# any grouse hunters?



## zigzag

I am thinking about next season with my young dog, 7months. and I am meeting with dog trainer tomorrow for 5th lesson. Anybody hunting grouse that could give me some tips on training? I brought Rojo to the field today with a planted dummy scented with grouse scent. he held point for few second then ran in to retrieve. I haven't done that kinda training since he was 17 weeks. I guess I just wanted to see how his nose was on grouse scent. Any Info would be appreciated.


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## Aimless1

Assuming you mean ruffed grouse (as opposed to Sage grouse, Sharp Tailed Grouse, Spruce Grouse and etc) then the best training is working them on wild birds where they learn to point scent and not the bird. They learn moving on the bird will cause it to flush. However, if you're like me and don't have 100s of acres of grouse habitat nearby, then you need to do something else.

I'll be starting Nitro (currently 14 weeks) on quail. I don't like working pups who will primarily hunt ruffed grouse and woodcock on pheasants. They can be introduced to ringnecks later. I'll also be taking him out to the right habitat. 

No magic recipe. Lots of birds. Then more birds. You can over whelm a young dog with too many birds in an individual session, but you can't give them too much contact with birds. Most dogs make fine hunting dogs. Very few make good grouse dogs. IMHO the hardest game bird for a dog to work properly

At 6-7 months all you're really going to do is give your pup contact with birds. Just as you'll introduce the gun properly, so too will you be introducing birds properly. This hunting season neither of us will have a finished gun dog.


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## redbirddog

http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/

There is a New York Vizsla enthusiast that blogs as The Regal Vizsla.

He has been supportive of redbirddog since the start and seems to really enjoy the ruffled grouse hunting world.

http://regalvizsla.blogspot.com/

Sounds like a really different hunting experience of never seeing your dog and only getting flashes of the bird as it comes out of the thick cover. Sounds fun.

RBD


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## zigzag

Yes ruffed grouse maybe blue grouse. Its a true challenge to make great forest grouse dog, the owner of that dog better have some lungs and bushwaking skillz. Seems like the V would fit the bill (close working) My boy doesint run BIG.


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## R E McCraith

Hunt grouse in the UP and eastren KY-never put my dogs on them till at least 2yr old-this is very hard hunting in areas that I do not walk thru(hence the dog-LOL)break your pup 2 birds(quail-n gun)quail-pheasant-wood ****-are a lot easier than grouse-good training for the pup is set chuckers- almost act like grouse in the feild-the rougher the feild the closer 2 grouse in the wild-good hunting-they are very tasty!and any are a prize well taken!


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## Aimless1

RE, I've never used chukars for training and only hunted them on a preserve a couple of times. I'll have to give them a try for training.

You definitely have to be part masochist to successfully hunt pats. Rare day you'll find another hunter in the cover ... unless you're walking the hunter trails in the U.P.


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## R E McCraith

aimless1-freinds of mine have a log house on Big Brocky lake outside of Ipsuling-I usually hunt 5-8yr old clear cuts-wish they had some trails in those!-also find a lot of birds by the roads if a low front is moving in-they love 2 load up on gravel then


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## Aimless1

If you're hunting 5-8 yr old clear cuts then you're certainly not taking a walk on trails. 

I love the west end of the Upper Penninsula. Spend alot of time from Watersmeet to Paulding/Bruce Crossing. Have friends in Iron Mountain ... now that's a work out.  My wife's cousin lives in Ipsheming and I never visit (non hunters)

Between us we might just hook up for an outing yet. ;D


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## zigzag

thanks for all the input, out west we hike into cover on the way to a good fishing hole, a grouse encounter is the usual. A kill shot is not. One more ?. If you don't mind, how do you train your dog to hunt dead birds?


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## R E McCraith

zigsag-train my pups on pheasant wings-command is dead bird-find-they love it no matter what age


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## texasred

Most dogs will learn to mark birds were they fall but occasionally they may miss one. Especially if your shooting doubles or triples. I teach mine Dead Bird. I don't want him hunting a whole field if I know the general location. Not sure how other people train for this but this method has worked for me. I place dead birds in taller grass without the dog seeing. I bring the dog in and tell him dead bird. I keep him hacked in ( or on a check cord if the dog is young) to the small general area. Once he finds and retrieves the bird. I give him some praise and throw the bird for a fun retrieve. Then we move on to the next bird I have hidden and repeat the process.

Some people use bumpers with scent, I like to use real birds. You can freeze them and pull them out at a later time to reuse. Just make sure they are partly thawed ( wings and head will move but body is not all the way soft) before you have your pup retrieve them. As I get older my eyes aren't what they used to be so tying an orange ribbon to the bird will help you keep track of where you hid it.


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## R E McCraith

texred is right on point(LOL)no subsitude for real birds-I always forget where I put the wings - V's always find them


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## Aimless1

I use both wings and dead birds. Never much cared for dummys/bumpers.


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