Is this Heaven? No, Minnesota in October

Is this Heaven? No, Minnesota in October

By Joel Schnell

for Ruffedgrouseminnesota

Grouse week. 

What a glorious concept. Nothing to do but hunt, eat, sleep, and repeat. It’s about good friends, loyal dogs, and ruffed grouse in the coverts. Where else but Minnesota would you want to be when the woodcock moon comes around?

It all changes so fast this time of year. At the start of the week, it was a riot of colored leaves. By the end of the week, the leaves were down and snow covered. 

Don’t blink, you might miss it.

Our best hunt. 29 woodcock and 6 grouse flushed in 2 hours and change. Oh sure, there could be- should be- more grouse, but I got two of them so all’s well. Dave got a limit of woodcock, and I picked up the one I needed, to fill out myself. Those are the memories we cherish through the long winter.

We had a little bump in the road, with this thistle seed. Lodged squarely in Levi’s eye. With help from Jim, we got it out. Then I gave Levi the day off, he deserved it.

This is the road to Nirvana. Leaves off the trees, a clear, cold, blue sky, and ruffed grouse in the aspens. Sprinkle in a few woodcock dropping in overnight on their flight. Can you smell the fallen leaves? Taste the gunpowder swirling in the air? Hear the jingle of dog tags on a bird dog? 

I give a single tweet on the whistle, and they reply. It reveals where my buddies are, busting brush off to one side. 

Hunt, eat, sleep, and repeat.

Joel Schnell is publisher of Ruffed Grouse Minnesota

He can be reached on facebook messenger.

© 2021 Joel Schnell, All Rights Reserved.

Hunting on Tamarack Road

Posted by Joel Schnell on Mar 11, 2020 in hunting | No Comments

By Joel Schnell

for Ruffed Grouse Minnesota

I can still smell it. 

The grouse woods, damp and cool. At times colorful, but mostly drab and quiet. It’s just Levi and me, prowling for woodcock and grouse. Past prime time, but before deer hunting, is the moment.

That old white pine stump in the photo above, I’ve been watching it for ten years. Nice to see a youngster fir take root. That stump has seen a lot of ruffed grouse around it, some of them falling to my gun.

A hush in the pines, mossy and wet. Like we stumbled upon a lost and ancient land. Black spruce and tamarack are like sentinels to another world.

Tamaracks in the sun. Anything more vibrant? It’s like they emit light of their own. A window of color that doesn’t last long. Take a moment when you find them.

When the tamarack needles fall, it becomes a carpet. A road to grouse land, paved with great promise. Levi is fierce on the hunt. No time to mess around, there is big business ahead. It’s November in the Northwoods, where would you rather be?

At the end of the day, Levi finds the spot, between the hot wood stove and my drying boots. He’s earned a break. Soak it up, buddy. Tomorrow we hunt again.

A few grouse feathers to decorate the sun visor. Something to take home. Brings a smile to my face every time.

By Joel Schnell

Posted March 11, 2020.

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Joel Schnell is publisher of Ruffed Grouse Minnesota

He can be reached on facebook messenger

© 2020 Joel Schnell, All Rights Reserved.

Grouse Hunting the Frozen North

Posted by Joel Schnell on Jan 1, 2020 in hunting, Uncategorized | No Comments

Levi at the hunt

by Joel Schnell for Ruffed Grouse Minnesota

An early December snow meant finding a hunting cover South of the big snow zone. Even just a foot of snow makes for an exhausting walk.

Leaving footprints

Winter hunts for grouse mean searching for the cover that a ruffed grouse may hide under- fallen trees, conifers, deep snow drifts.

Levi had a blast

We kept our silent search to an hour. Levi investigated a number of snow roosts that held birds previously, but none were found this day.

majestic

It was a nice break from cabin fever. Quiet and beautiful. I had a dog that slept for a day just to recoup. And so we said goodbye to Minnesota’s grouse season 2019. It’s gone by so fast. As Levi naps beside me, he yips and runs his legs, hunting grouse in his dreams.

By Joel Schnell

Posted October 23, 2019.

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Joel Schnell is publisher of Ruffed Grouse Minnesota

He can be reached on facebook messenger

© 2019 Joel Schnell, All Rights Reserved.