If you’re high-stepping through brush and second-growth bushes following a birdie pointer, listening to an electronic caller beep and carrying an expensive double-barrel 20-gauge at port arms, you are likely hunting grouse.
If you are slowly driving a backwoods road or stalking an old skidder trail, you are probably hunting partridge. You might carry a well-worn single shot or your grandfather’s rattling corn-shucker pump, keeping an eye out for a bird on a stump or sunning on a bank.
Veteran upland bird gunners would argue that the difference between grouse and partridge mostly depends on your location: Aroostook County or southern Maine.
Many waterfowl and upland enthusiasts won’t fire their scattergun unless the target is in the air. I’ve hunted for several decades and shot Ol’ Pat sitting, running and flying. I guarantee you can’t tell the difference once the bird is in a savory stew or frying pan.
Ruffed grouse populations are cyclic and often weather-dependent during the spring hatching. Some years a hunter can drive or walk all morning and spot only a bird or two. Some autumns, a limit can be bagged in an hour or so.
Partridge or grouse? In Maine, it depends on both where you’re hunting and the method you plan to use. Credit: Courtesy of Bill Graves.
Tom Wolters of Madawaska Lake adds some spice to upland bird outings by using a Parker double that is over 100 years old with barrels that require special shells. Credit: Courtesy of Bill Graves.
If you’re looking for the ultimate challenge for shooting grouse, try archery. This high-tech compound bow works just fine with enough practice. Credit: Courtesy of Bill Graves.
Greg Palm decided to up his bird-hunting game by trying a .410-gauge Taurus Judge revolver. He chose his distances correctly, and it worked fine. Credit: Courtesy of Bill Graves.
During these years of plenty, I like to up the challenge by occasionally using my Thompson Contender .410 single-shot handgun.
Greg Palm of Presque Isle, a longtime hunting companion and recently noted for accomplishing a rare big game Grand Slam two years in a row, increases the challenge by using a five-shot .410 Ruger Judge revolver.
Over the years, I’ve met dozens of hunters who favor a .22 rifle with a low-power scope. Their theory: a headshot ruins no meat, and if they miss, there’s likely another partridge down the road.
Veteran sportsmen who have harvested plenty of upland birds, waterfowl and big game often switch weapons to increase the challenge. When birds are plentiful, it evens the odds a bit.
Another common practice is replacing semi-auto or pump shotguns with double-barrel or single-shot models. I often carry my aging break-action Stevens over-under .22 and 20-gauge combo that dates back to my early teens. It limits my range a bit, and I figure one bird at a time is fine during plentiful years, so accuracy becomes more important.
There’s an elite cadre of grouse gunners who raise the odds by using only a .410 or the more unique 28-gauge. Many of these aficionados utilize a well-trained dog to locate and hold their feathered quarry for a flush, which further boosts the challenge by only shooting at flying birds. Every flush is an adventure. Add uneven ground, thick cover and fewer pellets in the small-gauge shell, and each opportunity boosts the adrenaline level.
Last fall, I met two grouse hunters who had really amped up their tactics to bag a brush chicken. One was armed with a compound bow, and two weeks later, a second sport I happened upon was using a crossbow. Each had birds in their vests and had missed a couple of chances.
Other than a boomerang, slingshot or rock and sling — all of which surely don’t fit current regulations — archery precision is a tough endeavor. But for many longtime hunters, changes in tactics, techniques, weapons and ammunition keep each outing more exciting and adventurous.
Thus far this partridge season has yielded above-average results, and we have until the end of December to enjoy more action.
Hopefully, a number of the more experienced hunters will be inclined to up the challenge a bit, understanding for most that the “how” is far more important than the “how many.”
Just a few alterations in gear and technique can shine a whole new light on the enjoyment and excitement of an old, treasured pastime. There’s still lots of time to perk up your outings for partridge, or grouse if you prefer.
On the ground or in the air, it’s all fair — gear up and get out there soon and often.