Good God the grouse are doing well.

[csmith78]

Bagged out, and missed about the many again.

Anyone else notice that numbers are up?

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[gopher]

Likely taken 60 or so grouse this year. A noticeable change in my areas did I wipe them out no but moving on practicing some conservation.

No bird truck drops off ruffys.

[nast70]

We were out for elk a week ago. Didn't want to shoot any birds until our time was almost up. We were stepping all over the damn birds, you swear the ground was moving sometimes. When we finally decided to go after them they all vanished, like farts in the wind. I think it was the change in the weather. We decided to close up mom and dads camp a couple days early, just before the rain hit to keep all the canvas dry. We scored a handful, but all of us were expecting to limit out on the last morning.

[fish_e_o]

they're all over this year! if i could only find a good place to park i would have had more

[3blade]

No doubt. Can't walk anywhere without a chicken chirping or flapping away. One thing I've noticed, I'm seeing way more in the bush than on the roads. Only seen 2 on the road, over 100 in the bush. Good but makes it dang hard to focus on deer hunting, I had to leave the shotgun at home this week

[huntinalberta]

My grandpa and I got 8 for yesterday and seen about 35. I could fill my limit every day if could get out there.

[35 whelen]

Did very well up here nice dry spring lots of grouse this year

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[csmith78]

We bagged out again last night...in 15 min

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[csmith78]

Isn't the max 15 per species?

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[jungleboy]

I have been out a few times but the birds I have seen are jumpy (as in fly before you can get in range ) most of the time. The few we have seen have been in the bush fairly deep. They don't seem to be out on the trails as much as normal. Bagged a few Ruffies and one Spruce.

[Mayhem]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

I have been out a few times but the birds I have seen are jumpy (as in fly before you can get in range ) most of the time. The few we have seen have been in the bush fairly deep. They don't seem to be out on the trails as much as normal. Bagged a few Ruffies and one Spruce.

Noticed the ruffies are like that too in my area. If the bush isn't too thick I will go in after them, I would say half the time I get em.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Paskell

I like and subscribe to the saying "limit your kill" don't have to "kill your limit". Like you say it's legal but people have different values and to me this is degrading this great game bird. You and Speckles obviously think differently. Same thing with fishing and the doe and fawn seasons. Limiting out and tagging out is not the mark of a good hunter for me. Many will disagree.

What Someone does wth with his birds is none of my business if he is doing it legally .
You can have your opinion the same as some think anybody that shoots a grouse with anything but a shotgun over a pointer is degrading the bird as well .
Posting as you are chastusing someone because your ethics are not theirs is not appreciated .
Cat

[shr970]

One more question when you guys say trails what kind of trails grass? Gravel? Mud? What environment do they like more? Took the boy out today seen 2 but the boy couldn't get a clean shot. Thanks again

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by csmith78

Isn't the max 15 per species?

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Are you suggesting that there is an annual limit on grouse? If so, read the regulations, there is a daily limit, and a possession limit. As far as what people do with their grouse, as long as they don't waste them. I could care less how often they eat grouse or if they share with friends and family, as long as someone is eating them.

[Bushrat]

The way I read it your not allowed to have more than 15 grouse in your freezer, if you have 15 grouse in your freezer/fridge/ posession you have all your legally allowed to have, you must eat some of them to continue hunting. People who have 20, 50 or 100 grouse in the freezer are breaking the law.
Regulations state It is Unlawful to: #8 on page 31 of the regulation synopsis "exceed the daily limit 'or' possession limit for any game bird. My interpretation means once you have reached the possession limit you must not hunt that species until such a time as you have reduced the amount of birds of that particular species in your possession to a number less than the possession limit. I.e if you have 15 ruffed grouse in your freezer and you eat 2 then you can only shoot 2 more until the possession limit of 15 is reached again.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

The way I read it your not allowed to have more than 15 grouse in your freezer, if you have 15 grouse in your freezer/fridge/ posession you have all your legally allowed to have, you must eat some of them to continue hunting. People who have 20, 50 or 100 grouse in the freezer are breaking the law.
Regulations state It is Unlawful to: #8 on page 31 of the regulation synopsis "exceed the daily limit 'or' possession limit for any game bird. My interpretation means once you have reached the possession limit you must not hunt that species until such a time as you have reduced the amount of birds of that particular species in your possession to a number less than the possession limit. I.e if you have 15 ruffed grouse in your freezer and you eat 2 then you can only shoot 2 more until the possession limit of 15 is reached again.

My interpretation as well.

[Jadham]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

The way I read it your not allowed to have more than 15 grouse in your freezer, if you have 15 grouse in your freezer/fridge/ posession you have all your legally allowed to have, you must eat some of them to continue hunting. People who have 20, 50 or 100 grouse in the freezer are breaking the law.
Regulations state It is Unlawful to: #8 on page 31 of the regulation synopsis "exceed the daily limit 'or' possession limit for any game bird. My interpretation means once you have reached the possession limit you must not hunt that species until such a time as you have reduced the amount of birds of that particular species in your possession to a number less than the possession limit. I.e if you have 15 ruffed grouse in your freezer and you eat 2 then you can only shoot 2 more until the possession limit of 15 is reached again.

Well this is a question that sometimes crop up. Unfortunately, the wording is quite vague in the hunting regs. My interpretation is that possession limit does NOT include place of residence... it is meant to reflect the amount you can have in your possession when going on multi-day hunting trips. Checkstops happen on roads, campsites, etc.. not in the fridge & freezer of your house/place of residence, so the rule is meant to reflect how much you may have in your possession when stopped while going home after a multi-day trip (usually waterfowl).

The only place where I have seen explicit description of possession limit is the analogous situation of fishing. In fishing, like waterfowl hunting, it is quite probable that a person will go on a multi-day trip and therefore transporting a catch from more than one day. On page 9 of the federal fishing regulations it states,

"This is the maximum number of fish you can have in your possession at any given time (i.e.: twice your daily limit, other than halibut), EXCEPT for what is at your “ordinary residence” (see glossary). (emphasis mine)

Regs available here:

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.htm

Further, I have been stopped a few times by CO and RCMP while out hunting, including bird hunting. They have always checked the birds and that I was at or under limit... they have never asked me how many birds I have in the freezer at home (and include it as my "possession limit").

But I think better, explicit description in the provincial hunting regulations should be requested.

[catnthehat]

It is not rocket science and people are complicating it for no reason.
If you have three birds and get stopped by F&W all they are looking at is your daily limit on your possesion which is three .
They have no reason to think you have more than your possession combined
However if someone complains and they search your freezer at home and you are sitting on 30 you are over your possession .

If you are out hunting and you know if you kill a single grouse when you are at your possession of 15 in your freezer then YOU know yourself you are over your limit and what are you doing hunting anyway if you have a full possesion limit in your freezer already ?

Like I say, it's not rocket science but people have to think clearly for themselves
Cat

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Jadham

Well this is a question that sometimes crop up. Unfortunately, the wording is quite vague in the hunting regs. My interpretation is that possession limit does NOT include place of residence... it is meant to reflect the amount you can have in your possession when going on multi-day hunting trips. Checkstops happen on roads, campsites, etc.. not in the fridge & freezer of your house/place of residence, so the rule is meant to reflect how much you may have in your possession when stopped while going home after a multi-day trip (usually waterfowl).

The only place where I have seen explicit description of possession limit is the analogous situation of fishing. In fishing, like waterfowl hunting, it is quite probable that a person will go on a multi-day trip and therefore transporting a catch from more than one day. On page 9 of the federal fishing regulations it states,

"This is the maximum number of fish you can have in your possession at any given time (i.e.: twice your daily limit, other than halibut), EXCEPT for what is at your “ordinary residence” (see glossary). (emphasis mine)

Regs available here:

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.htm

Further, I have been stopped a few times by CO and RCMP while out hunting, including bird hunting. They have always checked the birds and that I was at or under limit... they have never asked me how many birds I have in the freezer at home (and include it as my "possession limit").

But I think better, explicit description in the provincial hunting regulations should be requested.

The possession limit most certainly does include your residence.

[nast70]

We had olans to go out on Saturday but the weather changed that. We went out on Monday instead, my father, brother in law and I. We saw over 20 birds during the course of the day. Came home with 8 between us. A great day!
http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/57fd1087...10_123739.jpg?

[300magman]

My boy really wanted to try grouse (I usually dont hunt them) and we have been out several times in 506.....seems like they were everywhere the last few years, but in 5 outings of several hours each we have seen and shot exactly 1 grouse. Good part is the kid got to try one and enjoyed it, bad part is one grouse breast probably cost me $200, lol! Who am I kidding, it was good scouting time and I woulda been out there anyway, just maybe sitting in a treestand with the bow instead of cruising around and walking trails, haha!

Anyway, apparently they arent doing so well in my area or else i dont know wtf (w being where) to look.

[flyon]

I've been out looking for grouse southwest of calgary and havent been having much luck.

I've been covering lots of bush but not coming up with results? What should I be looking for after a big snow? Are they on the ground or in the trees?

Thick cover or understory?

I've hunted roads for them when its dry, will they dig for gravel?

Cheers

[Bergerboy]

Its funny how they can have different density points close together. We hunted 3 quarters and didn't flush a single bird, then went to another area maybe 7km crow flies and we flushed 6 birds in a 20 yard stretch. Never seen such a dense clump of ruffies like that.

[Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Bergerboy

Its funny how they can have different density points close together. We hunted 3 quarters and didn't flush a single bird, then went to another area maybe 7km crow flies and we flushed 6 birds in a 20 yard stretch. Never seen such a dense clump of ruffies like that.

Very true, most I have seen that close together is 5 tho...Last wkd I covered a large area, only saw 3 spruce in total. Tried another trail maybe a couple ks away, flushed 2 ruffs on the way in and another on the way out. Left it alone for a while then came back and saw one more.

[DisplacedCaper]

3rd time out was the charm for this guy. One lonely spruce grouse. Fried him up and was delicious


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[Jadham]

The problem is we will continue in a circular debate until more definitive information is provided. The regs do not state one way or another whether the possession includes primary residence. To summarize my position, because the numbers at your home are unverifiable, it makes the reg practically unenforceable to include them, and is likely part of the reason the fishing regulations specifically mention it (to not include it). Until there is more solid information on birds (old regs maybe, reg from another province, legal case) we can't resolve the differing interpretations.

[catnthehat]

Birds regs have Nothing to do with gush regs as I stated earlier .
Everything in your freezer , in your truck/ on your person counts.
But if you want to push the point simply ask the F&W they will tell you exactly the same thing
Like Mysrlf and several others keep saying , daily limit counts as part of your possession limit .
Cat

[jungleboy]

Took this one last Monday with my 12 ga I have never seen a grouse with fat on it like this one. It was a thick layer of yellow fat like a duck when I dressed it. Made me wish I had plucked it instead of breasting it.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Jadham

The problem is we will continue in a circular debate until more definitive information is provided. The regs do not state one way or another whether the possession includes primary residence. To summarize my position, because the numbers at your home are unverifiable, it makes the reg practically unenforceable to include them, and is likely part of the reason the fishing regulations specifically mention it (to not include it). Until there is more solid information on birds (old regs maybe, reg from another province, legal case) we can't resolve the differing interpretations.

The number of birds in your residence is not unverifiable. I was speaking with the local warden, who lives in my neighborhood, and he mentioned that this year he was going to be spending some time monitoring the pheasant release sites because there were complaints of some people shooting a limit, taking them home, and then returning the same day to shoot another limit. He told me that he would be observing the parking areas to see if the same people were taking pheasants from the site and then returning later to hunt again. He specifically mentioned that if he observed this happening, he would be showing up at the person's residence with a search warrant, and then counting up the birds looking for more than a limit of freshly killed birds, as well as people that had more than their possession limit in their residence.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Jadham

The problem is we will continue in a circular debate until more definitive information is provided. The regs do not state one way or another whether the possession includes primary residence. To summarize my position, because the numbers at your home are unverifiable, it makes the reg practically unenforceable to include them, and is likely part of the reason the fishing regulations specifically mention it (to not include it). Until there is more solid information on birds (old regs maybe, reg from another province, legal case) we can't resolve the differing interpretations.

The regs DO state very clearly that your primary residence is included for items in your possession.

From the Wildlife Act

"(3) For the purposes of this Act,
(a) a person has a thing in the person’s possession when the person has it in the person’s personal possession or knowingly
(i) has it in the actual possession or custody of another person, or
(ii) has it in any place, whether or not that place belongs to or is occupied by the person, for the use or benefit of the person or of another person, and
(b) when one of 2 or more persons, with the knowledge and consent of the rest has anything in the person’s custody or possession, it is deemed to be in the possession of each and all of them."