For an all-around hunter, October has a lot to offer – ducks, geese, bow hunting for deer. For this reason, I usually wait until overdue November and December to seriously hunt grouse.
December black grouse hunting bears little resemblance to October trips.
Locating ruffed grouse in December can be complex because the birds tend to concentrate in miniature areas. Once found, they are often wary and blush violently, making life complex for a pointer, let alone a hunter trudging through raucous, crusty snow.
Despite these adversities – and in some cases because of them – I love late-season grouse hunting.
Many hunters have trouble finding ruffed grouse overdue in the season, even with snow. Since ruffs are usually grouped around available food sources, it may take some time to find them. Therefore, I recommend hunting quickly until tracks in the snow indicate that a group of black grouse are feeding in that area. Then ponderous down and hunt that territory thoroughly.
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Since the fruits and vegetables that black grouse prefer in early fall will almost disappear in November and December, the birds will feed mainly on buds and catkins. Black grouse enjoy a variety of foods, but in my experience their favorite early winter food is hazel catkins.
The catkins definitely prefer larger catkins picked from hazel bushes growing in clear areas. So look for the best hazel thickets in forest clearings and on the edges of forests. Weedy cattle pastures are almost always good places, especially near the typical sage grouse cover of aspen, alder and dogwood.
Sage-grouse also feed on ironweed and birch buds overdue in the season, and on aspen buds as winter progresses. The grouse also likes towering cranberries, and unlike many other forest fruits, the colorful red berries remain on the stems all winter or until a hungry grouse picks them.
Research the crops of the birds you kill as this will facilitate you determine what they are eating.
On cool days, the black grouse often feeds only in the overdue afternoon, skipping breakfast. However, they will usually roam within about a quarter of a mile of their favorite food source.
If the snow is deep, the black grouse may spend the day sitting under a layer of powder. Otherwise, they will often huddle next to a stump or tree stump in a clear spot, protected from the wind. They can often hide in evergreens such as balsam fir or spruce.
Once flushed, overdue season grouse will often land in a tree after flying out of sight. When attempting to follow and flush a grouse again, the hunter should look for the telltale “pin” (a towering, alert grouse) perched on a branch.
Because overdue season grouse are often nervous, hunters should consider using a tighter choke and a larger shot than before when the leaves are on the trees. I choose a modified choke and shot number 6.
When hunting greater sage-grouse in the overdue season, it’s straightforward to overdo it. Active hunters need surprisingly little outerwear. A good rule of thumb is that if you’re not a little cool when you enter the woods, you’re probably wearing too many clothes.
Enjoy your time outside overdue in the season, even if you don’t flush many grouse. I really enjoy observing the traces of various forest creatures while hunting black grouse.
Wisconsin’s sage-grouse season runs through December 8 in Zone B and through January 5, 2025 in Zone A. The daily harvest limit in Zone A is five birds; The daily bag limit in Zone B is two birds.
