Would you shoot a grouse while deer hunting?

[kbstenberg]

I am with Brutal AB. This year in 3 full days of sitting in my box blind i had 15 grouse walk by my stand from 5 to 35 yds away. Not 1 deer was spotted in that time. The forth day came along, i told the wife i was going grouse hunting for the rest of deer season (3 days) Do you think i saw a single grouse in that time. NOT 1. But i did get a deer.

[Jedman]

20 years ago the area I hunt mostly for deer used to have a decent amount of grouse and I would hunt them with a shotgun but slowly they declined in numbers and I haven’t seen one in 10 years.
Originally I thought it was because the turkey population exploded and they took over the habitat the grouse needed but now the turkey have also nearly disappeared also. Beside coyote there have been a few bobcat sightings and I seen one that was hit on the highway not 1/4 mile from where I hunt.
It seems the game populations keep changing.

Jedman

[james23]

This is what many guys carry while hunting . Hammond game getter.
http://www3.telus.net/gamegetter/index.html

[Wolfer]

I have shot many grouse while elk hunting with whatever pistol I was carrying at the time. The lee 452-255-RF from my 45 colt or my cut down webly will anchor them solidly and you can eat right up to the hole.

[Pioneer2]

This is what many guys carry while hunting . Hammond game getter.
http://www3.telus.net/gamegetter/index.html

Mine is in .270 win miserable/impossible to load and inaccurate with green or brown Hilti gun blanks. His former partner had a better design where the case was two piece steel that screwed apart.JMO

[James Wisner]

Have shot LOTS of Grouse over the years, both Deer and Elk hunting.

Most times with 44 Spl round ball loads, as to noise, many times Dad and I were side hilling as we were hunting, and normally only 100 yds apart. We never heard the other shoot the grouse with those very mild round ball loads.

J Wisner

[clearwater]

Grouse and Pigs while deer hunting.

I have taken a grouse with a cast load, then jumped deer 200 yards away that weren't bothered by the gunfire. As poor a success rate for deer where I hunt, grouse is often the only wild meat in the freezer. The little Ruffed and Franklin grouse stay put and are easy to shoot, the big Dusky Blues fly before you can get in range most of the time.

308W with 115 grain cast, IMR 4749 14 grains--- point blank at 40 yards while deer load is 2" high at 100, very quiet
25-06 100 grain Sierra Match J and IMR 4759 (don't remember the charge) same results
30-06 115 grain cast 12 grains unique
One I am just now trying is 375 Ruger with a round ball and 5 grains of Bullseye. Saw that load here.

When I had a 357 maximum Handi Rifle, it would shoot 38 special target loads out of that 22 inch barrel that sounded like a silenced 22 in the movies.

My buddy (in California where the little blacktail were plentiful and the pigs numerous and serious problem for vineyard owners) taught me to shoot a deer in the morning, clean it, hang the deer nearby to cool and then go back up the hill and eat lunch while watching the gut pile. Then when porky comes drifting over to the offal, you get a pig too.

[Mmacro]

In Alaska grouse and ptarmigans are everywhere. I had a great bird dog (German Wire-haired Pointer) I adopted from the shelter. He would flush them and those dumb birds would fly about 10 yards up into a tree and sit there an look at him. Got tired producing ground grouse sausage with my 12-ga. I just started carrying a scoped Ruger MkIII and shooting sticks instead of the shotgun so I could head-shot them.
The locals used to carry rocks in their pockets to hit them with. They are that dumb.
To get to the answer to your question... if deer and grouse season overlapped I would probably carry a nice pellet pistol (if legal) so you could quietly collect a little feather to go with your fur.

[jim147]

If we had any around here. I would. I have plenty of deer here. I had five in the driveway this morning. I had to stop so one of them wouldn't hit me.

I watched a guy unload on a deer with his 30-30. Reload and did it again. They just stood there until he started cussing. The deer went west I was about 200 yards east. I walked down once he cooled off to ask what happened. The elevator was missing out of his rear site.

[-D-]

You betcha, that's what my beeman P1 is for.

[Beaverhunter2]

Always carried a blunt while bow hunting for deer and took a bunch with it (squirrels, too). Unfortunately, grouse season is closed during the Michigan Firearm Deer Season. Never thought to try with my muzzleloader. Maybe I could aim high and try to take it with the sabot.....

[reddhawkk]

Grouse are very tasty and used to be more prevalent where I hunted, so yes, I would shoot grouse while deer hunting.

[ruger1980]

Always carried a few shotshells when I hunted with Shotgun

[NEKVT]

Where I hunt there are a lot more ruffed grouse than deer. I often hunt with a Krag sporter which is the perfect big/small game combo with the magazine cut off that let's you switch out to a cast round ball load (3.5 gr 700X has worked well in many 30 cal cartridges) so I always carry three in a front pocket. I read on here somewhere that round balls won't hit to same point of aim as a big game load which isn't true if open or a receiver sights are used. Both my Krag and Win 94 32 Special will hit to the same point of aim with both loads out to as far as you are likely to be shooting small game but it is the cut off that makes the Krag the most practical.

[44 flattop]

Unless I've spotted a buck and am busy in the middle of a stalk, I always shoot grouse. Always.

Years ago a buddy and I were busy sighting in a rifle for him after changing scopes midseason. After we finished and were sitting, drinking coffee, and BSing, two bucks stood about fifty yards from where we shot from and fed away nonchalantly. Neither were bothered by our gunfire. We had to laugh when both of us were surprised enough neither of us thought about shooting!

I can't remember all the times I killed a buck when I already had a dead grouse or two with me.

[krems]

I’d definitely shoot a grouse while deer hunting. Elk hunting maybe—Depending on how far id have to pack it back to camp. And hell no if I was hunting in Grizzly country. I don’t need to be smelling like a grouse wandering around.

[Cary Gunn]

Sure, if bow hunting.

I always carry a blunt in the bow quiver, and happily use it to replace my broad-head when a squirrel or cottontail happens along.

There're no grouse where I hunt, but that doesn't mean I ignore other tasty small game. Some of my more memorable bowhunts have ended with a pan of small game soaking in salt water in the kitchen sink, and a much more substantial, though no more tasty, hunk of game hanging from a gambrel in the garage.

And, although I wouldn't mention it to the game warden, one of my finest outdoor meals involved a very fat fox squirrel that -- having been "barked" from the limb of an oak by a 12-gauge rifled slug -- eventually found himself doused with salt and pepper and slathered in onions inside a foil packet over the camp coals.

Ya see, where I live, it's acceptable to pot small game during archery/deer season, but not during the firearms/deer go-round.

Happy trails,

-- Cary Gunn --

[owen58]

I’ve shot lots of them while deer hunting........with a bow. I’ll pass while gun hunting, too much noise. Even light loads will alert any deer in the area. Just depends on how serious you are about deer hunting....I’m pretty serious about it. I also get a lot of deer.

Took the words right out of my mouth...err, fingers. I haven't taken a gun to the deer stand in years.

[alexandrobjorn]

I don't like being distracted by other goals. Sure, it's nice to bring home not just one deer but some partridge, but it's unnecessary fiddling with the gun. In addition, you can scare away your primary target in this way. If I had a bow or a crossbow, I wouldn't mind trying to split my attention. A friend of mine takes not only a rifle to deer hunting but also a bow, which he bought last year at https://bowaddicted.com. It allows him to shoot the bird quite silently. The deer hardly have time to get alarmed. I'm thinking about it but haven't tried it yet. Suddenly then, I'll compromise my attention and concentration.

[veeman]

No, #1, never seen a grouse in Illinois, #2 not with a 12gauge slug, #3, I'm deer hunting.