Pennington. The numbers are down in that area also. Last year I think our group shot 37 grouse, this year we managed to bag about 22 but we had less than half as many flushes. The grouse numbers were predicted to start rising, but drumming surveys this spring were at or below average. We did well on the woodcock (because we ended up hunting smaller cover for something to shoot at) but the cock numbers are down also. I also shot my first snipe, looks just like a woodcock until you get it in your hand. I also shot at least 6 or 7 snowshoe hares. We missed the crappie bite on Kitchie Lake and Cass Lake by a week, but we did manage a couple modest fish frys.


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## dblbrldave (Apr 16, 2004)

The owls do more damage than the hawks do. Namely the great horned and barred owls. The state of ohio forestry div. has been tied up in court for
about 10 years over timbering state lands. the bleeding hearts don't want the trees cut down. The y say that timbering kills a forest, when in actuality, the more diverse the forset growth, the healthier it is. Anyway, the state has finally won the battle at the end of last year and has resumed timbering state lands. Hopefully it will improve the grouse hunting of the future but it will take a lot of pressure from grouse hunters to get the numbers back to the seventies.
Let's see what we can do.


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## rac123 (May 20, 2004)

hawks come under federal laws dont they??i know if they catch you with feathers from hawks ,owls, eagles, a few years back a bunch of guys at NMLRA Friendship shoots got in all kind of trouble, i think you have to be an Indian to posess them for religious reasons? but where i live i see at least 2-3 a day!!chicken hawks and sparrow hawks the most.


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## DJA (Jun 18, 2004)

A person, operating a hunting preserve or training facility can get a permit to kill Hawks and Owls. I know for a fact!!!


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## Action (Apr 8, 2004)

There is Grouse around Atwood. I see them quite a bit where I live and I'm not far from you. I've seen more here than anywhere I've ever lived, but I've also seen them on Bedrock road near the spring. Seems to be more pheasants popping up too.


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## Star1pup (Aug 3, 2004)

Predator populations have really grown and that has to be part of the problem. Hawks & owls kill a lot and so do raccoon, skunks and opposum when they find the eggs or chicks. I heard a report that owls are the biggest predator of turkey poults too.

Hawks & owls have no natural predators except disease and with fur prices down, the other predators have exploded in population.


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## eagleclaw (Oct 31, 2004)

steelmagoo said:


> I just got back from a 10 day grouse/woodcock hunt in the Chippewa National forest in Minnesota, near Pennington. The numbers are down in that area also. Last year I think our group shot 37 grouse, this year we managed to bag about 22 but we had less than half as many flushes. The grouse numbers were predicted to start rising, but drumming surveys this spring were at or below average. We did well on the woodcock (because we ended up hunting smaller cover for something to shoot at) but the cock numbers are down also. I also shot my first snipe, looks just like a woodcock until you get it in your hand. I also shot at least 6 or 7 snowshoe hares. We missed the crappie bite on Kitchie Lake and Cass Lake by a week, but we did manage a couple modest fish frys.


 i lived in MN
steel the snow we had last winter should made the population of grouse more 
the drumming shouldv'e been up this year i lived in MN in deer river i know where casslake and pennington is been both places. i'm back in ohio living 
wanna catch some crappies next time try lake winnie up on 46 to co rd 9
stop in the bait shop and talk to a guy name george a good friend of mine


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

Thanks eagleclaw, might try Winnie for a day next year if we go. We'll either go to MN or North Dakota for waterfowl and pheasant. Had to be hard for you to leave Minnesota. Seems to be a real sportsman's paradise. I *know* I could be happy living there. Those grouse can make a fool out of the best wing shooter, which I am certainly NOT.


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## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

I went out grousing this past sunday and jumped one bird by myself in about an 1 1/2 on ground I had never been on before so that was cool. Also walked within twenty yards of 10-12 hens, I never thought they would have not heard or seen me coming, they were pretty stupid. I was in Athens county.


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## gunner70 (Apr 12, 2004)

I see your still addicted to grousin bassnpro  Anyway this year so far were Ive been hunting the grouse had a great nesting season. Last week me and a friend went to adams county and had 13 different birds come up. Off of 2 different properties. total flushes = 22 And out of those 4 birds came down. All seen were yearlings except 3. Those are the best numbers we have found in 12+ years. Now to think of it, Out of the 14 birds downed between us 5 were adult grouse. Good luck guys and happy huntin


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## Bird Chaser (Dec 2, 2004)

Hey Gunner it looks like you've had a nice start to another good year. That's a pretty encouraging report. I've had a pretty good year chasing long tails, but I'm getting the fever to go grousin'. Who knows, maybe I can shoot one this year. Keep the reports coming, and I'll post once I get into the hills!


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