Where have all the grouse gone?

[Tripplebeards]

Bow hunting started yesterday. I still have my traps going strong. I have removed over 30 coon now and 8 possums. I think I might set off the the traps till after deer season is done and over. I don’t want to dispatch with my 22lr while season is on and make my deer nocturnal. I’m hoping removing almost 40 egg eaters will make a difference in nesting and hatch count next spring.

[OldBearHair]

I am pretty sure Triplebeards knows how to release a dog from a trap. Should others care to know how then use the shoestring method. A dog is generally docile until you put pressure on the springs of the trap then it will bite you. Guaranteed. Tie the shoestring in the middle just to fit over the nose and lower jaw like you tie your shoes., Then with both ends of the strings tie a loop knot lightly around the neck, bring the loose ends together and tie to a cord or your belt buckle (take the belt off first). Then open the trap letting the dog loose, the string will pull off. Only evidence will be the trap mark on the dogs foot. The dog's owner will know right away that it was caught in a trap and keep him home. Maybe!!
I was on a 1200 acre lease , the guys said it was a good place to ride fourwheelers but not much good for deer hunting, I could find no deer tracks in the roads, but plenty of bobcats and coyotes. I began trapping in February 2014 and caught 12 big coyotes by September. The next year caught a few more and the year next only three. By then already we were seeing more deer. The next year a few nice bucks were harvested. I am saying all this to emphasize this point . You have to try controlling the predators..My opinion only for my neck of the woods. Your neck of the woods could or would be different.,

[OldBearHair]

We do not have grouse, or quail, or pheasants, or any other ground nesting birds in Southeast Texas. The locals say that the fireants attack the hatching eggs and kill the chicks before they get dry. Fire ants will eat a one inch square of bait meat in a dirt hole set for coyotes in two days and you have to re-bait.

[Tripplebeards]

I just started putting out traps again now that gun season is over...till the holiday hunt. I caught one coin and 2 possum in the last three days. I had my game cameras set up in 2 different areas during deer season. I had a group of four big raccoons on one camera and a possum. On the other camera I had a possum and mama raccoon with two smaller ones. So I figured I will feel better after I eliminate 6 more raccoons. I caught 38 nuisance raccoons and 8 nuisance possum over the summer months. Hopefully it makes a difference. I can say I never saw one turkey during archery season where in years past I would have turkeys walk past me on every other sit. I did have two huge Toms walk past my camera and a group of turkeys that would consistently roost close to my lower stand and walk by me during muzzle loader season. Zero grouse and zero pheasants seen this hunting season. Hopefully removing some of my egg eaters will invite game birds back onto my property to nest this spring.

I here is the hen who came to visit one morning while I was in my hunting shack. She helped till a few of her yearlings walked to her. There were a good dozen kee keeing around me.



And a couple dandies that walked by my camera...



This one looks like a double beard...



I just finished mounting one of my spring bird fans yesterday as well...





I think a needed a longer board for the 12” beard .lol

What really got my goat I’d I had four of the biggest bucks I’ve ever seen on camera and never saw one of them bow hunting this year. I passed up several nice bucks during bow season. I saw one of huge guys twice gun hunting but never had a clear shot. I once again passed up a bunch of smaller buck and does. I saw 17 on opening day and several each day out but no head mounters. Normally I see several huge bucks bow hunting every year. I believe the neighbors dog that runs nonstop on my property and my new neighbors hunting right off my property line screwed thing up again. I had the neighbors dog run under my stand Sunday morning twice. I told him that was the last time we will both see this dog if I see it again. I have called the sheriff twice and it’s obviously not helped.

...Time to check traps again.


Just got back a few minutes ago. Caught nothing but had a raccoon and possum on camera. My traps apparently are placed to far in back of my camera.