# Live from the Grouse Fields 9/15/13 Opening Day!



## TimBuckTwo (Jan 3, 2009)

Post up what you guys/gals are seeing out there today! Everyone stay safe and enjoy yourself. For us poor saps who are working or have other obligations on the opener pictures would be much appreciated!


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## All TIME ANGLER (Mar 14, 2008)

This is what I'm seeing:









Haven't missed an opening day in a while, but I'm sitting this one out


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## All TIME ANGLER (Mar 14, 2008)

Sorry, I meant this
http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/michigan/weather-radar


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## TimBuckTwo (Jan 3, 2009)

All TIME ANGLER said:


> Sorry, I meant this
> http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/michigan/weather-radar


Yowza!


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## bowhawker (Feb 17, 2008)

Just got in,hunted 8:30 till 11:30 put up 7 woodcock 9 grouse missed three. Hunting north east lower.


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## TimBuckTwo (Jan 3, 2009)

bowhawker said:


> Just got in,hunted 8:30 till 11:30 put up 7 woodcock 9 grouse missed three. Hunting north east lower.


So did you get your limit? Or did you only shoot 3 times?


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## bowhawker (Feb 17, 2008)

Didn't get any, had fun, should have got the first one got off three shots.I was useing #7 steel that is the only excuse I've got.


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## bowhawker (Feb 17, 2008)

Raining now I think I'm done for the day, tomarow I'll take the 0/u still have two days to hunt.


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## hopeandpoke (Oct 16, 2004)

Hunted 9:00am till 1:00pm. Flushed 6 woodcock and 4 grouse. My hunting partner bagged 1 young grouse! His britt worked great!


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

Not even going to try. Canning tomatoes and writing, yahoo.


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## Timber (Jan 1, 2009)

bowhawker said:


> Just got in,hunted 8:30 till 11:30 put up 7 woodcock 9 grouse missed three. Hunting north east lower.


 
This post means nothing without pic.


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## Llewellin (Aug 19, 2004)

Hunted about 2 hrs. 20 woodcock and 1 grouse.


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## Pointerguy (May 22, 2006)

We hunted mid Michigan about 3 hrs total. Put up around 30 woodcock and about a dozen grouse, dogs were pointing birds all morning, best opener in years. 


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## Firemedic (Apr 5, 2005)

Not able to head up til Tuesday, but these reports are looking good!

It will be nice to work a few young dogs on all those woodcock.


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## Brent Chambers (Aug 24, 2007)

Pretty slow in my neck of the woods.

Some of my favorite places were slower than normal, though we did bump five grouse out of a tree a few moments from my SUV. Good woodcock numbers.

Saw more parties than usual. 

My vizsla has been sleeping since we got back. She didn't even bat an eye when a few guests stopped by, which is far from the norm.


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## Gill'in time (Apr 20, 2012)

Can't seem to upload pics from phone? As I always have ,but in thumb area and not a huge upland hunter mainly water fowl but did run the lab I know not a bird dog&#128513; lol but put up two woodcock and One grouse all in all made me happy to watch my dog!


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Average opener. Not as many grouse as some years but same amount going on the grill. Rain held off all day hunting partners within 10 miles where wet


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## bombcast (Sep 16, 2003)

Hunted a couple decent early season covers in a light rain. Flew 10 grouse and a single woodcock. My partner and i both killed the only birds we shot at. Nice to start the season with a dead bird on the first shot. Good dog work on both, woods got too damn wet about 1:00 and ended up soaked.


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

One grouse in the bag, my uncle and I hunted from 9:30 to 1:00 we it started raining, we flushed 6 grouse and close to 2 dozen woodcock.















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## scottsinift (Mar 28, 2011)

Hit the woods this morning with a friend of mine. We put up 11 birds and did not hit one . Had a blast cant wait for some of the leafs to come down.


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

Back home here's today game bag.









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## TimBuckTwo (Jan 3, 2009)

jasonmichalski said:


> Still out in the woods got out if work early was hunting by 12:30 two in the bag now, count so far is 12 grouse and 30 woodcock flushes.
> View attachment 45335
> View attachment 45336
> 
> ...


Nice job!


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## I'm with Brandy (Aug 5, 2007)

I see a lot of reports on Doodle flushes hope no one is shooting at them. At least not until the season starts on the 21st.


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## GSPJAKE (Nov 23, 2007)

wyle_e_coyote said:


> It must have been that giant vest he had! LOL
> Was nice running into you guys. Sounds like we all shoot just as well! :lol:
> 
> We hunted 2 more spots, and eneded up with about 25 grouse moved, and close to the same in Woodcock. We went 0-7 shots, if I'm counting right, I know 4 were mine.  . Three flat out, no excuses, misses on well pointed birds.
> Our dogs hated us...


Nice meeting you also, sounds like you guys heated up in the afternoon. What the winter 3 quarter length double insulated hunting jacket on his 280 pound frame walking through heavy cover? had nothing to do with it!:lol:


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## pipe dream (Aug 3, 2006)

hunted in wexford county today. My worst grouse hunt for me. The last few years I had my limit by early afternoon. Today no birds were shot by 3 hunters. For the 1st time in years we did not have a dog to hunt over. Hunted our 7 best spots and moved birds in all but 2 spots. The 5 places we moved birds we had 2-3 flushes. All singles. Have never seen so much food in the woods for the birds to eat as this year. Thornapples were growing on very young trees and on trees I have never seen produce. Quite a few grapes and cherries in places as well. We should of had a couple birds but we had some piss poor shooting on out part. Quite a few flushes far out that were heard but not seen. Still a great day in the woods but was hoping to get a newbie a little more action. Flushed 12 grouse and 2 woodies.


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## Tyler B (Jun 30, 2008)

was out yesterday 9-4 then rain pushed us back home...it was a very good day....for my dog...i suck but the dog did a wonderful job for me....pointed 8 woodies and 9 grouse ended up shooting at 3 only got one...as others said the cover i found my birds in was thick thick thick...still just very pleased with my dog today....he is three this year.......next weekend cant come soon enough.....


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## I'm with Brandy (Aug 5, 2007)

pipe dream said:


> hunted in wexford county today. My worst grouse hunt for me. The last few years I had my limit by early afternoon. Today no birds were shot by 3 hunters. For the 1st time in years we did not have a dog to hunt over. Hunted our 7 best spots and moved birds in all but 2 spots. The 5 places we moved birds we had 2-3 flushes. All singles. Have never seen so much food in the woods for the birds to eat as this year. Thornapples were growing on very young trees and on trees I have never seen produce. Quite a few grapes and cherries in places as well. We should of had a couple birds but we had some piss poor shooting on out part. Quite a few flushes far out that were heard but not seen. Still a great day in the woods but was hoping to get a newbie a little more action. Flushed 12 grouse and 2 woodies.


I had good luck getting into birds in Grand Traverse County today. managed to hit one. I will be in Wexford tomorrow. I am finding the same thing family groups already split up in some areas that I normally find large groups. The birds seemed very skittish flushing 30 yards out from the dog. Seems they have been pushed hard already before hunting season. Could be predators could be people training a lot on the same group of birds. Those thorn apples won't be ready to eat until after a good freeze check back to them in late October into Nov and you should find birds on them maybe sooner if we get a good hard freeze.


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## FindTheBird (Dec 18, 2004)

I'm with Brandy said:


> I had good luck getting into birds in Grand Traverse County today. managed to hit one. I will be in Wexford tomorrow. *I am finding the same thing family groups already split up in some areas that I normally find large groups. *The birds seemed very skittish flushing 30 yards out from the dog. Seems they have been pushed hard already before hunting season. Could be predators could be people training a lot on the same group of birds. Those thorn apples won't be ready to eat until after a good freeze check back to them in late October into Nov and you should find birds on them maybe sooner if we get a good hard freeze.


When running dogs in July and August I found mostly singles too. Are you guys seeing many intact broods (3+ birds) this week?


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

3 birds is the biggest brood I have found so far. These first three days weather has been the best that I can remember for a opening week


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## FieldWalker (Oct 21, 2003)

N M Mechanical said:


> 3 birds is the biggest brood I have found so far. These first three days weather has been the best that I can remember for a opening week


Of the birds we moved Sunday... only moved one brood... didn't see most of the birds from that flush...

The singles were all mature birds.


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## I'm with Brandy (Aug 5, 2007)

FindTheBird said:


> When running dogs in July and August I found mostly singles too. Are you guys seeing many intact broods (3+ birds) this week?


I went out again today was going to try a spot in Wexford but someone was parked in my spot so I moved over to a new spot in Missaukee county. Got to the new spot about 8:45am. We hunted for an hour and half before I took the dog down to Tails-a-waggin for some pheasant hunting. Brandy put up a double Grouse flush both mature birds no young ones. Bad shot unfortunately, did manage to take out some dead tree limbs. And a single flush. I have yet to see a family flush this year or even a young Grouse for that matter. Brandy did put up 4 doodles one of which was a young bird. Only flew 10 - 15 yards at a time. Was close to the truck so I was able to get the pups on it and have them flush it once. As many have said a lot of food. Black cherries all over the place.


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

Getting ready to go hunt a prime private spot along the state land, I just this morning finally got permission from the new owners, I've been trying to get in this property for a few seasons now.
Went out yesterday and bagged the only grouse I flushed hunting my backup spots. 


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

Hunted for a few hours and flushed 6 grouse and 12 woodcock, put a few grouse in the game bag. Red and black cherries are everywhere.





















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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

3 grouse and 1 woodcock in the game bag today, we flushed 26 grouse and 5 woodcock in three hours of hunting this morning.





















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## TimBuckTwo (Jan 3, 2009)

jasonmichalski said:


> 3 grouse and 1 woodcock in the game bag today, we flushed 26 grouse and 5 woodcock in three hours of hunting this morning.
> View attachment 45648
> View attachment 45649
> View attachment 45650
> ...


To me that is an insane number of grouse. I hope I see numbed like that one day.


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

TimBuckTwo said:


> To me that is an insane number of grouse. I hope I see numbed like that one day.


We had a 12 bird flush which was a first for me and we flushed two smaller brood groups before that. 
A few years ago I had a ten bird flush but today was the most I've seen at one time.


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## frankster (Sep 19, 2012)

What type of cover are you guys finding them in this year?
I was in West Branch today; 3 guys, 1 dog, 5 hrs of hunting and we only put up 4 birds (2+2). Hunted young aspen and some thick cover, but didn't move many birds.

Thanks
frankster


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## jasonmichalski (Feb 23, 2012)

frankster said:


> What type of cover are you guys finding them in this year?
> I was in West Branch today; 3 guys, 1 dog, 5 hrs of hunting and we only put up 4 birds (2+2). Hunted young aspen and some thick cover, but didn't move many birds.
> 
> Thanks
> frankster


Thickets near water sources and lots of soft mast, they have all been eating from a tree with little green berries, the local woodcock seem to have left we were flushing 20 a day last week and a only 5 today.


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## FindTheBird (Dec 18, 2004)

jasonmichalski said:


> We had a 12 bird flush which was a first for me and we flushed two smaller brood groups before that.
> A few years ago I had a ten bird flush but today was the most I've seen at one time.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Wow that's a hell of a brood! Mama has been taking good care of the kids!

Like I mentioned in another post, I didn't run into many broods during Summer training this year in zone 2 and those I saw had no more than 5 birds.
My season (carrying a shotgun) starts this afternoon, hoping to hit some of those broods that I missed in July and August.


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## hehibrits (Mar 10, 2007)

FindTheBird said:


> Wow that's a hell of a brood! Mama has been taking good care of the kids!
> 
> Like I mentioned in another post, I didn't run into many broods during Summer training this year in zone 2 and those I saw had no more than 5 birds.
> My season (carrying a shotgun) starts this afternoon, hoping to hit some of those broods that I missed in July and August.


I have heard of a group of 6 birds, other than that is has been flushes of 1's and 2's. 


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