Birdbander
Well-known member
Congratulations! May you both put many more in the vest!
Upper Midwest Bird Camp 2026
- Thread starter TheGreek
- Start date
TheGreek
Well-known member
It’s a gorgeous morning here in the grouse woods of MN.
Every few years, we seem to get a couple of warm days towards the end of October that leads to one or two of those absurd woodcock days- they seem to stack for a few days up north.
Pay attention at night around the bonfire, when then they come in heavy you can hear them dropping in. I’m hoping you get into one of those, it’s a blast.
Pay attention at night around the bonfire, when then they come in heavy you can hear them dropping in. I’m hoping you get into one of those, it’s a blast.
TheGreek
Well-known member
Today, the Fox spoke and the grouse listened.
Overall, it was a relatively slow day of grouse and woodcock hunting. We only flushed 6 grouse and 7 woodcock. We only shot at two grouse. However, I was able to kill both the grouse I shot at and one woodcock. My buddy bagged two woodcock as well.
Killing a brace of grouse is always a great day in the uplands. The first grouse I killed was very lightly hit and Creed made a great find and retrieve on a running bird. He also got to retrieve his first woodcock today. No issues with him picking up and retrieving woodcock which was good to see.
On the second grouse of the day I killed, I was able to slow down after the shot and make him retrieve to hand, sit next to me and allow me to take the bird from his mouth. He can do it, I just gotta make him do it right.
By 2:30pm it was almost 70 degrees so I bagged it. Hunting grouse in the heat in tight cover is no fun for the dog or I.
Another great day in the grouse woods.
While it’s hot outside, my buddy’s cabin is pretty cold so we’ve got a fire going, enjoying cocktail hour. Woodcock for dinner tonight.
Overall, it was a relatively slow day of grouse and woodcock hunting. We only flushed 6 grouse and 7 woodcock. We only shot at two grouse. However, I was able to kill both the grouse I shot at and one woodcock. My buddy bagged two woodcock as well.
Killing a brace of grouse is always a great day in the uplands. The first grouse I killed was very lightly hit and Creed made a great find and retrieve on a running bird. He also got to retrieve his first woodcock today. No issues with him picking up and retrieving woodcock which was good to see.
On the second grouse of the day I killed, I was able to slow down after the shot and make him retrieve to hand, sit next to me and allow me to take the bird from his mouth. He can do it, I just gotta make him do it right.
By 2:30pm it was almost 70 degrees so I bagged it. Hunting grouse in the heat in tight cover is no fun for the dog or I.
Another great day in the grouse woods.
While it’s hot outside, my buddy’s cabin is pretty cold so we’ve got a fire going, enjoying cocktail hour. Woodcock for dinner tonight.
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TheGreek
Well-known member
Ticks!!!!
Having not ruffed grouse hunted last year, I made the mistake of not showering after hunting yesterday afternoon. Dinner and drinks and then the dog came first and then it was 10pm and I went to bed. When I woke up this morning and went to shower, I realized that I had three ticks embedded in me.
I put a little vicks vapo rub on each one, waited a few minutes, and was able to remove the entirety of all three of them with a pair of tweezers. Horrible things. The Vicks seems to allow you get them off a little easier once they are embedded.
Speaking of which, it’s time for a shower.
Having not ruffed grouse hunted last year, I made the mistake of not showering after hunting yesterday afternoon. Dinner and drinks and then the dog came first and then it was 10pm and I went to bed. When I woke up this morning and went to shower, I realized that I had three ticks embedded in me.
I put a little vicks vapo rub on each one, waited a few minutes, and was able to remove the entirety of all three of them with a pair of tweezers. Horrible things. The Vicks seems to allow you get them off a little easier once they are embedded.
Speaking of which, it’s time for a shower.
Birdbander
Well-known member
If you're not opposed to treating your clothes with permethrin you'll be tick free.
Really enjoying following your hunt
Really enjoying following your hunt
TheGreek
Well-known member
I sprayed my pants, shirt, undershirt and hat down with it last night. Didn’t find a tick on me after hunting today.If you're not opposed to treating your clothes with permethrin you'll be tick free.
Really enjoying following your hunt
TheGreek
Well-known member
A slow morning of grouse hunting here in MN. We only flushed three grouse but I managed to kill one so I can’t complain. The lab retrieved to hand so that made it even better.
It was 65 degrees by 11am so I spent the afternoon driving down to Ballistics Products Inc outside of the twin cities to load up on reloading components for my 16 ga.
One more morning of grouse hunting here and then I need to start the long drive home. The end of bird camp is always a little sad.
Pheasant Marsala for dinner tonight. Grouse camp dinners are always a highlight of the trip.
It was 65 degrees by 11am so I spent the afternoon driving down to Ballistics Products Inc outside of the twin cities to load up on reloading components for my 16 ga.
One more morning of grouse hunting here and then I need to start the long drive home. The end of bird camp is always a little sad.
Pheasant Marsala for dinner tonight. Grouse camp dinners are always a highlight of the trip.
TheGreek
Well-known member
Saturday morning was the last day of grouse camp. I was up early. My buddy bowed out of the last morning on account of a sore back and a limping dog.
I made my way out solo in the overcast and very warm temps.
The first covert revealed no flushes.
The second covert produced two flushes and I managed to to connect on the first grouse. I did not get a great mark but Creed had the bird retrieved shortly thereafter.
The second flushed was just off to my left and I should have killed that bird, but that’s grouse hunting.
I got to the last covert as the rain started to come down lightly. The last grouse covert for the trip. For the year. I sat in the car for a few minutes waiting for the rain to lighten, thinking that i wish I could bottle up and store in my memory that image and the sum of its parts. Thick aspens with a winding trail, the feeling of joyful loneliness and anticipation, the smell of decaying leaves and moist dirt.
I stared at the cut and tried to burn that image and the associated feelings into my memory so that at some point in the coming months I could retrieve it from my mind’s eye and treat it like a plug of chewing tobacco, sticking it in my cheek and sucking out the flavor and feeling of being there in the cusp of the last grouse covert. A memory to warm yourself on a cold winter’s day when hunting season has long since passed. A feeling to remind yourself what really matters when the stress of everyday life begins to take over.
With those thoughts running through my mind, I began the slow walk into the last covert. I didn’t move a bird. But that was never really the point.
I made my way out solo in the overcast and very warm temps.
The first covert revealed no flushes.
The second covert produced two flushes and I managed to to connect on the first grouse. I did not get a great mark but Creed had the bird retrieved shortly thereafter.
The second flushed was just off to my left and I should have killed that bird, but that’s grouse hunting.
I got to the last covert as the rain started to come down lightly. The last grouse covert for the trip. For the year. I sat in the car for a few minutes waiting for the rain to lighten, thinking that i wish I could bottle up and store in my memory that image and the sum of its parts. Thick aspens with a winding trail, the feeling of joyful loneliness and anticipation, the smell of decaying leaves and moist dirt.
I stared at the cut and tried to burn that image and the associated feelings into my memory so that at some point in the coming months I could retrieve it from my mind’s eye and treat it like a plug of chewing tobacco, sticking it in my cheek and sucking out the flavor and feeling of being there in the cusp of the last grouse covert. A memory to warm yourself on a cold winter’s day when hunting season has long since passed. A feeling to remind yourself what really matters when the stress of everyday life begins to take over.
With those thoughts running through my mind, I began the slow walk into the last covert. I didn’t move a bird. But that was never really the point.
TheGreek
Well-known member
I was on the road by noon. 17 hours straight through and I got home about 4am MST this morning. Didn’t hit any deer or elk but one kamikaze jackrabbit got me in the Walden area.
From our limited few days of hunting in MN, we definitely thought the bird numbers were down. We hunted many of these same coverts in 2024 and in many spots we flushed 6-8 grouse per spot that year and none or 1 per spot this year. That’s hunting. But we all know that ruffed grouse hunting isn’t about birds in the bag. It’s about everything else that makes chasing the king great. The friends and dogs. Delicious meals and maybe a little bit much of the brown stuff after dinner. Planning and plotting where to hunt the next day. The anticipation of walking into a new covert or an old favorite and thinking, this could be it. The feeling that every step could reveal the thunderous flush and whirring sound that we are all chasing.
Saying goodbye at the end of camp always makes me a little sad.
Here are our final numbers for 2 guys hunting in MN for essentially 4 half days.
10/21/26
Grouse flushed 1
Shot at 1
Killed 1
WC flushed 0
Shot at
Killed
10/22/26
Grouse flushed 6
Shot at 2
Killed 2
WC flushed 7
Shot at 6
Killed 3
10/23/26
Grouse flushed 3
Shot at 2
Killed 1
WC flushed 2
Shot at 2
Killed 0
10/24/26
Grouse flushed 2
Shot at 2
Killed 1
WC flushed 0
Shot at 0
Killed 0
My buddy is going to Maine next year for grouse camp. I’m not sure if i can figure out the logistics to make it happen. It’s a 40 hour drive from NW CO. I could fly and not bring the dog but I’m not sure if there is a point to that. Time will tell.
I spend all year looking forward to the week of grouse camp. And then it’s here and gone in a flash. Just like all the best things in life.
I’m looking forward to taking out that memory this winter or spring and seeing, smelling and tasting the grouse woods, even if just for a fleeting few seconds.
From our limited few days of hunting in MN, we definitely thought the bird numbers were down. We hunted many of these same coverts in 2024 and in many spots we flushed 6-8 grouse per spot that year and none or 1 per spot this year. That’s hunting. But we all know that ruffed grouse hunting isn’t about birds in the bag. It’s about everything else that makes chasing the king great. The friends and dogs. Delicious meals and maybe a little bit much of the brown stuff after dinner. Planning and plotting where to hunt the next day. The anticipation of walking into a new covert or an old favorite and thinking, this could be it. The feeling that every step could reveal the thunderous flush and whirring sound that we are all chasing.
Saying goodbye at the end of camp always makes me a little sad.
Here are our final numbers for 2 guys hunting in MN for essentially 4 half days.
10/21/26
Grouse flushed 1
Shot at 1
Killed 1
WC flushed 0
Shot at
Killed
10/22/26
Grouse flushed 6
Shot at 2
Killed 2
WC flushed 7
Shot at 6
Killed 3
10/23/26
Grouse flushed 3
Shot at 2
Killed 1
WC flushed 2
Shot at 2
Killed 0
10/24/26
Grouse flushed 2
Shot at 2
Killed 1
WC flushed 0
Shot at 0
Killed 0
My buddy is going to Maine next year for grouse camp. I’m not sure if i can figure out the logistics to make it happen. It’s a 40 hour drive from NW CO. I could fly and not bring the dog but I’m not sure if there is a point to that. Time will tell.
I spend all year looking forward to the week of grouse camp. And then it’s here and gone in a flash. Just like all the best things in life.
I’m looking forward to taking out that memory this winter or spring and seeing, smelling and tasting the grouse woods, even if just for a fleeting few seconds.
Birdbander
Well-known member
If there's a way for you to get to Maine with your friend and take your dog, I highly recommend it. I've done a week in the NMW seven times. I hate the drive and especially the metro areas I have to pass through (I take the in US route), but the grouse hunting is fantastic!
