Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Tell Me About Grouse Hunting in North Carolina

Don't know about NC, but RG is our state (PA) bird and they're pretty scarce. There may be some isolated areas with some but overall not good. They closed our late season which I doubt will make much difference. Preserve hunts are the only way to get a dog on a number birds for training or experience, unless you're willing to travel the country.

30 flush days were common stuff in Pa at one time. GC first said it was habitat, but were proven wrong. Then it was West Nile Virus. They seem to be coming back above parts of I80.

However, the Pa GC seems to be more concerned with Eagles and the other Raptors. Then they release Fishers which are a death card for most small game. Pa upland Bird hunting is close to winking out, except on paper. Its roots are a Game Commission for hunters, and is quickly becoming a left wing arm of the liberal Pa politicians.

They prefer the silent killers over the rifle hunters when it comes to Deer. Just under 50% of the Buck kill is by the bow crowd. Then they allowed crossbows into the mix. They get a couple month season while the rifle hunters get two weeks.

Don't expect them to do much for our State Bird.

Addition: Unfortunately it’s a game bird. If it was a mouse twit, the tree huggers would be all over it. To the point of cutting trees if that is what it needed.

Game Birds can go extinct as far as the tree hugger care.

I have land in NW WIs. . I used to see license plates from all over the south. Tennessee seemed to be the most common, but even Georgia . I asked one time, why on earth would you come all the way here for a dumb grouse. They told me where they live you can hunt all season for a few grouse, but can kick up 20 in a day with a dog. They kind of are all over the place. We started hunting them in Price co. Wis. where my land it cause the deer hunting is so bad. Opening day of deer season, I said to my son, get out there and hunt some deer. He laughed and said he wouldn't waste his time so he goes grouse hunting on opening day of deer season. Deer hunting is that bad up there, but the grouse is very good.

I kicked up two in extreme N Georgia on the N. Carolina line near the AT last weekend and heard some drumming. Had my Vizsla with me and she should have pointed one, but she flushed it. I saw the other one on the road driving in. Saw several turkey too. I camp in those mountains a lot, and rarely see grouse
Don