Ruffed grouse hunting seems to be on every uplander’s bucket list, and after they’ve checked that box, they never return. In a way, I can’t blame ‘em, for what sane bird hunter willingly follows a gun dog through some of the nastiest upland terrain on the planet? Raspberry and bull briar thorns shred double-faced waxed canvas, Hawthorns stab like a blade from a stiletto, and who could have imagined that such a thin, wiry Aspen stem could generate so much torque that it’d leave a welt as red and raised as one branch of a Cat O’Nine Tails? Add in Alder hells, grape tangles, high-bush cranberry jungles, loosely stacked stone walls that slide apart when crossed, and rusted twists of barbed wire that beg the question of ‘when exactly was my last tetanus shot?’ The thicker the cover, the more birds, and the greater number of medals of honor. Still, stomping around the jungle is a heck of a lot of work, so if we’re going through all of that work it helps to put some feathers in our dogs’ mouths. Grouse hunters wanting to hit more and cuss less wisely study shotgun fit. They’ll also open chokes, fill chambers with low compression shells, and practice snap shooting. No question, each correction can provide a solution. But sometimes, the easiest fix has nothing to do with gear or technique but instead with positioning. The “5 Ps”—proper positioning prevents poor performance—frequently are overlooked.

Hunting Tips for Ruffed Grouse

1. Position in the open: When reading the goruse woods, always position yourself in the most open area possible. Shooting from an opening first means that your target acquisition will be quick, clear, and sharp. Seeing a ruffed grouse flight plan without pushing poplar whips out of your face is the key step towards hitting. After you can see what you’re shooting at you’ve got to have space to mount and swing, even if it’s for a snap shot. Being in the open keeps you from clunking a tree that’ll check your swing. If you’re aggressive like me, then you may swing hard enough to dent a tube. The shooting business is tough enough without having to negotiate being horse collared by a young forest. Always look to shoot from as open a spot as possible.

   

2. Shoot into the thick: By positioning in the open, you’ll have to shoot into the thick stuff. For whatever reason, most shooters refuse to do that. Conversations over the years indicate that their reluctance is rooted in the belief that branches and leaves caused pattern deformation which is the reason for the miss. Maybe that’s true, but I doubt it.
   Let’s look at two facts, the first being the number of pellets in a typical 7/8 ounce load of #8 shot (lead). There are 359 bb’s in that load, and although it’s the standard 20-gauge load, the number of bb’s is the same if you shoot 7/8 ounce, lead #8s out of another gauge. The second fact is that grouse, and all gamebirds for that matter, aren’t grizzly bears. Birds have light plumage, and it only takes a few properly placed bb’s to bring them down. One bb is enough to break a wing, and one bb in the head will send your grouse towering towards the sun only to die and fall back to earth. You don’t need 359 bb’s to hit your grouse, only a few that are properly placed. And enough bb’s will get through the branches and leaves if you stand in the open and shoot into the thick as opposed to the other way around.
3. Cover the Edge: Grouse don’t like to fly because it makes them vulnerable to avian predators like a goshawk. A ruffed grouse’s primary method of escape is to run, and they are savvy enough to know how to zig zag their way through the openings at the base of the thickest cover. They know these woods better than you, but since grouse are birds of the edge, you should position yourself there, too.
   They’ll naturally be in the edges where different types of flora meet. That’s where they’ll find a good combination of food and protection. Examples are where a field meets a young alder or aspen stand, along an old skidder trail, or a gametrail made by another animal. Dirt two tracks both supply grit and are used as dusting spots. Having one gun on the edge is always a good idea, especially during prime feeding times in the late morning and late afternoon.

   

4. Drop to a knee: Many years ago, I was hunting grouse in New Brunswick with a Canadian friend. When a bird flushed in a low alder run with full foliage, he gained more room to swing by dropping to his knee. He’d pick up the bird’s flight plan, match that flight with his muzzle, and keep swinging when the bird disappeared in the foliage. Birds fell down after the shot. I find myself using that technique especially in the early season or if there has been a drought that pushes birds into the deepest, thickest parts of the cover. While the shot seems like a Hail Mary, it was described in Edmund Davis’ 1908 book Woodcock Shooting. Over a century later, it’s still effective.
5. Snake through the woods: The time when I believed it was noble to bust through the thickest brush passed a long time ago. It’s easier to read the woods and to go around rather than through. Look to slide through openings, work edges, and cruise along skidder paths or game trails. The more efficiently you’re walking the more ground you’ll cover, and that translates to more bagged ruffed grouse.
6. Don’t Drag Ass: Being in position to make a kill shot also comes from getting up on your dog. Pinned birds will hold, but the ruffed grouse isn’t called the King because he waits around to give you an easy shot. Keep up with your dog throughout the hunt rather than hump it to him after he’s on point. The noise associated with crashing through the woods makes grouse nervous, and they’ll run or flush before you get there. It’s an insult to see one looking at you from the safety of a pine bough.

Tweak your gear to suit, but if you’re still missing birds then think about your positioning. The better shot you can take, the more birds you’ll put in your vest.