Grouse in the snow.

[Happy Hunter]

I've hunted grouse a couple of times a season for several years now, but never in the snow. Can anyone offer some info on how snow cover affects the birds' habits? I'll be hunting in the Cave Run Lake area this weekend. I think they have about 3 inches of snow out there.
Also what have you all been finding in your bird's crops lately?
Any info would be really apprecited. Thanks[;)]

[grouseguy]

Look for honeysuckle that's still green, and plan on falling down alot. Saturday will be tough sledding, but according to the weather, Sunday may be a good day. Hunt the southern facing sides of the hills, where the snow is melted and the birds can find some greenery. Basically for the past six weeks, every bird I've killed that had fed had different greens in his crop.

"If I went hunting and discovered I'd forgot my dog, I'd go back home. If I'd forgot my gun, I'd go hunting."

[Multidigits]

Most of the hills down there are to steep to hold snow. It'll all be in the bottom? Falling down????? sounds like too much George?

[uplandchessies]

I love hunting grouse in the snow! My method is to work areas that I know hold grouse, let the dogs work, and when I find grouse tracks -- I work my dogs throughly in that area. Also, hunting in the snow provides better shooting -- the birds show up great against a white back-drop!

Grouseguy-- I feel the same way!!! I can hunt without my gun -- no dogs, for get it!!!

[Happy Hunter]

Thanks for the advice guys. There was plenty of snow on the sides of those hills, I found very few patches of open ground on Saturday. I worked an area that produced 11 flushes and 2 birds in an afternoon hunt last year. I didn't flush a bird or find a track in this area.

I hunted a different cut on Sunday and found alot of tracks in the afternoon all leading to a hillside with a SW exposure. I hunted this area thoroughly and flushed a covey of 6 birds and one additional single. I missed an easy shot at a straggler in the covey and bagged zero birds. Oh well, at least I got to see some good dog work despite my poor shooting.[8D]

By the way, Grousegunner, I only fell down 3 times.[8D]

[Birdman]

I hunted with out George Sunday, Larry and I flew three birds and didn't fire a shot. But had a great time, only went down once.