I'm kind of new to grouse hunting and have heard from a lot of people that it's not worth hunting them early in the season because it is so think and there is so much cover for them to hide in. Do you agree? If not what are some tips for early season grouse hunting. Thanks.

i go grouse hunting and i've shot 20 so far this year.. i only hunted 4 days and 5 grouse a day is the limit i think.. i just like to drive down dirt roads and go like that but i also like to hop on the fourwheeler and go in the woods or just walk...

i hunt grouse here in pa and its very hard..
i have dog also ..
people who get a lot of grouse do it from road hunting which is illegal but they are ones that get all grouse....

fun is not killing ,its FLUSH..
i try not to kill very many as i want grouse to hunt.....

Typical answer from a True sportsman. I bet he also kills deer that way.
Upland bird hunting is not how much you kill.
Bird Hunting is about
1. The conservation of the birds and the enviroment
2. The time spent in God's country with a birddog
3. Fellowship with friends

u guys are treehuggers! i mean want to have fun when hunting but i hunt 4 food and dnt shoot out the truck but ill get out and shoot em.

You are missing out on all the fun trying to hit those birds flying through the trees man...
Here you hunt ruffed grouse and walking in the grown up cuttings can be a real challenge. Having a good bird dog finding them only adds to it.

keith.you are not minority,you are majority of hunters and that is thinking....at times i am only hunter in woods,dirt roads are loaded with ROAD HUNTERS..
i know hunter who killed lots of grouse from road..
he does not work and hunts everyday ,if he can..
he gets grouse...

he says same thing, 4 food..
i sat down and figured he could have bought 93 turkeys, yes 93 turkeys for amount of gas he used to get those grouse...

you cant convince people like that...

this is why we dont have deer like we used to here in pa..
yes, its treehuggers who had deer killed off, their name is DCNR, biggest treehuggers around..............

What happened to the grouse question?

I agree about the road hunting. I went grouse hunting this morning and drove past 2 birds that were in the road. Unfortunately didn't see a bird the rest of the day.

To answer the original question, I find early season the most productive hunting time. Grouse season for me starts September 20th and runs for a long time. Best hunting is before deer season. In my experience birds flush from a long way out in the late season.

i was out today training another dog, a LEWLLIN SETTER..
we walked and hunted for 4 hrs,covered 3 spots i saw grouse before,saw nothing..

got in truck and drove 8 miles on dirt roads to home, saw 7 grouse..

now, where do you think most of grouse are killed?
its not in woods here in pa,for sure...