# U.P. General Grouse Hunting Area Suggestion



## fordman1 (Dec 12, 2015)

I moved Lots of birds in the Yoop.


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## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

Oddly, I've never gotten a tick on me during the fall in all the miles I've covered all over the U.P. and I don't use any repellents. I've only seen ticks on my dogs a few times during the fall. I use topical tick preventative on my dog. He is also on a Lyme vaccine. On my property, during the spring, the ticks are super thick. If I didn't take measures, I would probably pick up 100 ticks per hour. I may have to start putting permithrin on my brush pants as it seems that according to other's reports, fall ticks may be on the increase.


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

Trophy Specialist said:


> Oddly, I've never gotten a tick on me during the fall in all the miles I've covered all over the U.P. and I don't use any repellents. I've only seen ticks on my dogs a few times during the fall. I use topical tick preventative on my dog. He is also on a Lyme vaccine. On my property, during the spring, the ticks are super thick. If I didn't take measures, I would probably pick up 100 ticks per hour. I may have to start putting permithrin on my brush pants as it seems that according to other's reports, fall ticks may be on the increase.



specialist

I was in the same boat as you - 55 years, all with many days, many hours, many miles in the woods, never using any repellent, and not one tick on me, ever - never even seeing one
hearing other hunters' concerns, thinking it all 'sky is falling' in nature, opposite of experiences
after using repellents for the first time and awaking to noticing sore spots, looking in the mirror and seeing embedded ticks wiggling to get deeper into my skin, I must say I will now be totally spooked for the rest of my life 
it will be on the top of my mind if I ever try the UP again 
and so worried for any dogs. I thought no way would a few ticks in her result in lyme disease
but it did 
my world has changed


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## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

TheHighLIfe said:


> specialist
> 
> I was in the same boat as you - 55 years, all with many days, many hours, many miles in the woods, never using any repellent, and not one tick on me, ever - never even seeing one
> hearing other hunters' concerns, thinking it all 'sky is falling' in nature, opposite of experiences
> ...


My late dog was on a Lyme vaccine and he still got Lyme disease, so that's no grantee either. Also, there are getting to be more and more ticks all over the LP too. There is no place to get away from them, so i guess we have to learn to live with them.


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

specialist

wow, that is scary, that he got the vaccine and still got lyme disease. sorry.
did that create any issues for him?

I agree about the LP also. I hunted the UP then came down to NW LP. none of the ticks found on her, or me, had any return address on their backs, so I will never know whether they were UP or LP ticks


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## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

TheHighLIfe said:


> specialist
> 
> wow, that is scary, that he got the vaccine and still got lyme disease. sorry.
> did that create any issues for him?
> ...


They test my dog for Lyme every year. They found it and treated it successfully. He never showed any symptoms. The company that sold the Lyme vaccine paid for the treatment.


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

I kicked up plenty of both grouse and woodcock just hiking the woods without a dog. I do a lot of stop/start and changing directions. I had a couple of birds bust loose right next to me after standing still for a couple of minutes. Had I kept moving I have no doubt they would have just let me pass none the wiser.

Note that there is a lot of pressure in this area and a few spots I feel have been shot out between the last two seasons. Different hunters with dogs hiking the same area multiple times a week can't be good for the population. I see a Brit in my future.

I've had very little issues with ticks later in the year, deer and grouse season. Hiking for mushrooms in the spring is another story.


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## Expert (Sep 16, 2017)

Anyone hitting the woods for one final grouse hunt tomorrow?


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

? 

Probably not a lot of grouse hunters out there right now.


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## Expert (Sep 16, 2017)

Lightfoot said:


> ?
> 
> Probably not a lot of grouse hunters out there right now.


Hopefully some unsuspecting grouse. I am thinking of taking a quick trip up north for 3 or 4 hours of hunting. My dog is acting real bored. A little colder than I like to hunt, I like 38 - 45 degrees.


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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

Expert said:


> Hopefully some unsuspecting grouse. I am thinking of taking a quick trip up north for 3 or 4 hours of hunting. My dog is acting real bored. A little colder than I like to hunt, I like 38 - 45 degrees.


If i were you i would check your season dates. Grouse season has been closed since jan 2.


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## Expert (Sep 16, 2017)

Apparently I am not an expert at Grouse season dates.  I must have dreamed reading that grouse season opened up for the month of January. Glad I wrote a message here or I would have been stomping around shooting grouse left and right and ended up in the pokey. 

(Not that I ever see a game warden except that time I was quickly testing out a new birthday fishing rod off the shore of mud hole of a lake, Lake Conroe by Houston in the 80s without a fishing license - "but officer, I am only testing this rod action and don't plan nor expect to catch anything!")


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

I am beside myself.Speechless!
I can't believe I drove 16 hours to Kansas to hunt when I could of just hunted at home.Ohwell!
SMH.


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## fordman1 (Dec 12, 2015)

Expert said:


> Anyone hitting the woods for one final grouse hunt tomorrow?


I didn't know the season was still open.


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Expert said:


> Apparently I am not an expert at Grouse season dates.  I must have dreamed reading that grouse season opened up for the month of January. Glad I wrote a message here or I would have been stomping around shooting grouse left and right and ended up in the pokey.
> 
> (Not that I ever see a game warden except that time I was quickly testing out a new birthday fishing rod off the shore of mud hole of a lake, Lake Conroe by Houston in the 80s without a fishing license - "but officer, I am only testing this rod action and don't plan nor expect to catch anything!")


Hence my statement about not a lot of grouse hunters out in the woods right now. I skapose I could have been a little more clear.


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## NbyNW (Jun 30, 2012)

One thing I will say, Expert - you are mentioning some places specifically, and as you can see from some other guys here, they aren't doing the same. Two traits required for a good hunting buddy are gun safety and the ability to withhold information. 
The areas you are mentioning are not known for their birds, but there are birds to be found in the lower.
There are some members that have been meeting up in the fall and having a weekend outing, if you're so inclined, it is a good opportunity to see the covers others view as good bird covers. Once you know what to look for, it makes it a lot easier.


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

Gwinn forest land is 278000 acres I see...maybe I have the wrong spot.

If I was to hunt the up again, id look for paper company land again. Low visibility but flush rates usually 2 or more and hour.


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## usedtobeayooper (Feb 13, 2008)

Most grouse hunters are probably well aware of this, so I apologize if it sounds dumb, but for newbies headed north or for those unaware, keep in mind there are two types of grouse... ruffed and sharp-tailed. If you hunt the western UP or the LP, you'll probably never see a sharp tail, but I mention it because many dont even know there's a difference. Their habitat varies fairly significantly, as sharps favor fields and brush more like pheasants, and are far more common in the east UP then elsewhere in Michigan, but wanted to give a heads up to check the season dates and counties given a few of the other posts in this thread. 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## fordman1 (Dec 12, 2015)

I seen sharptail in the western U.P.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

fordman1 said:


> I seen sharptail in the western U.P.


My chiropractor mentioned that also.


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