Annual Family Grouse Camp
Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2025 8:07 am
Last week my Grandson, S-I-L, his Dad,?and B-I-L had our annual grouse camp in the Northern Lower of MI. We only get a couple days together due to everyone’s schedule. We have been hunting the Grayling area for several years. I was using my A Grade 16 gauge Fox. We have been really dry and warm but on Friday morning we had heavy rains and wind that kicked off our hunt. In spite of the rain we hunted several of our favorite coverts and moved woodcock and grouse. The woodcock were all local/resident birds as no flights had started from the UP & Canada yet due to the warm weather. The grouse were either in the conifer or underneath them. The rain let up early afternoon and while wet it was manageable.
On Saturday morning the rain was so heavy that we had a good hot breakfast and killed time in town until about 11:30 a.m. We hunted some new coverts that afternoon and finished the day at a covert that always produces woodcock. Our main goal was to put my 11 y/o grandson in position to get his first wild bird. About half way through the block of twisted Aspen a wood cock flushed and he was able to hit it with his first shot! To say he was excited is an understatement. His dog Maple hunted dead and retrieved the bird. It was a great way to wrap up the day. As we finished out the covert and swung back towards the trucks we had two points on woodcock and one on a grouse as well as two grouse flushes. All of those birds escaped unscathed!
This area of MI had a significant Spring ice storm that really knocked some of the Aspen and maple so the going in some areas is really tough but the birds, especially the woodcock seemed to like the tangled messes on the edge/transition next to mature timber.
The rain came back with a vengeance Saturday night and continued all day Sunday so we didn’t hunt at all our last day. We were whipped, the dogs were whipped but we had a great time. Fun that my grandson got his first bird with his Dad, his dog, two granddads and an Uncle! Made the whole trip and sloshing through the wet woods worth it!
On Saturday morning the rain was so heavy that we had a good hot breakfast and killed time in town until about 11:30 a.m. We hunted some new coverts that afternoon and finished the day at a covert that always produces woodcock. Our main goal was to put my 11 y/o grandson in position to get his first wild bird. About half way through the block of twisted Aspen a wood cock flushed and he was able to hit it with his first shot! To say he was excited is an understatement. His dog Maple hunted dead and retrieved the bird. It was a great way to wrap up the day. As we finished out the covert and swung back towards the trucks we had two points on woodcock and one on a grouse as well as two grouse flushes. All of those birds escaped unscathed!
This area of MI had a significant Spring ice storm that really knocked some of the Aspen and maple so the going in some areas is really tough but the birds, especially the woodcock seemed to like the tangled messes on the edge/transition next to mature timber.
The rain came back with a vengeance Saturday night and continued all day Sunday so we didn’t hunt at all our last day. We were whipped, the dogs were whipped but we had a great time. Fun that my grandson got his first bird with his Dad, his dog, two granddads and an Uncle! Made the whole trip and sloshing through the wet woods worth it!
