Wisconsin grouse--2002

laxcoach

Anybody on the forum have a report on the grouse situation in north-central Wisconsin this year? We're comtemplating a week-long hunt in late October, and I'd like to hear from some of you who live in the area and not rely solely on the Wisc. DNR reports. Specifically, we hunt in and around Price County. Be honest---it's a LONG drive from central Virginia !!!

nelchris

Hey bud comimg allthe way from Virginia for grouse sounds like fun but dont they have birds down that way I thought they did but anyway i have a buddy that lives in lincoln county Tomahawk we do alot of grouse hunting around the area ,also go to the chequamegon national forest but that is my guess where you are going.have you tried the nicolet national forest .as you have heard grouse are on a down cycle put i also heard drumming was steady from last year in our area .If I was you I would also get your waterfoul lic's too,

laxcoach

nelchris, we do have grouse in Va., but it's straight up-and-down hunting. 10 flushes a day is a good day! Where is Lincoln Co. in relation to Price Co.? We do hunt the nat'l forest, but also the paper co. land. In my previous trips, we saw plenty of water, but no waterfowl--anything different this year?

nelchris

laxcoach,Lincoln touchs Price on the east bottom 1/3.Do you have dogs? yes alot of paper co land around tomahawk also.ten flushes a day isnt to bad.I start duck and goose up there because it opens earlier but the migration moves through fast,but in south central part of state it goes on and on great hunting pheasant goose turkey deer duck but the grouse have been gone for years so i head up north a feww hours.As you know this state is full of public hunting.black river nat forest is also great for grouse.I lived in sufolk for one year about 15 years ago never hunted down there

Buckshot

You oughta have a good, safe, hunt as long as Bobbie Knight stays in Texas..but.."Only the Shadow Knows."

drl50

Im an avid grouse hunter from Vilas county Wisc. That would be east of you at the top of the state about 70 miles. Season opened last weekend but we're still in summer foliage. Hate to be negative, but besides being in the down cycle, the far north of the state had temps in the 20's during the nesting period. Although there was steady drumming counts, no ones many young of the year this summer.wasn't quite as bad a little farther south. late oct might show mediocre hunting with good dog and hunting right combination of cover and food(thick spruce surrounded by young aspen, with wintergreen berries can hold concentrations in down years). Still can have great hunts in down years and its beautiful forest country (cheese and cows are 200 miles south of here). Nicolet, Chequamegon and Northern Highlands forests have thousands of public acres of great habitat. Price County is the heart of it and is nicknamed "grouse capital of the world". Have a great trip.Let us know how you do.

Duty Honor Country

timberbeast

I live a good piece south from where you are heading, but own a bunch of land in the U.P. of Michigan. The grouse are WAY down in population up there, would figure it wouldn't be too different in Price. Good luck, anyway, if you want to have some good duck shooting, find the itty-bitty town of Marquette in Marquette County, go to the Puckaway Inn and have a hamburger, then ask him where Puckaway Road is. Put your boat in at Sonny's Resort, you'll see the sign, go east (right) about a quarter of a mile and you'll see "Bluebill Bay", pull into the reeds and set up your blocks. Don't tell Sonny where you're going, he thinks he owns that bay!
If you want Geese and don't mind a crowd, go to "the firing line" right off Hwy 41 on the east end of Theresa Marsh, you won't need a boat. Get off on 28, and take the first left RIGHT by the highway. Keep driving until you're on gravel, then go right down to the parking lot and follow the paths through the woods, and hunker down in the grass. You'll be right on the edge of the refuge, just don't shoot at anything going into the refuge, there will be enough idiots doing that. Or else bring a good dog and hunt all around the same marsh for pheasants. You'll pop a lot of birds with short-beat-up tails, freshly planted by the DNR, but the wild population is really growing in the area. I drive home from work at 6 am and rarely a day goes by when I don't see at least one "long-tail" along the back roads, I'm about 5 miles from Theresa Marsh, and they are really coming back! Good luck! Spent a week down in Virginia last summer and adored it! (Roanoke Valley).

laxcoach

Thanks to all for your responses-- I'll talk to my partners and relay your thoughts before we make a decision. These two guys have never been with me, but have seen pictures that I took on previous trips and can't believe how many birds you have relative to VA., not to mention the easy terrain. Of course, the two Brittanys we hunt with had a lot to do with our success--they're like heat-seeking missles!Did all the rain you had up there this summer affect the population? As for waterfowl, I'll wait until they get down here and pick off the ones you guys leave---after Christmas we have plenty of big ducks, and the resident goose population is now so big that they are considered pests. nelchris, used to hunt the Nausmound River just outside of Suffolk--great diver hunting, but you would be sick to see all the sprawl in Tidewater now!