Dry run : going live in 5 days

Took my dog out today building up for the grouse opener this Saturday. I have been working a app I purchased last week that I highly recommend

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://mobilehuntingmaps.com/&ved=2ahUKEwjA04_KntfrAhVVVs0KHU28BtoQFjAAegQIBhAD&usg=AOvVaw0BRd-mptMFIYSqXEmlIoP4

The nice thing about this app is you can buy it for your state for $60. Or you can buy all the states for $120.
I bought Wisconsin and in 3 walks around my home area I have found areas I didnt even think of hunting that are loaded with birds. I can click on any color coded area and have the type of cover and year it was harvested. The bright red areas are highest percentage of grouse habitat.
It has easy to follow walking trails that lead to the best areas. And I dont need data or wifi to use the app in the woods.
5 more days…..

Vince Skarda?

Is it $60 per year or is it a one time purchase?

Thanks,
CC

The creator of this app and mapping was on an upland hunting podcast I listen to. I was very intrigued by it and it was really cool to hear the back story on how this got started. It seems the functionality has increased to be a lot more user friendly since I first checked it out about a year ago. I may have to give it a shot and download it. Thanks for sharing.

The fee is yearly but it goes down in price. I believe $40. Also you can download the maps and print them off.

Interesting. Not going to buy it now but I am excited about this weekend. Ill be hunting NW Wisc. I have not found the numbers Im used to seeing in Minnesota but that’s where my cabin is so Im able to easily go about every weekend. I currently have two spots with birds that I have chased a couple times training but have left alone the last couple weeks. I have also ruled out some spots that used to be better. AND the fishing is picking up there so too much to do!

suzuki wrote:

Interesting. Not going to buy it now but I am excited about this weekend. Ill be hunting NW Wisc. I have not found the numbers Im used to seeing in Minnesota but that’s where my cabin is so Im able to easily go about every weekend. I currently have two spots with birds that I have chased a couple times training but have left alone the last couple weeks. I have also ruled out some spots that used to be better. AND the fishing is picking up there so too much to do!

What general area is your cabin in. I can tell you if it would be worth the money at all by looking at the big board. The area I live in is surrounded by national and state forests that get logged with a reason! Grouse habitat!!

I flushed a few and cleanly missed one sat morning in the rain then got distracted by a jumbo Perch bite on my lake. This pic from yesterday. Got about the same again this morning. When they are on it’s go time because it’s so rare.

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Wow. You could give pailoperch a run for his money. Good work!

I got 2 birds this morning and they were delicious. Good solid work by the dog. I feel very fortunate.

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Anyone been out? I typically hit it harder early season then burn out until pheasant.
Ive shot 5 the last two weekends. Here’s a pic of the first mature bird harvested. I burned my dog out pretty good last week. She would not slow down. She’s on day 3 of recovery and just starting to act normal.

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I’ve been putting up birds but not getting the shots. I had a few shootable timber doodles but they didnt open until Saturday. I’ve been working my dog on cooler days and patiently waiting for the leaves to start falling

suzuki wrote:

Anyone been out? I typically hit it harder early season then burn out until pheasant.

Only for a few hours in a new area I’ve never been to. First place we stopped I heard two flush but never saw them. Next day tried same spot again for a couple hours and didn’t hear/see any besides the one I almost hit with my truck driving there. I did find out my dog is very out of shape though

I have not seen one Woodcock where I hunt in Wi even though I’m around good habitat. I rarely see them in that area. I don’t shoot them anyways but it’s nice to see them. Bear and wolf sign are another story. Evading hound hunters is the biggest challenge now. I have spots to hunt where they don’t roam but my best spots are where they run in “packs”.

suzuki wrote:

I have not seen one Woodcock where I hunt in Wi even though I’m around good habitat. I rarely see them in that area. I don’t shoot them anyways but it’s nice to see them. Bear and wolf sign are another story. Evading hound hunters is the biggest challenge now. I have spots to hunt where they don’t roam but my best spots are where they run in “packs”.

Yes, I’ve been avoiding those groups by me also. Atleast you can here them when they are on the trail. Another reason to wait and pick my spots. I have three 4 day weekends coming up in October

Btw: 5 in the first two weekends is quite good and tasty

bigpike wrote:

Btw: 5 in the first two weekends is quite good and tasty

I owe it mostly to my dog and scouting. And luck.
Just wish my dog wasn’t 9. Now that she’s good at it shes past here prime by a ways. No telling how the new pup will turn out. Right now she sticks very close to me and is a work in progress. Working on it. I wish I could visit my Mn haunts but not likely in the cards this year. I will probably get to your neck of the woods once in oct. It’s only an hour from the cabin.

I’m seriously impressed you guys can regularly harvest grouse this time of year (actually, any time of year) during the season with so many leaves still on the trees and warm temps. I’ve never been much of a grouse hunter but I usually walk some trails in mid October with my Labrador in pretty good country. 95% of the time I hear a buzz of wings but I don’t even see those things flush, much less get off a decent shot. I’ve always been an avid duck and pheasant hunter, being able to harvest dozens of those things every season with relative ease. But grouse are just a different story with a different result (failure). What is the key to success? A well trained pointer that allows you to get into better shooting position?

A well trained pointer that retrieves. The more time you spend with a good dog the better they become! I never understood how grouse run until I had a dog. Cash is hunting right now. He never stops. I enjoy watching him work as much as the hunting itself

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I’m up here just South of International Falls. Seeing lots of Grouse around here. I’m not a hunter but they are fun to watch scurry around.

Strong winds the last two days are blowing a lot of leaves off the tree’s. I can only guess the Grouse hunting will get better up here.

We hunt St. Louis County for grouse and usually do most of our harvest in the first three weeks of the season. Part of it is more young, dumb birds. I love being in the woods after the leaves fall but usually see fewer grouse.

Took the pup out this morning not expecting anything but exercise and building experience for her and was pleasantly surprised. Flushed one and connected. She saw it on the ground walking away after it was down and grabbed it. Pretty mouthy and wouldn’t retrieve but it’s a start. My old dog and I flushed about 7 yesterday morning and got one. Now we have two for a meal. Perfect. The one from yesterday was a rare copper bird but puny even though fully plumed. Pic wouldn’t load.

Hunting was very good today. The woodcock are crazy in the young popple stands. Shot three today but only found 1 as it was very thick. Put up 8 grouse and missed a shooter. Last week was very good Monday and Tuesday with 1 grouse and 3 woodcock harvested but Wednesday and Thursday was very tough to get birds.

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Here’s little miss run free, run wild and oh I got to mutilate a one BB wing shot bird….and oh I started my first heat! Yeeeaaaa

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Good night tonight. Found some new territory. Lots of local pressure this year has driven me to think outside the box. The first bird was a out of a covey of three. The 2nd bird went straight up between my dog and me, kinda like shooting a pheasant!

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Nice bag! Any pic with more than one looks like a jackpot.

Is this app worth having in the Spooner area???

suzuki wrote:

Nice bag! Any pic with more than one looks like a jackpot.

I know I could of had more but I have off the next couple days and it was a little warm and I didnt want to overwork my dog. Saved him for this morning!

foulpole18 wrote:

Is this app worth having in the Spooner area???

You would need to do some traveling. It shows a little chunk just to the south-east of town close. But most is a ways from you. You would need to get to the larger tracks of county and federal lands for it to be worthwhile from Spooner.

I had really good intentions to hunt this morning but a had a hard time getting up, it was too windy, too warm and I was too hungover. I made it roughly half the distance I set out for and bagged it. No birds flushed. The good news is I got a nice mess of fish last night. And got a lot of things done today after the fog lifted! Bring back the cool weather.

Thanks bigpike