Minnesota Grouse and Woodcock Hunting Report: Nashwauk & Deer River Action

 Hunt Overview

• Date: October 14, 2026

• Locations: Nashwauk, MN & Deer River, MN (Itasca County Public Lands / Chippewa National Forest region)

• Target Species: Ruffed Grouse & American Woodcock

• Dogs: Sweep (pointing dog) & Tasha (14-year-old veteran pointing dog)

Morning Session: Hitting the Trails North of Nashwauk

We returned to a few tried-and-true spots north of Nashwauk, Minnesota, hoping to bag our first ruffed grouse of the day. With Sweep well-rested after a few days off, she got the first call.

When we arrived at the trailhead, an ATV hunter's truck and trailer were already parked. Sure enough, shortly after releasing Sweep, we crossed paths with the rider. He mentioned a slow morning, noting he hadn't seen any grouse yet and that overall numbers felt low in the area this season.

Working the Cover Lines

We pushed past the main trail onto a smaller, quieter side spur.

• First Encounter: A quick woodcock point, but the bird held too tight and flushed without offering a clean shooting lane.

• First Harvest: A bit farther down the trail, Sweep locked up on a second woodcock. This time, I connected, dropping the bird cleanly. Unfortunately, a ruffed grouse flushed at the sound of the shot, but thick cover kept it hidden from view.

• Dog Work Highlights: Sweep did an exceptional job tracking down the downed woodcock, finding it much closer than expected. Finding fallen birds she didn’t directly watch drop has been about a 50/50 split for her, so this was a great win.

We pushed deeper into uncharted territory for this specific run. We flushed one more woodcock without a shot opportunity, and worked our back to the main trail empty-handed on grouse. Back on the main artery, Sweep bumped a single grouse—forgivable given the tricky tailwind working against her nose.

Back at the truck, a second ATV trailer pulled up looking for the first hunter (reminding us just how sketchy cell reception can be in the deep Itasca County woods). After loading Sweep into her kennel, we shifted gears toward Deer River.

Afternoon Session: Deer River Woodcock and Senior Dog Adventures

For the afternoon hunt, we headed near our place close to Deer River, MN. After a successful run there last week featuring plenty of woodcock contacts, the primary goal was getting my 14-year-old pointing dog, Tasha, on some solid points.

• Quick Success: Within the first five minutes, Tasha delivered a textbook point on a woodcock. I connected on the flush, adding another bird to the bag.

• Pushing Deeper: We worked the trail further than our previous outing, managing a wild flush from a ruffed grouse. With zero wind in the timber, it was no surprise Tasha didn't catch scent in time to establish a point.

• The Senior Dog Challenge: On the return trek, Tasha went on point. My Garmin tracking watch initially showed her just 35 yards into the thick brush, but quickly ticked up to 100, then 150 yards. Dealing with a nearly deaf senior dog makes redirection tough. I tapped the vibrate mode on her collar to turn her around, but she pushed out to 300 yards. Navigating the heavy cover quickly, I managed to break back onto the trail. She had closed to 70 yards but veered the wrong way. After another chase reaching 250 yards, she finally turned, trotted back like nothing happened, and got leashed up for the walk back. Despite her age and range mishap, lasting a full hour of strong hunting in heavy cover is incredible for a 14-year-old dog.

Post-Hunt Recovery

The next morning brought wet, gloomy weather, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Both Sweep and Tasha were limping slightly from the previous day's mileage, so giving the hard-working hunting dogs a mandatory rest day was an easy call that didn't waste any prime hunting weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early Season Grouse and Woodcock Hunting in Minnesota: A Sunday Hunt with My Bird Dog Sweep

Early Season Grouse Hunting on a Minnesota Grouse Management Area

My English Setter, Sweep and I squeezed in a Sunday grouse and woodcock hunt before kickoff of the Minnesota Vikings game. At 60 degrees it was warmer than I prefer, but that’s early season bird hunting in Minnesota. We headed to a Grouse Management Area (GMA) near our house. One truck was already parked there, but the hunters were finished and deciding where to go next, so we had the area to ourselves. Another truck pulled in as we hit the woods, but that was just a deer hunter checking his stand and hanging trail cameras.

Hunting Woodcock and Grouse with a Tailwind

We started with a tailwind, and within the first few minutes we had a wild woodcock flush. I’m not usually a big woodcock hunter, but I decided to take a shot at one if I could, to reinforce my bird dog’s training.

Not much farther down the trail, a grouse flushed wild from the opposite side from where Sweep was working. That made me wonder whether the tailwind was carrying the sound of her bell too far and warning the birds of our approach. If you hunt with a bell or beeper collar, wind direction is worth considering when planning your route through grouse cover.

Bird Dog Points: First Woodcock and a Nice Grouse

Soon after, Sweep went on point on another woodcock, and this time I harvested it. She did a great job finding the bird on the ground after it dropped.

After a couple of corners, Sweep locked up on point again. This time it was a grouse, and we took it. It was the nicest grouse of the season so far, and I was feeling great about the hunt.

Working the Wind on the Return Loop

At the far end of the trail, as we looped back, Sweep swung into the wind and flashed a point as a grouse got up. I shot, and the bird went down. As I stepped in to retrieve it and Sweep closed in, it flushed again, stronger than before. I was so surprised I never got off a second shot. It’s a good reminder to always mark a downed grouse carefully, since a wing-tipped bird can run or flush again.

Our First Multi-Bird Day of the Season

We kept hunting and got a couple more woodcock points, though I didn’t get shots off. Even so, it was our first multi-bird day of the season. Sweep covered just over 10 miles in just under 2 hours, so she’ll sleep well tonight.

English Setter Sweep with Woodcock and Grouse

 

Grand Rapids MN 2026 Ruffed Grouse Opener Eve

I haven't hunted the grouse opener in quite a few years.  But I'm going to give it a try this year.  I've been scouting a fair amount looking for new places to hunt.  My two biggest concerns tomorrow are finding a spot that doesn't have too many trucks and that it will be warmer than what I like to hunt in.

To celebrate the opener eve I decided to hit Florios for the Friday Night Fish Fry.  Pro-Tip... make a reservation... 

Quail Release For Dog Training 2026

I got 26 quail from my Realtor’s daughter.  I think she was raising them for a 4H project or something.  I should have waited a day to release them as we had a pretty big storm the night that I let them go.  I let out 6 in some good cover pretty close to the house and then the other 20 were in our 25 acre field underneath some raspberry bushes.

The next morning I found a pile of feather where I am assuming one of them became a meal.  A little later I had the bird in the photo start to follow me around.  They were  raised as pets and didn’t have any fear of people.  I’ll check on the other 20 and see if the dogs can find them when I take them for a run in the field at the end of the week.

 

Deer Fly Mania Dog Run

I ran the dogs for 30 minutes in the field next to our house.  The cover is fairly decent but we haven’t released any birds yet so we were just running for exercise.  The flys were driving me crazy so I attached a Deer Fly Strip to my hat and it made the run a lot more enjoyable.  It ended up being out last run before the mega heat kicked in.  

You can pick up Deer Fly Strips @ https://deerflypatchstore.com/categories/deer-fly-patches

Besides Backing I asked Jerry @ Northwoods Bird Dogs to work on Sweep’s Whoaing.  She does ok but can sometimes break when there is a lot of action going on like other hunters or dogs.  Just got this picture of Sweep on a whoa.  She is doing it much better now and I also know that if need be I can put on a belly band and she will be more diligent about it.

 

 

 

Bird Dog Training Steady To Point and Shot

Just got the latest picture of Sweep from our trainer, Northwoods Bird Dogs, one of the things that I asked to have Sweep tuned up on was backing. We don’t hunt with other dogs but it is nice knowing that they will back if we do hunt with someone else or if I run her with one of our other dogs.

Finally connected on ruffed grouse | Deer River MN

 

Finally got back out hunting after a week of household chores and warm weather.  Tasha, the old timer ( 13 )  got the call so that she could take advantage of the cooler weather.  We had 2 wild flushes in the first 5 minutes and then the action continued to pick up….  She got a couple of nice points that I was able to connect on and I only missed a few of the early ones. At about the halfway point of the loop she went on point about 10 yards off the trail, as I moved in the birds starting popping up all over.  Most we out of range or behind the trees.  We ended up moving 6 or 7 from this one spot but didn’t end up getting any.  At about the 3/4 mark Tasha decided to follow a different route thru the woods.  This used to be a trail to a deer stand but has since over grown.  Her hearing isn’t what it used to be so Iw ent after her when she got to 125 yards away.  It took me a while to catch up to her and she had just gone on point and I was able to take the first one but two more flushed at the shot and I didn’t connect.  We had it back to the truck and she was still going well but it was a good time to end her hunt before it became too much.

Peach got the next spot. This area was my favorite for a number of years but the cover had gotten older and we have had quite as much success but I though it would be a good place to have her try.  She started out well with a grouse and then a woodcock point, neither of which presented a shot.  We didn’t move another birds and she didn’t even get too birdie during her hunt.  At about the 40 minute mark she started to breather really heavily and just sounded like it was a challenge.  We took a break and sat for a few minutes and then I put her leash on her and walked her slowly bak to the truck.  After resting and drinking a lot of water she seemed better.  This evening she seems back to normal.

If all goes well tomorrow Sweep will get to hunt.

Ruffed Grouse Hunt Sept 28th 2025 North of Deer River MN

Finally, the Ruffed Grouse season has begun for us! It was warmer than I had hoped for, and the forecast suggests it will stay that way for the next week. Par for the course these days, I guess. We've had to limit ourselves to morning hunts. It was about 60 degrees when we started.

Tasha, the 13-year-old, got the call this morning. We went to her favorite spot, and I was surprised to see no one else parked there. This loop usually takes 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the number of birds we see and how often she roams the woods. A nice breeze was in our faces, and she pointed a grouse within the first five minutes. It flushed low and away, offering no shot. Moments later, a second bird took off from a tree; I shot but was way behind. About ten minutes later, Tasha went on point again. She was only about ten yards off the trail, but the cover is still thick enough that it took a moment to get to her. We had two flushes—the first was a "hear-only," but I saw the second and took a shot, only succeeding in taking out some leaves.

I was already feeling overdressed, even though I was just wearing a thin waffle thermal shirt and a lightweight orange shirt. As we neared the halfway mark, we had a crosswind, and Tasha cast out about 100 yards before going on point. She stayed steady, but I couldn't flush a grouse. On the way back, she stayed mostly within 50 yards of the trail, which seemed fine considering how thick the cover still is. We ended with four more flushes and just one more shot that didn't connect. It was 70 degrees when I got back to the truck.

We drove to the next spot we had planned to hunt, but someone else was already parked there. We bagged the hunt for the day and just drove around, scouting some spots for next time.

 

First hunt of 2025 - Sharp-tailed Grouse - Devels Lake ND

 

Today, Saturday, was the start of our 2025 Upland Bird Hunting season.  I had planned to star the previous weekend but the weather wasn’t too good so I pushed it a week.  We returned to the Devils Lake ND area to chase Sharp-tailed grouse and Huns if we can find some.

60 degrees and misty was our start.  I put 13 yr old Tasha and 6 year old Peach on the ground to start.   There wasn’t much of a breeze so we zig zagged across the fields hoping to leverage what little there was.  After not finding anything in the first two fields we switched to a field that had two different sets of tree lines through their middle.  The cover around them was very short but last year this is where we had out best success, a bit difference is that it was all sun and 70+ degrees when we hit the trees.  At the end of the tree field we started to make our way back. By the time we got back to the truck both dogs had gotten over 10 miles in.  Tasha will get the day off tomorrow and hopefully will be ready on Monday.  I’m planning on running Peach tomorrow as she still needs to drop a little weight and gain a bit of fitness after having a litter this spring.  I did like how she ran and she is a backing machine.

The next portion of the hunt was a few miles away so I got a bit of a rest.  The three year old Sweep got her turn.  We ran a field that had been mowed for hay a little while ago, it had sunflowers on one side and soy beans on the other.  Sweep was ranging from 250 years down to 50 and has a nice even pace.  At about the half hour mark she locked up and I made my way towards her.  The Sharp-tails got up within gun range.  I pulled the trigger twice and nothing happened, I had this happen before at the start of last season and it was totally user error…. With this side by side you have to make sure to open it all the way so that the triggers will set..  it is a mistake that I usually only make on one of the first hunts of the season.  We continued on and were able to find another small group and this time they flushed a little bit farther out and I wasn’t able to connect…. By the time Sweep finished her run she had covered 13 miles.

 

After the hunt it was still early so we drove around looking at some new to us PLOTS land for hunting the next two days.  It is a bit discouraging to have not gotten any birds today as last year we had filled out before lunch.  I am vey happy with how the dogs worked and it was great to see how Sweep and Peach worked as it was my first actual hunt with them.

 

 

 

 

Walk In The Woods

DeerFlyPatchStore.com

Decided to head to the trails near my house at Tamarack Park today.  The past couple of years I have added in walks on these trails to help with my hunting.  One of the reasons is that it helps with the range of motion.  I do a fair amount of regular walks with the dogs but they are all on flat roads.  I’ve started to add these trails back in a few years ago after I had rode my bike a fair number of miles but was more tired than I thought I would be when I started to hunt in the woods.

I use walking sticks that I have duct taped some additional weight to them to give my arms a bit of a work out.

One useful addition was that I am using a fly patch on my hat to keep them from biting me as much.   Give them a try DeerFlyPatchStore.com

We are excited that our family has grown again

Sweep | Northwoods Snow Swept | has joined us.
She is the 2 1/2 year old daughter of our gal Val.  She is also the Great Great Grand Daughter of Tina, who was with us a number of years ago.
Another one of our dogs, Bizzy Bee, was her great aunt.  We have had great luck with the gals that have come from Tina’s line.

We are super excited to have her join the family  and I am ready to let her hunt the woods and fields this fall.

We have a teenager in the house.

We have a teenager in the house. Our wonderful girl Tasha turned 13 today. Happy Birthday Tasha

The role of predators in quail management

The role of predators in quail management is always a hot topic. In this study in south Texas on a 19,000 acre property, they collected 246 coyote scats during the 2022 year. This is a un-hunted coyote population, therefore they believe it has a higher percentage of mature coyotes, who are more effective big game hunters versus young coyotes that may depend on easy prey items such as insects. They found no evidence of livestock in the diet even though cattle were present on the property. Here's a breakdown of what they found in the scat, the percentages won't add up to 100% because multiple food items were found in scat samples:

% occurrence in scat -

White-tailed deer: 74.4%

Wild pig: 21.5%

Rodents: 17.9%

Raccoon: 7.3%

Mesquite beans: 7.3%

Prickly pear: 6.9%

Cottontail: 6.9%

Unidentified plants: 4.9%

Armadillo: 3.7%

Javelina: 3.2%

Insect: 1.2%

Bobwhite Quail: 0.4%

Skunk: 0.4%

 

RWFM doctoral student Anna Racey’s new publication in the Canadian Journal of Zoology provides unique perspective into the diets of coyotes on a landscape where no native wildlife is managed by harvesting, trapping or supplemental feeding.

“Understanding coyote diet in a system with a lack of human intervention can provide insight into their natural ecological role, a perspective muddled in the context of extrinsic influences,” Racey said.

The research took place at the East Foundation's San Antonio Viejo Ranch in 2022. By analyzing coyote fecal samples collected each month, researchers identified 23 unique prey species, with white-tailed deer and feral hogs as the most common prey item.

“Without an understanding of the diet of coyotes in a natural system, conservationists and livestock ranchers alike cannot anticipate the changes in predator-prey dynamics and ecosystem function that may result from shifts in natural resource management methods,” she said.

Access the study’s full text at https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjz-2024-0120

Texas Wildlife Association | TAMU Chapter of The Wildlife Society | Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society | John M. Tomeček

Ideal Number of Hunting Dogs = N + 1

 

10 Overlooked Upland Hunting Destinations

Nathan Ratchford 

Here is an innate curiosity in us all, hunters especially. We are driven by the same question that drove early settlers deeper into the wilderness, just beyond that next ridgeline, to carve out their own place on the land. But having room to roam is increasingly challenging these days, as cities overfill and the hills that were once unspoiled succumb to blaze orange. However, if you have the grit to face a challenge, the boot leather to burn, and a little bit of luck, you can still find plenty of paths untouched. Here is a short list of ten often overlooked upland destinations.

1) Northeast Maine

Hunters journeying to Northeast Maine have public hunting access to vast privately-owned lands, mainly commercial timberlands. Known for its low hunting pressure and challenging terrain, Northeast Maine provides a rewarding experience for those seeking a bit of quiet beyond the more pressured and more accessible areas of central and western Maine. Utilizing onX can help identify productive areas by providing aerial forestry and habitat data. Make sure everything is available offline. Also, 10-ply tires and a good spare are recommended.

2) Northwest Montana

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Department provides detailed maps and regulations for the area, including large tracts of public land like the Kootenai National Forest. For those seeking a challenging mixed forest grouse hunt amid some of Montana’s most iconic, mysterious wilderness, Northwest Montana is a lesser-known but rewarding destination. Make sure to pack your bear spray.

3) White Mountains, New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department provides resources and maps for hunters to explore these areas. With the region’s mix of hardwoods, alder stands, and river corridors, the White Mountains offer upland hunters a unique experience, blending the thrill of pursuing wild birds with the beauty of some of New England’s most rugged terrain. Bring a good pair of boots.

4) Texas Panhandle

The Texas Panhandle is an excellent destination for bobwhite and scaled quail, thanks to its combination of grasslands, agricultural fields, and brush habitats. This region offers both public and private hunting opportunities. Through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Annual Public Hunting Permit program, hunters can gain access to wildlife management areas and leased private lands.

The Panhandle’s mild winters support more consistent quail populations, while lower hunting pressure gives hunters more breathing room under a big Texas sky. Hunting quail here often means working with dogs in big, open terrain, where both large covey explosions are found just about as often as rattlesnakes. If you want a real Texas adventure, this is one region worth exploring.

5) Big Horn Basin, Wyoming

The Big Horn Basin in Wyoming is an underrated upland destination for Hungarian partridge and chukar. With arid, rocky terrain and rolling sagebrush hills, the Basin’s habitat is ideal for these birds, which are commonly found near steep hillsides and ridges. Public lands, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), provide ample hunting areas for those willing to work for it in remote stretches of open country.

See all 10 destinations and the complete MeatEater article

Cold Weather Dog Walk

 

It was around zero Fahrenheit when I was going to take Tasha ( my 12 yr old Setter ) for her walk.  It wasn’t too windy and it was sunny so it didn’t feel too bad.  I did end up using dog boots for her though.  Initially we only made it two blocks before her feet were bothering her.  I think a big part of it is that the city puts down salt and other chemicals to treat the ice and when that melts and gets on her feet and then refreezes as we walk that it bothers her.  After coming back and adding booties she was fine for the 45 minute walk.  The coat is one that we had gotten in Ely, MN from a dog sledding store.  It is warm enough to keep her comfortable but not so much that she overheats.  I went with lined jeans just to stay comfy.

Looks like a few warmer days before another cold snap starting Sunday.

Sharp-tailed grouse lunch tacos

 

Yesterday I grilled a a couple of Sharp-tail breasts from our hunt in Mid-Sept so today I had some leftovers to eat.  

I didn't do anything fancy, just 2 types of cheese ( I like mine melted ) Mexican rice and the meat.  It was pretty tasty.

Podcast Version of Pheasant Hunt Hutchinson MN Dec 8th 2024

This is the Podcast version of the blog post for this pheasant hunt.

Listen Here

Pheasant Hunt Hutchinson MN Dec 8th 2024

Tasha and I met with our buddy, Tony, and his two shorthairs.  For early December it was a balmy 45 degrees and a decent breeze.  Tasha and I started by working the east edge of the field.  She got a little birdie in a couple of spots but we didn’t move anything so we decided to head for the thicker cover.  The wet sections including the pond are now frozen so we have access to the thickest cover on the property.  I saw a fair amount of pheasant drippings in the cattails but all of the tracks looked a few days old but we kept moving from thick to thin cover hoping to move a bird to an area that we could get a good point.  As we went to the North side of the thick cover I heard Tony take a couple of shots but saw the rooster flying onto the neighbors half of the property.

After pushing the thick stuff a bit longer we went back to the grass.  My thinking is that with the warmer temps that we would see the birds in the thinner cover.  We were rewarded a short time later with a nice point but it ended up being a hen.  We worked the grass area for a bit longer but didn’t move anything.  Back into the thick stuff we went.

Moving back into the thick stuff paid off as we moved six more birds, all hens.  All of the birds were along the edge of the thick cover and not in the middle.  I’m not sure if we were too early ( 2 pm ) to catch them moving to the food sources or if they had moved off of our side of the property.

Even though we didn’t see any roosters it was still nice to get out in the 40+ degree weather and it was fun for Tasha to get a good amount of bird stink in her nose.  Tony and his dogs did and the one rooster and a number of hens also.

It was a good hunt considering that we were only in the filed for 90 minutes.

Gear Used.
Danner Sharptail boots
Final Rise Vest
15+ year old Columbia hunting pants.
Garmin Alpha 300
Dogtra t&b collars