Last fall, the grouse hunting in the Zone 10 area of northern Ontario was nothing short of superb.
There were many days of full limit bags and seeing plenty of bush chickens.
It was one of the best grouse seasons in a long time in my parts. This made for some memorable outings.
For example, one day, another good outdoors friend of mine, Ian Rudzinski, and I hit the trails for some bird action and came out in two hours flat with our limit each. One of the best days was a snowy and windy day that left us chilled, but warm and fuzzy thanks to eight birds. I even had grouse in my backyard last season.
I walked a lot of trails and blazed a few new ones last year in my search for meat for the freezer. I saw a lot of neat things and did a lot of fun things.
Above all else, the thing that stands out in mind more than anything else is James’ dedication to hunting. In early November, he tore up his knee and needed surgery. I thought his hunting season was done. He didn’t miss a beat. It was awesome to see.
He didn’t even miss an opportunity to hunt. He came out each time. He made his way up and down rough trails with cane in hand and either a .22 or .410 hung over his shoulder. He toughed out some harsh hikes. We thought about using Gorilla Tape to fasten James to the front of an ATV so he wouldn't miss a second of the action, but saner minds prevailed thankfully.
He knew to stop and rest. I never once tried to egg him on to do more or plead with him to do less.
James set his own pace and went with it. He wasn’t going to allow a shredded knee
to stop him from enjoying one his absolute favourite activities outdoors.
It certainly gave me extra motivation to hunt last season - not that I needed any.
I know some people who will not hunt if the weather is bad or if they have a cough. I don’t blame them. I don’t let anything stop me from getting out there for the chance at some birds or other small game.
I love the whole spectrum of grouse hunting. James does as well. Many people feel the same way.
It is one of the best forms of hunting IMO. It provides plenty of exercise, especially if you are a trail banger and not a vehicle or ATV-exclusive hunter. It provides endless fun, especially if you are a hunter who doesn’t give up easily and always pursues a second or even a third flush from a grouse.
The meat is second to none from the wild world. Smoked, fried, baked, you name it, grouse is tasty.
I enjoy slow cooking grouse and then pulling it to pieces for toasted sandwiches. Making a wild rice and grouse soup is at the top of the list for my must do with grouse meat. (You can e-mail me for my recipe, which I think is divine.)
Grouse hunting is for everyone and anyone. It brings a simplicity to the sport of hunting which can get overwhelming with big game. You don’t need an iron will like my friend, James, to enjoy small game hunting, although it would help LOL. You need a gun, some orange clothing and a bit of determination to walk a few kilometres. This combo usually results in some table fair.
The bottom line is: any time in the bush is better than any time in the city.
Happy hunting this fall.