Grouse

[tucker80]

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[NCMTNHunter]

Back to the OP... do any of Georgia’s higher elevations have balsams? The two places I look for grouse hunting are 5 -15 years old cuts or I go the high country to the balsams. They often grow in a broken timber, scattered fashion filled in with waist high brush including blueberry. I find lot of grouse and woodcock in this type of country. I know Georgia has some 4,000’+ ridges. That is getting high enough to support some balsam stands but I don’t know if they are there.

 

[Resica]

Habitat and habitat. Also they're saying the west nile virus is having an impact.

 

[coachdoug87]

Grouse do get infected with West Nile. They have been studying that in states that have large populations. I have read 2 articles recently that said the studies showed that most grouse that get it survive if they were healthy otherwise. I haven't seen any studies in Georgia, but you would think since ours don't have the good food sources etc that if they did get it it would more likely be fatal.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Back to the OP... do any of Georgia’s higher elevations have balsams? The two places I look for grouse hunting are 5 -15 years old cuts or I go the high country to the balsams. They often grow in a broken timber, scattered fashion filled in with waist high brush including blueberry. I find lot of grouse and woodcock in this type of country. I know Georgia has some 4,000’+ ridges. That is getting high enough to support some balsam stands but I don’t know if they are there.

No, not really. There are a few in Fannin County, but apparently not anything like the stands in the higher elevations of NC and TN.

 

[nrh0011]

I'm hoping to get up to the cohutta area and chase them before season closes. If nothing else but for sheer entertainment.

 

[Dan DeBord]

I jumped 3 grouse on Cooper creek WMA 2018 while turkey hunting . All 3 were in the same headwater drainage.

 

[Jeffrey o]

Glad to see this post. I usually don’t post just read and learn. I had read an article about West Nile virus affecting them especially below a certain altitude I think it was 3200 feet

 

[Top of Georgia]

I am so amazed that someone that walks trails in north ga thats sees maybe 50ft on each side can control all 795000 acres of chnf

 

[coachdoug87]

So much land, but so much of it has become worthless.

 

[Top of Georgia]

Ya to bad you can't buy common sense at walmart i would like to send some people some

 

[Pheasant]

Spring turkey hunters are a good source for grouse scouting. They normally hear them drumming for mates. network with the folks that are hunting turkeys in the Cohuttas or Rich mountain Cherry log etc to see if they are hearing any.

 

[coachdoug87]

That is true. A friend who turkey hunts sent me a video last year of a grouse strutting around. They definitely act a lot different during the spring.