I've hunted pheasant most of my life, and am looking to expand my upland hunting experience. I am looking to walk some trails over thanksgiving break, and have heard conflicting information regarding best weapon choice. I have one good friend who swears by a shotgun while the other will only hunt using a .22. Will I have any hope without a dog? Weapon choice?
MN Grouse woods
- Thread starter cwitherow
- Start date
thusby
Well-known member
Take the shotgun. You won't typically find pellets in edible portions of the meat anyhow if you shoot them on the ground. I use a 28 gauge or 20 gauge most of the time but any gauge will do. No problem without dog like NoWiser said. Grouse will normally flush just from walking around them and don't run on the ground very much like a pheasant will. I like to walk a bit, stop, walk some more, stop. Standing still will get them nervous enough to flush a lot of times when you would otherwise walk right past them.
NEWHunter
Well-known member
Shotgun. You’ll likely have better luck off trail, especially later in the season. Trails get hit pretty hard. I’d get on the backside of old clear cuts where the aspen meet the older uncut timber. Work the edges of that cut and always be ready.
Guys seem to work old logging roads and trails pretty hard which tends to clean out a lot of the birds within 50-100 yards either side of the trails.
No dog no problem.
Guys seem to work old logging roads and trails pretty hard which tends to clean out a lot of the birds within 50-100 yards either side of the trails.
No dog no problem.
