Fall Flush

For some folks, nothing spells fall like long walks in crisp, colorful woods as an excited gun dog scours the forest floor and your heart pounds in anticipation of exploding wings. Grouse and woodcock hunting has taken some hits lately, but it remains a vital American tradition for upland gunners from the Appalachians to the West. And for people who appreciate good dogs, unique habitat and challenging shooting, there’s nothing like it. Best, getting after these birds doesn’t require much other than a pooch, a shotgun, some safety-orange clothing and a pocket full of shells.

Grouse and woodcock are always mentioned together, but as species they differ substantially. Ruffed grouse, sometimes called partridge, are North America’s most widely distributed game bird, inhabiting early successional forests and similar habitat through much of the northern United States and Canada. American woodcock, also called timberdoodles, are a migratory shorebird species primarily found in eastern North America. Grouse and woodcock exist together in many areas where woodcock nest or migrate in fall. Their preferred habitats differ somewhat, but when the migratory woodcock flight is in, you’ll often encounter both birds together.

Woodcock, which feed by probing the soil for invertebrates, favor moist thickets or woods. Grouse—omnivores that eat buds, leaves, and hard and soft mast—prefer mixed woodlands. Areas that have been logged relatively recently are likely bets. Aspen stands about 5 to 20 years old are ideal for grouse. For woodcock, seek young, dense hardwoods in moist soil. Thickets of alder, dogwood or even young oaks can be good.

A Simple Plan

Pursuing grouse and woodcock is fairly straightforward and refreshing in its simplicity. Hunters hike through likely cover, usually with pointing or flushing dogs, in hopes of flushing birds within range. And that’s when things get really interesting, as the frenzied flight of the birds and the thick cover they inhabit can make shooting tough, especially early in the season, when most trees still have their leaves. Grouse often explode from cover at low levels, and hunters sometimes only hear the telltale whir of the birds’ wings. Woodcock generally hold tighter and flush in more vertical fashion than grouse, sometimes corkscrewing through thick trees and presenting seemingly impossible shots.

Obviously, good dog work is critical for successful hunting. Flushers or pointing dogs locate birds efficiently in thick cover and can be critical in finding downed game in imposing cover. Both types of dogs should work close and methodically, as ranging too far in the grouse woods often results in bumped birds and lost opportunities.

Ideally, dogs probe cover while hunters can follow paths of easier resistance. For example, many people walk the edges of logging roads while their dogs dart in and out of nearby alders or aspens. However, you must sometimes dive into the thick stuff. In those situations, hunt slowly, and stop frequently, preferably at spots where you can mount your shotgun and shoot without obstructions.

Because most shots at grouse and woodcock are at close range in thick cover, hunters typically opt for quick-pointing shotguns with open chokes. Improved cylinder is usually a good compromise, but folks shooting double-barrels might go with skeet or cylinder in one barrel and IC in another. Late-season grouse hunters sometimes tighten their choke selection a bit for open woods.

Choosing The Right Load

Relatively small shot sizes rule the day for grouse and woodcock. It doesn’t take too much to bring down either bird, and pattern density at close ranges is paramount. Many hunters prefer payloads of No. 7 1/2 or 6 lead—some might even go as light as No. 8—in loads like Federal Premium Upland. In areas where you must shoot nontoxic loads like Upland Steel in No. 4, 5 or 6 work great. Bismuth in No. 5 through 7 perform extremely well.

Unfortunately, grouse and woodcock numbers aren’t as robust as previously in some areas. Woodcock numbers have fallen slowly for about three decades, and grouse — which already experience unexplained eight- to 11-year population cycles — have been hurt by habitat degradation and possibly West Nile virus. Still, opportunities for both abound throughout their range, and much of that occurs on public land.

Hit the grouse and woodcock coverts this fall. Autumn passes quickly, and you’ll never regret a day of heart-stopping flushes behind a good dog.