Grouse hunting the northeast

[ribsplitter]

Have any of you guys hunted the northeast for grouse , I know alot of guys go to Wis, Minn , Mi etc. Does anyone hunt the northeast..

[grouseguy]

I've grouse hunted Maine, Vermont & up-state New York. I liked Maine very much, although the drive is a killer, you really need more time than one week. Vermont & New York were OK, but I probably wouldn't go back...limited public land, and uncooperative land owners make OTHER destinations much more appealling.

Take it FWIW, but you will not find better ruffed grouse hunting opportunities in the US than the Great Lake states, with my personal favorite being northern Wisconsin. When you consider the vast amounts of public land, friendly & helpful locals, beautiful scenery, and other amenities (food & drink), its tough to beat the land of "Cheese".

[grousegunner]

G.G. how long a drive we talking. I'm debating maine this year verses wisconsin. The land looks beutiful & from what I gather from others they have plenty of birds. I have been warned that their mountains make ours feel like your walking on flat land. how would you rate the terrain ? Is it so rough that you can't enjoy the hunt ?

[grouseguy]

Dale,

I hunted on the Maine/New Brunswick border and it took 21-23 hours of driving time. I believe the town was Danforth. The terrain was level to rolling, with a few hills, nothing serious. We hunted mostly abandoned orchards that were now overgrown and very productive. Lots of grouse and woodcock. They don't have the wide population cycle swings like the Great Lakes. I'd probably rate a normal Maine year as 60-75% of peak Great Lake years, which is damn good hunting. You'll like it, absolutely beautiful scenery, but not many amenities (restaurants, bars, lodging, etc.). Just give yourself a couple of extra days, so you don't spend all of your time driving or recovering from the trip.

Also, another hint, check on the dates for moose season, which is a big deal in Maine. Grouse season opens, I beleive, October 1st and moose opens about the same time. You may want to wait till after moose season to go.

[GW810]

Check out: Eaglelodgemaine.com on the Internet. They can tell you about hunting Maine. They are located in Lincoln, about 45 minutes from Bangor. The owner's name is John Rogers. His brother, Mark , runs MaineQuest Adventures. One of them should be able to help you or give you some good info. The ph # for MaineQuest Adventures is: (207)794-9017
Happy Huntin'

[ribsplitter]

I have been two the UP a few trips and it was alot of fun and plenty of land to hunt and plenty of birds . I think I would enjoy Maine alot, just always wanted to hunt the northeast ..

[Birdman]

I talked with two boys in Oct. while in Maine about the bird population. North of Portland birds are plentiful, 20 to 25 flushes per day.

[GW810]

My buddy says it's pretty good hunting. I've not hunted while there, ( yet) but I did get in some good smallmouth fishing.