Grouse Hunt - First Weekend Of October - Grand Rapids, MN

Marge and her Friday Grouse

Friday 10/1

I left for Grand Rapids and make it to my hunting spot  around 1 pm.  It was 55 degs with a nice breeze.  There was already a camper in one of the parking spots.  I had a feeling it would be a popular place.  I ended up talking with two different camping groups and they both had been camping in the same spots for over 10 years.  It isn’t like this is a secret spot...  Tina and I hit our usual spots and were able to take a bird.  Marge and I went out and were able to pick up another on a nice point along a swampy edge.  Fergie got to go for her usual short stroll but we didn’t put up any birds.  I took Tina back out for short session before dark and we picked up another grouse and a woodcock.  Saw decent number of birds but didn’t shoot quite as well as I would have liked.

Tina with 5 Grouse From Saturday

Saturday 10/2

We hit the woods at 8 am and there were already the camper plus another SUV parked.    The day started briskly at 35 degs and a nice breeze, a perfect day for dog work.  I started with Tina and we got into birds right away.  Actually too soon as I wasn’t ready for the action to start and missed an easy shot.  We worked our way to a lower area and got a nice point but a blown shot as I was trying to cross a blow down.  Shortly afterwards another point on the edge of some small pines and I was able to connect.  We worked our way to an old tree farm that had a new shooting lane cut by it.  It is tough walking through the area and I usually end up bumping birds out of the other end but this time a young dumb one cooperated and I was able to put another one in the bag.  As we left he tree farm we circled towards an area that had a lot of small cuts so it created a nice area of edge.  We had a wild flush that I wasn’t able to connect on but a second bird stayed around and provided an easier shot over a point that I was able to connect on.  I decided to start my way back to the truck to give Tina a break and to give Marge a chance at some birds.  The grouse gods tempted me with a nice point and an easy shot that I made.  I put Tina on a leash after that as I was hoping not to move anymore birds.  One of the camping groups must have thought I was odd to be walking my dog through the woods on a leash.  I even had to pass on a view easy opportunities as we walked out.  I was hoping that this strategy wouldn’t come to bite me in the butt.  It was 11 am and we should have been filled out.

I took out Marge and we made our way back into the woods.  The birds that had been all too plentiful were not so easily found.  I was also running a bell on Marge so I could keep track of her since she can’t hear me too well any longer.  We went down a trail that bordered a 15 year old clear cut.  I can remember when I could see all the way across the cut.  Now it is too thick to see 10 feet.  Marge had a soft point at the far edge of the area but I didn’t make the shot.  We worked another section of trail that has produced in the past but didn’t even get a soft point out of the area.  We made a turn in the trail back towards the starting point and Marge made a nice point right along the trail and I was able to complete the task and put the bird in the bag.  While walking out we didn’t see any more birds until the last 250 yds before the truck.  We were all done and packed up by 2 pm.  Back into town and dinner at “The Grand Buffet”.  

Sunday morning I woke up with a sore throat and decided to bag hunting as I had a friend that was flying in to go hunting the next weekend and I didn’t want to chance getting sick.

One of the reasons that I may have had a less high shooting percentage over this weekend is that I was switching among three different guns  12 ga semi, 16 ga O/U, and a 20 ga semi.  I like to try different guns just to see what they are like but I am sure it throws off my percentages a bit.

MN Grouse 2010 opener pt 2

Sept 19 MN Grouse Opener - Ely MN

Sunday looked to be another day of nice hunting conditions.  It wasn’t quite as sunny as Saturday but still looked good.

I went straight to the newer spot to give it a shot right off the bat.  I lucked out and no one was parked on the way in yet.  Tina and I started out down the main trail.  Tina went on a nice point within a few minutes and the grouse presented me with an easy shot but I choked and blew it.  Not too far up the trail I has another chance.  This time the point was along the edge of a clear cut.  Three birds got up together and I connected on one that swung to my right.  It took me two shots to bring it down.  I focused on making sure where it went down so I didn’t get any shots off at the other birds.  On the rest of the way out on the trail we didn’t see any other birds but on the way back we were fortunate enough to get another point along some younger cover and I was able to connect through the leaves.

Back at the truck I put Marge on the ground and we set out to try a smaller trail in the area that we hadn’t hunted yet.  The trail wasn’t as well defined so I was hoping that not as many people had hit it yet.  About 15 minutes into the hunt Marge went on point towards a drop off and as I walked in two birds got up and one fell to the shot.  It took a while to find it as it had dropped into a low area that was still well covered by leaves.  Three more birds got up while we found the hit bird.  We continued along the trail and didn’t see any more birds but did push up a nice looking buck.

After a Dew and some Mini-Snickers it was time to get Fergie out and let her stretch her legs.  Being blind and 12 she often gets the short end of the stick when it comes to hunting time.  Another nice feature of this trail is that she will walk on the gravel portion and if she starts to go off course and hit the heavier cover on the side she will move back to the middle.  One of the nice thing about early hunts is that there are still birds around that haven’t been pressured yet and this time it worked well for Fergie.  About 10 minutes into her walk we went around a corner and she locked up and there was one about 5 yards off the trail.  The grouse gods smiled on us and I was able to reward her efforts with a bird.  After heading back to the truck we drove around the area scouting some some and found a spot that looked good but already had two trucks at it so we moved on.  After driving around for a bit more we swung by the new honey hole and there was a truck there so he decided to call it a weekend and head back into town for a late lunch before driving back to St. Paul.

2010 MN Grouse Opener

Sept 18 MN Grouse Opener - Ely MN

Normally I don’t hunt the opening of grouse hunting as the cover is too thick and usually it is too warm but this year it looked like it was going to be a nice cool weekend so I decided to give it a try and head north to Ely.

Saturday started out nice and cool and the leaves seemed to be down more than usual for mid-sept.  As I was pulling into my first spot a pickup was already pulling out.  They said they had seen a couple of batches of up to 6 grouse still bunched up.  Tina ( English Setter ) and I started down the trail to some lower areas that we’ve had good luck with in the past and sure enough it didn’t take Tina long to get birdy.  Within a short period she had two nice points but the birds did their usual flush behind the trees maneuvers and I wasn’t able to get off a shot.  After working the area for a good period of time we started to head back to the truck and not more than 50 yards from it did Tina lock up solid.  The bird flushed towards an open area and I was able to connect with it.  When I picked it up I was amazed at how small it was.  I put Tina in the truck and we started to drive to the next spot and along the side of the trail I saw another bird.  I threw  the truck into reverse and backed up far enough to get Marge out and give her a chance at it.  Marge made a nice point and I got lucky with another nice flush and we had two in the bag.

Marge and I continued into the back portion of this area and while walking down the trail  as we rounded a corner she locked on point and another easy shot and another young bird was in the game bag.  I was quickly becoming a fan of opening weekend.  We worked this area for another half an hour and had a missed shot and a wild flush.  It was time to move to area number two.

Area number two is just a couple of miles away but I had never hunted it before last year but I had good enough luck to make it worth revisiting.  It was a good choice.  We saw a number of birds and I missed a couple of easy shots but ended up connecting on the last two that it took to fill out our limit.  The last bird was a far out crossing shot which I was happy to successfully complete as I have been missing those shots at the gun range all summer long.

We were able to finish up our hunt by about 1 o’clock.  We then drove along looking for some new coverts.  We didn’t find any useable sites but will continue to look as you can never have too many good spots and the new one that we found last fall worked out well for us on this trip.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat Exhaustion
By Jill Swan


Now that summer is upon us, things are heating up, which can cause our sporting dogs to overheat during training if precautions are not taken. Keeping your dog cool and watching for signs of heat exhaustion -- after all, they have a difficult time holding back and saying no -- are just as important as the lessons you’re teaching during your outdoor sessions. Heat exhaustion, simply put, is when the body gets overheated from working (exercising) in hot, humid temperatures. To gain better insight, we’ll rely on the expertise of veterinary associates Drs. Peter Lotsikas and Chris Zink of Veterinary Orthoperdic & Sports Medicine Group in Annapolis Junction, Maryland.

What are some of the signs?

Humans regulate their body temperature primarily through the skin, such as sweating. But "dogs do not sweat like humans, and the majority of their cooling ability comes from the respiratory system," says Drs. Peter Lotsikas and Chris Zink. "Dogs will initially start to pant and salivate when they become hot. The evaporation of the saliva from their tongue, mouth, and throat removes heat from the body."

What can I do to help prevent heat exhaustion?

Coat and coat care -- The thickness of your dog’s coat is also something to consider as dogs do use their skin for heat exchange. According to our docs, "A dog's fur traps air, just like birds, which acts as an insulator when it is cold as well as when it is hot outside. This allows dilated blood vessels to exchange heat with the 'trapped' cooler air in the fur. A dog’s ability to trap insulating air will differ based on breed type and coat characteristics. Short haired breeds do not have the ability to trap air within their coat, thus these breeds are more susceptible to overheating than are double coated breeds like retrievers. Keeping short haired dogs wet during training and heavy exercise is an effective way to keep them cool. As the water evaporates, heat is removed with it.

"For a double coated or long single coated breed, you are better off only wetting the groin and abdominal areas, where the skin is thin and poorly haired, to allow for heat excha nge. Wetting the back of these dogs actually traps water in the coat, and as this trapped water begins to vaporize it will increase the humidity around the skin, actually making the dog hotter." To better help the trapping of air, keep your dog’s coat well-groomed and clean.

Physical shape -- And of course, make certain that your dog is in good training condition. Dogs not used to heavy training or working on a regular basis outside will be effected more quickly. "A conditioned dog's temperature should regulate to normal (99.5-102.5) within twenty minutes of cooling.  Any temperature of above 105 persisting longer than thirty minutes following appropriate cooling requires the attention of a veterinary professional."

Water -- Make sure to offer your dog plenty of cool water intermittently during your training sessions, and make sure he drinks some. "Remember that dogs do not need to drink large amounts of water in hot weather as we do, because they do not become dehydrated from sweating. Many dogs do not drink substantial amounts on performance days and it is not a problem," says Drs. Peter Lotsikas and Chris Zink. The important thing is that the coolness of the liquid will cool down the core body temperature of the dog.

What can I do if my dog becomes overheated?  

Hopefully the situation never escalates to that level, but if you are seeing signs that your dog is overheated, then you need to immerse the dog in cool water. Don't use ice water because it constricts the blood vessels and can actually increase the dog's core body temperature. "If water is limited, then you are best to apply the water directly to the belly, armpits, and groin," advises Drs. Peter Lotsikas and Chris Zink. They also recommend rubbing alcohol: "It can be applied to their paw pads, external ear flaps, and abdomen, as it evaporates quickly and is an effective method of exchanging heat." Ender

Doctor Bios

Dr. Peter Lotsikas, DVM is an ACVS board-certified surgeon with the Veterinary Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Group (VOSM) in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. Dr. Lotsikas specializes in orthopedic injuries of the performance dog. His clinical focus is on minimally invasive surgery (arthroscopy) and joint preservation.

Dr. M. Christine Zink DVM, Ph.D, DACVP is a canine sports medicine trainer affiliated with VOSM. Her expertise is in evaluating canine locomotion and designing individualized retraining and conditioning programs for the canine athlete.

Minnesota Ruffed grouse counts down after 2009 peak

Minnesota’s ruffed grouse spring drumming counts were significantly lower than last year across most of their range, according to a report released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

“It looks like 2009 was probably the peak in the 10-year population cycle,” said Mike Larson, DNR research scientist and grouse biologist. “Drumming counts this spring, however, were still closer to those at the high rather than low end of the cycle.”
Ruffed grouse populations, which tend to rise and fall on a 10-year cycle, are surveyed by counting the number of male ruffed grouse heard drumming on established routes throughout the state’s forested regions. This year observers recorded 1.5 drums per stop statewide. Last year’s average was 2.0 drums per stop. Counts vary from about 0.8 drums per stop during years of low grouse abundance to about 1.9 during years of high abundance.
Drumming counts decreased 31 percent compared to those during 2009 in the northeast survey region, the core and bulk of grouse range in Minnesota, to 1.6 drums per stop. Grouse counts decreased 29 percent in the southeast region, from 0.5 to 0.3 drums per stop, but the difference was not statistically significant. Counts of 1.8 drums per stop in the northwest and 1.0 drums per stop in the central hardwoods were similar to last year’s counts.
Minnesota frequently is the nation’s top ruffed grouse producer. On average, 115,000 hunters harvest 545,000 ruffed grouse in Minnesota each year, also making it the state’s most popular game bird. During the peak years of 1971 and 1989, hunters harvested more than 1 million ruffed grouse. Michigan and Wisconsin, which frequently field more hunters than Minnesota, round out the top three states in ruffed grouse harvest.
One reason for the Minnesota’s status as a top grouse producer is an abundance of aspen and other ruffed grouse habitat, much of it located on county, state and national forests, where public hunting is allowed. An estimated 11.5 million of the state’s 16.3 million acres of forest are grouse habitat.
For the past 60 years, DNR biologists have monitored ruffed grouse populations. This year,
DNR staff and cooperators from 15 organizations surveyed 125 routes across the state.
Sharp-tailed counts dOWN slightly
Sharp-tailed grouse counts in the northwest survey region decreased approximately 5 percent between 2009 and 2010, Larson said. Counts in the east-central region declined approximately 1 percent. Observers look for male sharptails displaying on traditional mating areas, called leks or dancing grounds. This year’s statewide average of 10.7 grouse counted per dancing ground was similar to counts during 2003 to 2007 and the long-term average since 1980. Last year’s average of 13.6 was as high as during any year since 1980. During the past 25 years, the sharp-tailed grouse index has been as low as seven birds counted per dancing ground.
Overall, sharptail populations appear to have declined over the long term as a result of habitat deterioration. In recent years, the DNR has increased prescribed burning and shearing that keep trees from overtaking the open brush lands that sharp-tailed grouse need to thrive.
The DNR’s 2010 grouse survey report, which contains information on ruffed grouse and sharp-tailed grouse, will be available soon online at www.mndnr.gov/hunting/grouse.