Bird Dogs Afield host Paul Fuller is the gun dog columnist for Northwoods Sporting Journal. The Journal has granted permission to re-print Paul’s articles. Thank you Northwoods Sporting Journal.

How to Hunt Grouse With A Pointing Dog

Last month we provided tips on identifying grouse cover. Now that we have identified grouse cover, how do we actually hunt grouse with a well-trained pointing dog? There are many variables so we can’t guarantee every technique will work every time; however, through observation and experience, we can offer workable guidelines.

First, keep in mind that Ruffed Grouse are on the move most of the day. This rule applies on a sunny day, a cloudy day and a day with a drizzle. During heavy rain, they will move less. Since they’re on the move, they become a difficult bird for a pointing dog. It takes a few years and a lot of grouse contact to develop a good grouse dog. You can train your dog on pen-raised birds all summer and have what you feel is your “brag” dog ready for any challenge in the field. A Ruffed Grouse will soon turn that dog into a confused rookie.

Let’s first discuss the point. We’ve all seen our dogs working hard and then slam to a halt and into a point. That indicates a very hot scent cone. This doesn’t happen often with grouse. They don’t linger long enough to build a strong scent bed. With grouse, you’ll typically get a very birdy dog working scent and then a point. The dog begins to soften shortly after the point. Softening is indicated by head or tail movement. This is because the scent is quickly growing stale and the dog knows the bird is gone. As quickly as you see a dog soften, move in and touch your dog’s ear which is the signal to relocate. This point and relocation process can go on several times until one of two things happen; the bird has run far forward and then flushes out of range or the dog pins the bird for a solid and sustainable point. The second scenario is, of course, what a pointing dog owner is anxious to see. When your dog delivers a solid point, with no head or tail movement, you must assume that he’s pinned the bird. It may not always be the case, but you must approach the point with the anticipation of a flush. Now that we understand how your dog will react to grouse scent, let’s go hunting.

When driving into grouse country, we’ve all witnessed grouse crossing the road in front of our vehicle. Sometimes it’s a single or brood scooting across the road and sometimes it’s a single simply bathing in the warm sunshine. How do we handle these birds with a pointing dog? If you’re hunting alone, these situations are more difficult than one might initially think. Grouse have earned the title “king of game birds” because they’re smart. They know how to disappear quickly. With grouse and a pointing dog, you should have two shooters. For road birds, here are two pointing dog techniques.

Approximately 50 yards from the grouse’s point of entry, the handler should take the dog into the cover, on the same side as the bird entered and, with the dog at heel initially, quickly move into the cover 50-60 yards and then move parallel to the road for 50 yards. At the same time, your hunting companion should be briskly walking to the bird’s point of entry on the road. He should stay at that point and carefully listen and watch for a flush back across the road. Meanwhile, with the dog now working freely, the handler and dog work back toward the road. By blocking escape routes, you’ll confuse the bird and improve the chances it will make a mistake. One of the two hunters should get a shot.

The second road bird technique is for the dog handler and hunting companion to simply reverse roles. Send the hunting companion into the cover using the same pattern as the handler did in the first scenario and the dog and dog handler go in off the road at the bird’s point of entry. The hunting companion going into the cover is blocking the escape route. It’s been my experience that you’ll get a point more often using the second technique and simply a wild flush using the first technique.

Now let’s review how to hunt an actual covert with a dog. This is harder than the “bird in the road” and requires more strategy. You won’t, however, be able to develop a strategy unless you’ve been in the cover and understand the layout. Four our purposes, let’s use last month’s perfect grouse covert. This covert had mature hardwoods at the top of the mountain, heavy conifers (for roosting) below the mature hardwoods, then (proceeding down the mountain) a good aspen growth and then berries, alders and water.

Do not start your hunt early in the morning by busting into the conifer roosting area. It will be too thick for any shots and this isn’t a pointing dog hunting technique. About mid-morning, these birds will be working their way down the mountain. You want to be below the birds rather than above them. Grouse have a better escape route when flying down hill. If it’s still early in the season and the birds are still feeding on berries or their leaves, come into the cover below the aspens and then work up the mountain. Your goal is to intercept the birds and block their escape route down hill and into the alders.

If it’s later in the season and the birds are budding, then enter the covert below the aspens and come up through them. I’ve seen birds “budding” as early as noon, so if you’re in the cover by mid-morning, the chances are pretty good the dog will encounter the birds on the ground with a resulting point…and a point is our goal.

Again, there are too many variables to present a guaranteed formula. You’ll improve your odds dramatically, however, by pre-season scouting your grouse coverts and working your dog on wild birds before the season.

Paul Fuller is host of the Bird Dogs Afield WebTV program which may be viewed on the MyOutdoorTV.com network. Through cooperation with Northwoods Sporting Journal, Paul’s previous columns are now available on his website which is www.birddogsafield.com. Paul may be reached at paul@birddogsafield.com.