Autumn grouse hunting

Autumn grouse hunting. Hunting season is a true celebration for many who enjoy shooting and hunting hares, game, and other animals. Grouse hunting is especially popular among hunters. But to ensure a successful hunt and a trophy, proper preparation is essential.

Selecting the right gear is just one step. It's essential to know the tactics and, most importantly, the methods, of which, as we know, there can be several. A goose hunting trip to the Putorana Plateau in the spring, before the fall season, allows you to be well prepared and master the basics. Game hunting, in general, has many similarities.

What equipment is needed?

When selecting equipment and gear, remember that this bird is best shot at close range—no further than 40-50 meters. This should be taken into account when choosing a weapon, ammunition, and everything else.

Gun

Trophy-hunting weapons can range from 12-gauge to 20-gauge. For those who prefer shotguns, semiautomatics are a suitable option for hunting this species of bird.

Semi-automatic shotguns require no reloading time, allowing for a more trophy-rich hunt. Once you start shooting at one animal, the others take flight, trying to escape the area. It's best to fire several shots at once, increasing your trophy count exponentially.

Ammunition

When selecting ammunition, experienced hunters consider the shooting distances. To ensure a variety of options, as shots can be fired from 20 meters and then 45 meters, the gun is loaded with ammunition with varying accuracy.

Methods of hunting black grouse

The most popular and highly effective options for catching black grouse are several.

From the approach

Black grouse are very shy, so it's important to approach a flock quietly. Try to stay close to trees and thickets, avoiding open areas. It's best to shoot early in the morning, when the game is scattered and less vigilant.

With stuffed animals

This method has advantages, as the hunter prepares his hide in advance and waits for the grouse to fly within shooting range. Before setting up an ambush, it's necessary to thoroughly survey the area. Identify likely bird concentrations and then set up the hide.

For this purpose, camouflage (netting) is used. Considering that black grouse do not fly far from their feeding grounds during cold seasons, 5 or 6 decoys are set up. Their installation follows certain rules, namely:

· It is necessary to arrange the dolls early in the morning, before feeding time.

· If the weather is windy, the faces of the scarecrows are placed against the wind.

· Artificial birds should be placed in different positions, preferably with one decoy standing higher than the other.

With semolina

In the fall, these items are perfect for the job. To ensure you're enjoying the trophies of your black grouse shots, listen for the calls of the black grouse in the hunting area and carefully move closer. Ideally, do this when the male starts babbling.

Once within shooting range, we use the call. The first few long exhalations imitate the call of a black grouse. A little later, short exhalations mimic the call of a female.

Life hacks on where to look for game and how to shoot?

Black grouse prefer to live in shrubs, berry bushes, and thorny areas. These are the places to look for them. Wood grouse prefer cloudy, windless weather. It's at this time of year in autumn that they emerge to feed.

To accurately shoot a black grouse, the scope is positioned slightly below the bird's body. A small gap is left between the muzzle and the bird's body. This gap is roughly equivalent to the length of the grouse's body.

When targeting a single grouse, don't try to immediately go after the other grouse that have taken flight after the first shot. First, finish off the wounded one and then open fire on the others.

If the morning hunt isn't going well, you can test your skills in the late afternoon. By this time, the game, tired and exhausted, is also less cautious and vigilant.

Avoid shooting late in the dark, evening, even if you accidentally encounter a significant concentration of game. Save the opportunity to shoot in the morning; this will save ammunition and yield good trophies.