Ruffed Grouse hunting and elevation

[Stinkyrat]

Hi folks,

Been hunting the same area every weekend since the September 1st opener at approximately 2800 feet and getting into birds every time. Means through the heat and smoke at the beginning of the season up until the first snows I was having great success at that general elevation.

Now they have scattered and I’m trying to figure out what they are doing to try and find them again. I’ve read a bunch, and most publications call ruffed grouse a sea level to 2000 foot bird and tend to go up as the weather gets worse. I realize the 0-2000 ft thing is a generalization, but when I was already finding them constantly at 2800 in warm weather, does it really make sense to expect them to go up higher into blue or spruce grouse elevations?

Anyone in tune with what they do during the last month of the season? Especially at higher elevations? With the berries gone I’d suspect they are switching to pine needles and whatnot, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Stinkyrat

[joe_dumy]

Blues go up and ruffs stick around or go lower is my experience. I find better  numbers in December. they seem to bunch back up. Try creek bottoms. The swamps i call them. Lots of mixed cover. Thick alders can be good as well. I find clover, greens and late berries in their craw. Good luck figuring them out.

[Skyvalhunter]

Typical of them this time of the year. After being pushed around by hunters and predators they either seek seclusion or they have become very skitterish and fly at the presence of any noise or movement. They are more targeted by predators this time of the year.

[KP-Skagit]

I generally forget about grouse this time of year so can't speak to their habits.

I will say I tend to find that cover and terrain dictate what grouse an area holds rather than elevation. In fact, within a 100 yard area I shot a ruffed, blue and spruce a couple years back.

As said before, I find the dense thickets with water hold ruffed grouse.