# Who's going grouse hunting on Saturday?



## KEN W

4 days and I'll be out there with Rocky.


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## fishhook

I sent you a pm ken.


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## Springer

I'm going on Saturday. 
There is a few of us from our newly created dog club that are getting together at 6am at the Roadhouse cafe in GF.
Hopefully my GSP starts holding point a little longer so I can shoot a few over her otherwise my springer will get all the action.

Good luck guys.


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## fishless

now Im really homesick good luck everyone :beer:


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## BenelliBlaster

The birds are going down this weekend. With all of the scouting for honkers the past couple of weeks I have located myself some prime grouse spots. I can't wait


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## Dick Monson

Ken, if I see Rocky go by I'll pm you.    Do the the same for Sammy. This is better than Xmas for a kid. Dusted off the clay bird thrower yesterday.


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## KEN W

Dick.....how's Sammy doing?


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## Niles Short

me and the wirehairs will be out there ..hope it is cooler than last weekend ..how about 60 with a nice dry 10 to 15 mph wind? Doesnt hurt to wish a little


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## Labsroc01

Plan on shooting Honk's in the morning and grouse in the afternoon. Checked out a couple of locations that have been really good to me the past few years for grouse and partarige, they were all surrounded by cut stubble. With no seeds in the area this year it should be pretty good hunting. Nothing like watching the lab retrieve Geese in the morning and flusing Grouse and Partarige in the afternoon.


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## drjongy

Grouse, and probably a few doves as well, in the morning with some fat walleyes in the afternoon....doesn't get any better than that!!

My dog is 5 this year and right in her prime--should be a fun upland season.

:jammin:


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## always_outdoors

I am 31 and have never missed a grouse opener since I was 10 years old. I will be out.

Dick...you going South and West??? I will be down south of Steele and Gackle this weekend.

I will have my 5 year old brittany/springer cross with, but yesterday I came home with a new 5 1/2 week old yellow lab pup. She is doing a good job of whining and peeing right now. :lol:

Good luck everyone. This is BY FAR MY FAVORITE BIRD TO HUNT.


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## Dick Monson

Ken, this is going to be like a Chinese fire drill! I am taking the camera for proof. Ever see a pup point with his back leg up? Dan, am headed that way but not that far. You'll be in your old stomping grounds though. If you ever see a rusted '89 burgandy 2 tone GMC, flag me down. You should see Ken's Rocky work out. Pretty snappy. He was on a dead run right toward me last winter, hit scent, slamed into a point with his head by his tail. Partridge galore. :beer: You fellows post up how it went. Would like to hear about the ruffies too.


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## Dan Bueide

My trip has been parred back from 3 days to 1, but I'm fired up to put some miles on the boots too. Great warm-up for the two and four legged hunters. Have some other scouting to do, and am going to wing it for grouse in an area I've never hunted grouse before, but the farmer tells he's seen a fair number of birds this year. Hope to have a one day goose/grouse/dove flurry.

Some day I need to sit down and figure out how many ND counties I've hunted grouse in. I'll bet I've hunted sharpies in more ND counties than any other single bird species. Toss in Ruffs and sage hens, and I'm sure of it.

Good luck to all.


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## KEN W

Dick....maybe the birds wetre behind him.


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## always_outdoors

Dick:

Not bringing the truck down there with gas prices, so I will be in a red 99 pontiac sunfire (33mpg). I retrofit the back seat to accommondate the dog kennel and lined the trunk with a small tarp. I can get my cooler and gear in the trunk.

Won't sleep tonight or tomorrow night. I am darn excited for this opener.


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## Grouse Hunter

I only wish i could go hunting this saturday i have to wait another 22 days! which sucks!


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## njsimonson

Gunnar and I are heading out around VC with the boys for grouse in the morning, and walleye or smallmouth bass in the afternoon...gotta play it cool in the hot temps!

Good luck, be safe!


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## mburgess

I'll give it a shot tomorrow. I heard it maybe in the 90's. Better bring a gallon of water. I've seen a few number of grouse this year, but haven't done near the scouting as the last few years with the price of gas the way it is.


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## Dick Monson

A hot, humid, and windy Sat morning. Hunted an hour and hung it up. Sammy had seven good points, shot 2, and flushed 23 total. The birds flew low til they were past gun range and hunting uphill didn't help so couldn't get clearance from the pup, but had a good time anyway. It is a different world from using my lab in past seasons. Paced off the longest point, 75 yds. Shortest was 2 yds. And he broke a few times and the meadowlarks gave him fits, but I think it will come along. No interest in retrieveing grouse so need to work on that too. Got him as a 7 week pup in mid Nov. and waited all year for today.

It was a cut hay field with good regrowth. The birds had hoppers, sow thistle buds, and alfalfa leaves in their crops. No wheat even though there was stubble across the fence.


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## mburgess

Walked some good grousy cover along some of the breaks country near the James River and didn't kick up much. 1 covey off the edge of pasture and cut barley field and got one. Spotted a covey of 4 in some hilly country and walked that and got another out of that one. Way too hot for decent dog work all weekend. Sunday my dog busted a nice sized covey of 13 huns. Got two out of that covey and left the rest alone. Still feel a little bad if I take these but they are so tasty. Skinned those huns last night and brushed them with a little butter and salt/pepper and threw them on the grill. Wow! Its been awhile since I've had partridge. Overall the opener wasn't a failure, but no birds were shot over points so that takes a little away from the weekend. Tough for the dog to scent when his tongue is hanging on the ground.


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## Springer

Five of us went out sat. and ended up with 2 sharps and 3 huns.

The only sharps that I seen were in the first field of alphalfa(sp) that we were walking through and my GSP ran right through them. I don't know if she even smelled them.

We took a break in the afternoon then pass shot some doves. My 9yr old shot a box of shells but still no birds. I told him that I am sure he will shoot one this year. Shot some clays with him on Sun and he was hitting a few of them.

Hopefully get out some evening this week.


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## Dick Monson

The grouse didn't hold any better on Sunday than they did the day before. Did have one fun walk though when the pup got into a combined covey of huns. Some were half grown and the others very small, with four adults. The pup got a pile of points in a short time and didn't seem to mind no birds taken. I needed the practice of reading him for sure. Those little guys have a lot of growing to do before cold weather hits.


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## taddy1340

Shot two on Sunday - almost an overheated dog too. Shot another two Monday morning. I have seen quite a few birds. They seem to love the CRP cover that was mowed last year. Been a great season so far for me besides the dog scare. The dogs have worked close and I have had the opportunity to limit w/in the first 15 minutes each day. If I could only hit those doubles!


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