For all of the hunters out there, October is a special month since many game animals come into the season during October.
In addition to squirrel hunting, which is already underway come October, you can now hunt deer with muzzleloaders and archery equipment, and you can hunt bearded and unbearded turkeys by late October. Bear season also comes in mid-October. Other small game that becomes available in October include pheasants, rabbits, quail and grouse. Check your Hunting and Trapping Digest for specific dates on the various opening days.
The fall grouse season opens on Oct. 15 and runs to Nov. 25 and then again from Dec. 12-23. Grouse hunters are allowed two birds daily and a possession limit of six birds.
In years past, I used to put some time into grouse hunting, albeit without a dog, but I still managed to take a bird now and then.
However, I must admit that I haven’t seen many grouse in recent years.
Apparently — according to the Game Commission — there has been a decline in grouse numbers across the state, and a number of reasons for the decline have been offered.
One of the reasons for the decline is the West Nile Virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes.
Disease isn’t the only factor contributing to lower grouse populations.
Another big reason is the changing landscape across the state. Cover is the most important factor affecting grouse populations, and heavy cover provides protection for breeding, feeding opportunities, and cover during the winter months. Earlier in Pennsylvania, our state offered great cover due to the extensive logging operations, but today, much of our forest land has grown up and matured, no longer offering the dense cover favored by grouse.
Other factors that can have a negative effect on the grouse population are cold, wet springs following a harsh, drawn-out winter.
Additionally contributing to less grouse would be predation, those killed on highways, floods, and forest fires.
Unlike a wild turkey, a grouse is one of those wild birds that is almost always alone. After all, how many of us have ever caught sight of a group of grouse together? I haven’t, but a friend of mine showed me a photo of four grouse crossing the road near his home recently.
Usually, when I see a grouse, it’s bolting like crazy from some thick brush, and on rare occasions, there may be a second flush.
I did a little research and found what may be a reason for a group of grouse being spotted. The young of the year begin to molt in August and September when adult plumage replaces juvenile feathering. Adult grouse molt once each year from July to September and may have difficulty flying since many flight feathers have dropped and replacements are not fully developed yet. This molting phase may be a reason for the lack of sudden flight. In the past few years, I have encountered other situations that may be explained by the molting process. I have spotted a grouse walking on a back road a couple of times, and when I walked up to the bird, it didn’t take off. Once, I spotted a grouse on my front lawn and followed it across the road only arm’s length away. I actually reached down and picked up the grouse, only to have it take off into the nearby trees.
I also know of several situations where grouse have landed on someone’s four-wheeler while they were driving down a wooded trail. I have no idea what that’s all about.
