Looking for Ruffed Grouse in Virgnia

[AAAOA]

So I'm gearing up for my very first hunting trip next week here in Virginia with the goal of bagging a few grouse and scouting for deer season later in November. From the reading I've done it seems like both Highland WMA & Goshen/Little North Mountain WMA both hold Ruffed Grouse or I could look for some recent burns & cuts in the National Forests in hopes of locating some dense young growth. Anybody else try their hand at Ruffed Grouse on Virginia? What are some good places to check out and what should I watch out for?

Thanks

 

[hpshooter]

So I'm gearing up for my very first hunting trip next week here in Virginia with the goal of bagging a few grouse and scouting for deer season later in November. From the reading I've done it seems like both Highland WMA & Goshen/Little North Mountain WMA both hold Ruffed Grouse or I could look for some recent burns & cuts in the National Forests in hopes of locating some dense young growth. Anybody else try their hand at Ruffed Grouse on Virginia? What are some good places to check out and what should I watch out for?

Thanks

I hope you are successful. In the early 70's I had excellent luck hunting them in Floyd County around Pilot, Craig County around Craigs Creek, Pulaski County on the BSA camp property and in Amherst and Nelson County in the national forest around Plesant View and the Forks of Buffalo creek. Don't see them much at all any more and rarely walk one up.

 

[Dub]

It will be real tough without good bird dogs but can be done. the areas you indicate are pretty decent bets. they will be crowded in the 2 week deer season

 

[Dub]

I have hunted both of those with dogs and did best in the Little North Mountain area

 

[rebel]

Can't help you with Va. I used to hunt grouse here in NC with a passion. Had dogs. They are mostly gone now. Many have theories not based on anything logical, mostly it is habitat loss. Old growth and logging bans have been with us since Clinton. If you can find a 5 - 10 year old clear cut, know your shotgun and walk slow and stop every 20 or so steps. Grouse will flush when you are stopped. Be quick, you have about a 1/2 second in that terrain.

 

[msinc]

Short Hills Mountain just off I-81 in Natural Bridge has a bunch of public land and had a big forest fire a few years back. I have a cabin across the valley from there and see them on my land so I know they are there. They like wild grapes and there is plenty in the woods this year. Good luck!!!

 

[AAAOA]

Can't help you with Va. I used to hunt grouse here in NC with a passion. Had dogs. They are mostly gone now. Many have theories not based on anything logical, mostly it is habitat loss. Old growth and logging bans have been with us since Clinton. If you can find a 5 - 10 year old clear cut, know your shotgun and walk slow and stop every 20 or so steps. Grouse will flush when you are stopped. Be quick, you have about a 1/2 second in that terrain.

I've managed to find an area in the national forest with a 2012 clear cut next to a 2018 wildfire, it also seems like the Little North Mountain WMA Dub mentioned had a logging operation pretty recently. Neither seems very easy to get to but it seems like that's just part of grouse hunting lol.

Unfortunately I don't have any bird dogs so the walking slow and stopping will have to be my method of choice.

Short Hills Mountain just off I-81 in Natural Bridge has a bunch of public land and had a big forest fire a few years back. I have a cabin across the valley from there and see them on my land so I know they are there. They like wild grapes and there is plenty in the woods this year. Good luck!!!

If I get skunked a bit further north I'll have to check it out, it seems like there is a lot of old farmland on that WMA and wild grapes sounds like the perfect recipe for finding them. I'm only read up on them, so no idea how this'll all transfer to the field.

Thanks for all the advice so far guys!

 

[rebel]

+1 on fox grapes. Look for grouse scat as well. Like little turkey turds. Straight turd is a hen, J turd is a rooster.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Spot on grouse advice, 5-10 year old cuts and burns. Especially the edges and trails through them, here in Mn I watch for wild strawberries(they will eat the leaf) until the first hard freeze. Check the crop on the first bird, follow the food. They often only fly a short distance so we follow up flushes. Ignore the trees, shoot,only takes a pellet or 2 to drop grouse.

 

[AAAOA]

Just 2 more questions to make sure I do this right, what chokes should I have in my double gun and what ear pro should I wear?

At the moment I've got an improved cylinder and modified screwed in that I'll be blasting some 20 gauge #6 shot 1oz bismuth loads through but I've been reading that the modified choke might be a bit too tight. I want to make sure I put the bird down quick & clean but I don't want to blast the poor thing to bits, would a cylinder and improved cylinder combo be more appropriate?

The only ear pro I've got are some squishies and I certainly don't have the money right now for some fancy electronic low profile ear pro. What ear pro do you guys put in if any? I certainly want to keenly aware of my surroundings but I also would like to preserve my hearing as long as possible.

Thanks for all your help

 

[Mike Lum]

Buddy and I did pretty well cruising some crown land shooting #2s with full choke. Can see a few missing heads from the tight pattern... aim for the head and no overshot birds.

 

[Mike Lum]

The only ear pro I've got are some squishies and I certainly don't have the money right now for some fancy electronic low profile ear pro. What ear pro do you guys put in if any? I certainly want to keenly aware of my surroundings but I also would like to preserve my hearing as long as possible.

Thanks for all your help

Have a look at these. Howard Leight by Honeywell
They are compact enough to get proper cheek weld even for bench shooting and in the field you will find that you can actually adjust them to amplify sound by up to 3x what you hear while still canceling the loud report of a firearm. Unlike most Chineese performance claims I can personally verify that these things work. You will not beat these for price/performance IMO.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Around here we call the Ruff grouse a "Polish Sage Hen". Those things are stupid. At least the ones I have seen in the mountains.. I have killed em with a rock before..

 

[DogBuster]

While growing up in west PA......

Ruffed Grouse hunting was my favorite thing to do....

Grape vine tangles & my ole 1973 Rem 870 20 gauge........

 

[DogBuster]

Around here we call the Ruff grouse a "Polish Sage Hen". Those things are stupid. At least the ones I have seen in the mountains.. I have killed em with a rock before..

Pine Hens here....purty dumb...

Ruffed Grouse aren't that dumb

 

[AAAOA]

Alright so I finally got a chance to go out looking for grouse, I went all the way out to Highland WMA and after 9 hours & many miles of busting through laurels and bryers all I saw was a chipmunk. I did lots of stopping and walking slowly, guess I couldn't outsmart a 1 pound forest chicken this time around. I had an absolute blast though and talking to other hunters grouse are certainly in the area. They said this year has been better than most but the bear hunters tend to do a number on the grouse, I guess they're using shotguns for bear and keep bird shot with them and blast them when the dogs flush out the birds. There are a couple new clear cuts in the area that apparently hold grouse and a local Wild Turkey Foundation chapter planted several batches of bryers and other berry plants. From what I saw there and what I've read it seems to be perfect for grouse, I just couldn't find any. Guys were saying the birds tend to walk the logging roads after it rains for some reason, so maybe I'll find my way out there after a rainfall.

Unfortunately, Highland is 3 and a half hours away from me and I just can't get the time off to go back any time soon. So, I'm gonna have to try my hand at Rapidan WMA & G R Thompson WMA which are a good bit closer to me. It's kind of a double edged sword in that I can get there more often and easier, but that also means everyone else can too. The season goes into February and I just got myself some chaps to push through those bryers, so one way or another I'm gonna get myself a grouse.