TheGreek
Well-known member
It’s that time of year again. I’m leaving this afternoon for our annual Grouse Camp. I’m flying outta the local airport, through Denver and into Minneapolis. I should be in camp by late tonight. A group of us have done this hunt together since 2020. Past years have always been in Northern WI, but this year a smaller group of us are headed to Northern MN, where one of our group members has a cabin.
Instead of joining us in MN this year, a portion of our regular group (all from PA) is headed to Northern Maine this same week to try something new. They’ve never hunted Maine before. I wish them all the luck and hope they get into birds but I’m glad I’m headed to the Upper Midwest, which in my mind, is the current home of the King!
Over the past few years this has become my favorite annual hunt. The first year or two it was difficult to think about forgoing a potential week long big game hunt out west to chase ruffed grouse in WI, but I discovered that I enjoyed this hunt immensely and it has become my singular favorite week of the year. Big game hunting can be exciting, challenging, and very rewarding, but it can also be really difficult, physically exhausting and a downright slog at times. Type 2 fun. My solo Barbary sheep hunt this past Feb in NM, linked below, was that type of hunt. https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/nw-co-to-se-nm-barbary-sheep.323396/#post-3729930
This is not that type of hunt. Grouse camp is type 1 fun. With good food, good dogs, good guns, and good scotch.
Spring of 2023, when the family and I made the move from Chicago back to NW CO, I was unsure if I was gonna be able to continue to make the trip back to the Upper Midwest for our annual Grouse Camp. A six hour drive every year from Chicago to the Northwoods was a no brainer, but cross country travel complicated the equation. And I am fortunate that I live in an area of CO with abundant big game and other hunting opportunities including a lot of grouse. But no ruffed grouse. If the ruffed grouse is the king, the blue grouse is the foolhardy joker. So I made the trip last year and was very glad I did. And I’m really glad I’m making it again this year.
All hail the King!
Instead of joining us in MN this year, a portion of our regular group (all from PA) is headed to Northern Maine this same week to try something new. They’ve never hunted Maine before. I wish them all the luck and hope they get into birds but I’m glad I’m headed to the Upper Midwest, which in my mind, is the current home of the King!
Over the past few years this has become my favorite annual hunt. The first year or two it was difficult to think about forgoing a potential week long big game hunt out west to chase ruffed grouse in WI, but I discovered that I enjoyed this hunt immensely and it has become my singular favorite week of the year. Big game hunting can be exciting, challenging, and very rewarding, but it can also be really difficult, physically exhausting and a downright slog at times. Type 2 fun. My solo Barbary sheep hunt this past Feb in NM, linked below, was that type of hunt. https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/nw-co-to-se-nm-barbary-sheep.323396/#post-3729930
This is not that type of hunt. Grouse camp is type 1 fun. With good food, good dogs, good guns, and good scotch.
Spring of 2023, when the family and I made the move from Chicago back to NW CO, I was unsure if I was gonna be able to continue to make the trip back to the Upper Midwest for our annual Grouse Camp. A six hour drive every year from Chicago to the Northwoods was a no brainer, but cross country travel complicated the equation. And I am fortunate that I live in an area of CO with abundant big game and other hunting opportunities including a lot of grouse. But no ruffed grouse. If the ruffed grouse is the king, the blue grouse is the foolhardy joker. So I made the trip last year and was very glad I did. And I’m really glad I’m making it again this year.
All hail the King!
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