Grouse camp in Maine

[Newk]

Hi all,

Looking for reccomendations for a grouse camp in Maine, brother and I wanna take dad on the trip for a birthday gift. We run our own dogs, and pretty experienced. Looking for semi guided / no guide where we could walk the woods on our own pace, so mostly just a lodge to stay at/eat at.

Let me know if you have any recs!

 

[Baghdad Bob]

I have no recommendations about a camp in Maine. I'm just wondering if Maine is anything like central Wisconsin are there any grouse left to hunt? Years ago, you could get your limit of 5 if you hunted hard on a good day now you don't even see one. Ever since we have been overrun with turkeys it has been bye bye grouse.

 

[birdhunter]

I have hunted grouse/ woodcock with Paul Laney up in Grand Lake Stream.He has some nice efficiency cabins.Plenty of birds around and lots of room to roam.

 

[Baghdad Bob]

I just mentioned here in central Wisconsin the lack of grouse, but I also could have included up in the far western part of th U P of Michigan. We have some land in the snowbelt along the lake which gets on average 230 inches of snow a year. A few years ago walking a mile on the logging roads you would sometimes 8 or 10 of them. Now you see very few, oh ha there are turkeys up there now too.

 

[Nutkin13]

We booked places on Airbnb the last few years. Was much cheaper than anyone advertising them as “grouse camps”

 

[loganwayne]

Find an airbnb and a bar that serves food. We've not been to Maine but jump around all over doing that. Locate a general area, find a place close and hope for the best so far its worked out. Most days we aren't driving more than 20-30 minutes to the furthest spot we hunt

 

[bushwhacker1975]

If you want grouse go up into New Brunswick i've never done a grouse hunt in maine but New brunswick has lots of birds everytime i'm sitting for bears tgey come out to the bait! My outfitter Governors Table camp does do some bird hunts never been my thing but they are only an hour or so from houlton maine. The best thing about up there Jenn the owner will make it beyound special and i'm sure if you asked for the camp to yourselves she would accommodate you. I know regardless of the hunts in NB you still need a guide but if your bringing your dogs Jenn would help you shes the best guide i've ever used! Call her up 506.323.9132

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I have no recommendations about a camp in Maine. I'm just wondering if Maine is anything like central Wisconsin are there any grouse left to hunt? Years ago, you could get your limit of 5 if you hunted hard on a good day now you don't even see one. Ever since we have been overrun with turkeys it has been bye bye grouse.

You are correct. I haven't seen a grouse on our place in North Central WI in many years but now see turkey every time I'm there. If in Maine, I would try to find an area with few or no turkeys.

 

[UPThunderbolt]

For the OP, The website for The Pointing Dog Journal might be a good source for finding guided/semi-guided opportunities in Maine.

 

[UPThunderbolt]

I just mentioned here in central Wisconsin the lack of grouse, but I also could have included up in the far western part of th U P of Michigan. We have some land in the snowbelt along the lake which gets on average 230 inches of snow a year. A few years ago walking a mile on the logging roads you would sometimes 8 or 10 of them. Now you see very few, oh ha there are turkeys up there now too.

Regarding the competition between turkey and Ruffed Grouse: In the late 1990’s, a researcher from UW Madison (I believe is name was Scott Lutz) examined this question and found that while there may be the occasional case in which a turkey might opportunistically take a very young grouse chick, the competition between the two species is virtually nonexistent. I’ve seen similar reports out of Tennessee. Additionally, the Ruffed Grouse Society has partnered on numerous studies examining grouse nest predation and have found no evidence of turkey preying on grouse nest.

While the two species will occupy the same landscape, they spend most of their time in different habitats. The grouse is mostly tied to young regenerating (primarily Aspen, but other species as well) forest stands. The turkey is generally associated with more mature forest stands and openings. Grouse and turkey do slightly overlap in feeding habits, but that overlap is considered minor.

One of the big factors in the decrease of grouse in grouse/ woodcock number in northern Wisconsin and the Western UP is that much of the public lands are dominated by national forest (Ottawa, Chequamegon-Nicolet) and those forests are maturing. While I can’t speak on the Cheq-Nic, I can tell you that the Ottawa fell way behind on their allowable cut schedule for Aspen. In fact, so much so that RGS, NWTF, MDNR, and Ottawa formed a partnership to get that timber cut and reverse the habitat degradation negatively impacting the grouse and woodcock populations. Another factor that has the potential to be impacting grouse in northern Wisconsin and the UP is West Nile virus. It is in the area and it does kill grouse.

One final thought, turkey are pretty tough birds, but they are primarily ground feeder. Unless they are being artificially fed, they cannot survive in areas that have more than 10 inches of snow on the ground for over three consecutive weeks. Gogebic County vastly exceeds those parameters.

 

[danhuntingmi]

Regarding the competition between turkey and Ruffed Grouse: In the late 1990’s, a researcher from UW Madison (I believe is name was Scott Lutz) examined this question and found that while there may be the occasional case in which a turkey might opportunistically take a very young grouse chick, the competition between the two species is virtually nonexistent. I’ve seen similar reports out of Tennessee. Additionally, the Ruffed Grouse Society has partnered on numerous studies examining grouse nest predation and have found no evidence of turkey preying on grouse nest.

While the two species will occupy the same landscape, they spend most of their time in different habitats. The grouse is mostly tied to young regenerating (primarily Aspen, but other species as well) forest stands. The turkey is generally associated with more mature forest stands and openings. Grouse and turkey do slightly overlap in feeding habits, but that overlap is considered minor.

One of the big factors in the decrease of grouse in grouse/ woodcock number in northern Wisconsin and the Western UP is that much of the public lands are dominated by national forest (Ottawa, Chequamegon-Nicolet) and those forests are maturing. While I can’t speak on the Cheq-Nic, I can tell you that the Ottawa fell way behind on their allowable cut schedule for Aspen. In fact, so much so that RGS, NWTF, MDNR, and Ottawa formed a partnership to get that timber cut and reverse the habitat degradation negatively impacting the grouse and woodcock populations. Another factor that has the potential to be impacting grouse in northern Wisconsin and the UP is West Nile virus. It is in the area and it does kill grouse.

One final thought, turkey are pretty tough birds, but they are primarily ground feeder. Unless they are being artificially fed, they cannot survive in areas that have more than 10 inches of snow on the ground for over three consecutive weeks. Gogebic County vastly exceeds those parameters.

As with most forms of hunting, we are regaled about how it used to be better in the good old days. In some cases this is true, no doubt. But there are still plenty of grouse in the great lakes region. As you suggested, looking for pockets much of which exist on state land will lead to a better outcome that simply walking a forest road anywhere. They do exist in surprising places, but you can still get a decent flush rate around 2+ per hour in the right places with the right dog.