Much as been written about the trout in Minnesota’s iron ore pits, and they deserve it.  These revamped mines may be the biggest Cinderella story in Minnesota fishing history.  But iron ore pits are not the only lakes with stream trout in them.  There are many natural lakes in our state managed for trout as well. Fishing for trout in lakes can be excellent.
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This summer has been no different than any other summer – it came and it went before we knew it.  Not that summer is actually over.  It’s just that the feeling has changed.  Darkness arrives earlier each night, woodland plants are looking weak and the poison ivy is turning red, and there is a tell-tale sharpness in the chill of evening.  Summer is slowly heading south.
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I’m always going on wild goose chases.  Most hunters and fishermen do.  All it takes is the mere mention of a hidden pond full of mallards or a lake teeming with big crappies and we’re on our way through swamp, brush, bog, and willow thicket.

Seldom do these forays pay off.  In fact, I have to think hard of just one wild goose chase that ended in success.  But, boy, can I think of ones that resulted in frustation and fatigue.

Years ago I decided to hit a lake that was supposed to have great big bass in it, and nobody ever fished it because there was no public access.  Sound familiar?  Anyway, I found a spot I could manhandle my boat down a bank into a river that flowed to the lake.  The first hundred yards went smoothly until I hit fields of wild rice.  It seemed like I rowed through the rice forever before I saw the blue lake in the distance.  But when I reaced the edge of open water, there were large expanses of thick coontail growing right up to the surface.  Each time  I dipped the oar it came up with a mass of weeds clinging to it.

Deep in my heart I knew it was going to be worth all the sweat and hard work.  But I should have learned to not trust my deep feeling years ago.  The lake turned out to be a “snake pit”, nothing but little northerns to catch.  At least on that day.  By the time I got back to my truck it was dark, and I had long decided I would never come back to give the bass a second chance.

I don’t think any group of outdoorsmen are suckers for wild goose chases like duck hunters, though.  If I put together every mile I walked looking for duck-filled beaver ponds, the length would reach the planet Saturn and back to Minnesota.

Now I have gotten tired while hunting, everyone does.  But the only time I have ever been so tired I was miserable was during an all day jaunt looking for a series of beaver ponds.  My good friend and I started walking so early we manuevered the first few miles by flashlight.  By noon we were figured we were getting close.  By afternoon we were hoping we were in the same county.  Later we hoped we would get there before season ended for the day.  But but our passion for ducks kept us going.

Finially in the distance loomed the biggest beaver dam I had ever seen.  The structure must have been over ten feet high.  With a dam that big we thought there must be lots of water, and ducks, on the other side.  Silently we scaled the logs and mud and peered over the other side.  There was nothing, not even water.  The beaver pond was bone dry.
Like someone pulled a cork, every drop of energy and determination drained out of me.  I thought I couldn’t feel worse until I heard that sound.  From the ridge to our right came the sound of men conversing and laughing.  Then the sound of closing truck doors and starting engine.  Helplessly we gazed after the vehicle as it carried the guys effortlessy down an unseen logging road.  But there was only one thing for us to do, start back so we could get home by midnight.

Most people realize that “partridge” is a misnomer for the ruffed grouse, but I, for one, call it a partridge anyway.  Actually, ol’ ruff isn’t a partridge at all but is related to the spruce grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, and prarie chicken.  The reason our ruffed grouse are called partridge goes back to early settlers that thought the grouse looked like the European partridge. Since then the name has stuck.

No other game bird represents American upland bird shooting like the ruffed grouse.   Early colonists quickly recognized the superior eating quality of grouse.  I’ll bet there was probably more grouse than turkey eaten at the first Thanksgiving.
Early sportsmen found the prized birds to a challenging target when taken on the wing.  Though the grouse only flies about half as fast as a duck or goose, they zig-zag around trees and brush so fast they appear to be dodging your shots.

So now that season is almost open, what can one do to put more grouse in the bag?  That may be the toughest question posed by a hunter because there are few pat answers.  Some of the most successful grouse hunters don’t hunt with dogs, others wouldn’t dream of going without one.  Some experts claim you need to take careful aim and lead the bird, some rely on the snapshooting technique to bag a few.

The only thing I know for sure that will put more grouse in the game pouch is to see more birds.  That may sound overly simple, but too many hunters randomly stroll through woods that are terrible grouse cover.

Concentrate your efforts by hunting in spots that offer food and cover for grouse.  In our part of the country that usually means hunting in mature stands of aspen.  But other spots that harbor grouse are thickly grown over spots with apple trees or wild grapes near by.  Fruits like these are usually found in the vicinity of abandoned farms or homesteads.  These spots are even better if there is a few clearings and conifer groves mixed in.

Every time you come across a good spot, mark it in a plat book or on a county or topographical map.  When you’ve laid out a string of them, you’ve developed a “grouse circuit” so you can quickly move from one hot spot to the next.  Just make sure you have permission before venturing across private property.

Good grouse spots usually remain good as long as you don’t get greedy and shoot too many birds.  Once you’ve taken a bird or two from a small spot, look for new areas to add to your circuit.  In the long run you’ll have better hunting for partridge…. or grouse.  Whatever you want to call them.

To be honest, this story is not mine. I was at a dinner a few nights ago and sitting around the table were some avid hunters. We commenced talking about firearms which inevitably led to some great hunting stories. So, I am going to post one from a friend of mine named Howard. I will tell it, as best as I can recall, as he told it.”

“I used to live out on a farm and one day during Pheasant season, there was a light snow. It blanketed everything in an inch or two and was pristine. I thought that this would be a great time to hunt down a pheasant as we often had them on our property.

So, I climbed in my truck and drove slowly down the drive looking out both sides of the truck. Before long, I saw what I was looking for. A set of pheasant prints in new fallen snow.

I climbed out, grabbed my shotgun, and carefully followed those tracks. Before long the tracks stopped. It didn’t look like the pheasant took off, I’ve seen what that looks like in the snow. No, these tracks looked like they just stopped. So I started looking around. Right next these tracks there was a bush so I looked carefully inside and sure enough, there was the pheasant just sitting there staring at me.

On a whim, I reached in and grabbed it by the neck. Now what am I going to do with this. So I threw it up in the air and shot it!”

Everyone at the table busted out laughing!

“It was the easiest shot I ever made!”

( Average: 8.00 out of 5)
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This post was submitted by Doug.

The time of year is upon us, finally, the Minnesota fishing opener for ’10! The walleye, sauger and northern pike in the lakes and rivers won’t know what hit them. The fishing opener in the state of Minnesota is truly a state holiday. Anglers cherish this time of year and are filled with excitement as they hit the water in hopes of landing a trophy.  The guys here at Davis J. Hennes, the parent company of the Rod & Rifle Rag, wish all anglers a successful and safe fishing opener.
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