Rules for hunting grouse in autumn
Black grouse are cautious, timid birds. Therefore, you should look for them in places where there is both food and natural shelter from enemies. What does the grouse eat depending on the season, and where to look for this bird:
- beginning of autumn - berries, thorn flowers, growing in clearings. You should look for grouse where the grass is tall enough for the bird to feel safe. Height range – from the knee to the chest of an adult;
- mid-autumn – birch buds, so you should look for birds in birch forests;
- Also, in an unfamiliar area, you should ask local hunters about the habitats of grouse.
You can only hunt males.
You can't kill the entire brood.
You should go hunting in the morning, while it is still dark. The black grouse's track is clearly visible from the fallen dew.
A good time for hunting is a cloudy, windless day. In such weather, black grouse walk all day in search of food. Also, wet leaves and branches do not rustle so much underfoot, which allows the hunter to get closer to the birds.
Be careful with feathers!
Then you can remove the skin from the sides of the carcass and from the back. During the operation, try not to stain the feathers with blood. To do this, periodically blot the skin with a previously prepared cloth. It is recommended to use starch flour so that even small drops are absorbed into it.
Particular care should be taken when working with those areas of the bird where feathers grew intensively. You need to try to prevent them from falling out.
When processing the wings, remove the skin from all accessible areas, starting with the forearm. It is necessary to “expose” it and cut the elbow joint.
Usually, in birds the size of a common partridge or slightly larger, the skin of the forearm is cut along the inside of the wing, exactly between the ulna and radius bones. This is the only way to prevent feathers from falling out.
In smaller birds, the skin from the forearm should be wrapped in a “stocking.” After this, you can cut out the muscles along with the tendons.
Different ways
Grouse hunting is divided into several categories:
- chassis;
- ambush
Walking hunting includes : from the approach, with a dog, on the current.
Ambush hunting: with decoys, with stuffed animals.
Let's look at different methods of hunting grouse.
From the approach
Approach hunting involves the ability to silently approach a bird within shooting distance and kill the game on the spot.
The black grouse is a rather cautious bird, so you need to approach it under the cover of vegetation, carefully, noticing the moments when the bird feeds. During this period, she can let the hunter get close enough.
In the fall, the young animals have already moulted, so it is not difficult to distinguish a cockerel from a hen by eye. Suitable shot for shooting:
- at the beginning of the season, for young animals – No. 7-6;
- in October - Nos. 5-4.
The weapon of choice is usually a double-barreled shotgun.
With stuffed animals
Hunting with stuffed animals is a type of ambush commercial hunting. They hunt in this way at the end of autumn, when the birds gather in fairly large groups to feed.
The hunter prepares a hut in advance in which he will sit in ambush, as well as stuffed black grouse. The hut must be made in such a way that it does not stand out in the area and blends in with the landscape and vegetation.
When it starts to get colder, black grouse do not fly far from their feeding areas to spend the night. The hunter only needs to watch the birds carefully to spot such places. Then, in the middle of the span, place a hide. The hut is installed in such a way that nothing interferes with the view and shot. After installing the hut, you need to give the birds a few days to get used to it. You need to take 4-5 stuffed animals.
How to place stuffed animals:
- it should be as similar as possible to a sitting black grouse;
- the chest of the “grouse” is directed against the wind;
- when there is no wind, the orientation of the scarecrow is according to the sun: in the morning - to the east, in the evening - to the west;
- Stuffed animals should be placed at dawn before the birds fly to feed;
- the scarecrows are placed on several trees, placing them at different heights.
Familiarize yourself with the rules for winter hunting for grouse on holes
With decoy
Hunting with decoy takes place during the autumn grouse season. Early in the morning, a hunter, listening to the koscha muttering, quietly creeps up to him within shooting distance. You only need to go when the scythe is snoring. However, males are quite cautious, especially those that display on the ground. Therefore, for a successful hunt, the hunter approaches him about 100 meters and then begins to beckon. You should imitate the voice of the male first, and then the female. You should shoot when the scythe approaches to a distance of 30-35 meters. There must also be a good view for the shot to be productive.
However, before hunting with a decoy, you need to practice properly. Having heard the falsehood, the kosach will call out to the hunter, moving further and further.
On current
Grouse leks are permanent places. They are easy to find by sound. The sound of a black grouse can be heard over a distance of 200-300 meters, and its muttering can be heard almost a kilometer away. They breed early in the morning, so the hut for hiding should be installed during the day, when the birds have scattered.
You should arrive in the dark. It happens that black grouse even spend the night near the lek. Therefore, if the hunter is late and comes to the lek when it is dawn, the birds will fly away and will not return that day.
Sometimes it happens that there is a fairly large population of black grouse in the lands, but there is no clear current. Here and there single males are mating, or two or three whales flock together. In this case, hunters place stuffed orcas near the hut and also “chuff” them, imitating displaying males.
Measure it a hundred times.
It all starts with measurements, as in the proverb familiar to all of us from childhood. Taking a bird carcass, we look at its height, thickness and wingspan. We also fix the length of the neck and legs. It is very important to do this on the whole carcass, since after cutting we will only have the skin and it will be extremely difficult to take accurate measurements.
In the process of making a stuffed animal, we will have to make a frame. Its dimensions will have to correspond to the parameters of the bird. If the frame turns out to be larger, then the appearance of the stuffed animal will be distorted to the point of unnaturalness. This will reduce the period of its use. Therefore, remember: it is better to make the layout so that it is slightly smaller than the bird itself.
How to catch a grouse without a gun
You can catch black grouse without a gun using self-catchers. Use:
- fallen samolov, for example, slopets;
- live traps arranged on the principle of cages, for example, cats, mortars.
The disadvantage of a litter trap is that a grouse can also fall into it, but grouse from live traps can be released into the wild, leaving only grouse as a trophy.
See also! Shot for grouse
Half-forgotten technology
In order for the stuffed bird to look natural, it is necessary to make eye sockets. Plasticine is used for this. Eyes made of plexiglass and selected according to the color typical for this species are attached to it.
I would like to dwell on this topic in more detail. Previously, the technique of creating eyes was covered in detail in hunting publications and specialized publications on taxidermy. And now for some reason this important point is being overlooked.
So, you need to take some lead, for example, from an old battery. The metal should be melted and a round pig with a diameter of about 10 centimeters and a thickness of 2-3 cm should be made. Hemispherical holes must be pressed into it. To do this, you can take bearings of the appropriate size and drive them into the lead.
Speaking of sizes: for the eyes of a quail or snipe, a hole with a diameter of 4 millimeters is needed, for a harrier, goshawk, and duck - 8-10 mm. For each hole you need to select poissons. These are metal balls, the diameter of which is approximately two thicknesses less than plexiglass. Poissons are welded to metal rods.
Small thing
The small-caliber gun, popularly nicknamed the “small gun,” won the hearts of hunters thanks to its following qualities:
- quiet shot;
- small recoil;
- low price.
Small rifles chambered for 5.6 mm rimfire are allowed for black grouse.
However, purchasing a small gun also entails other expenses, namely, a rangefinder to track the effective shooting distance.
What you need to know when purchasing a small-caliber rifle:
- is it allowed to hunt with it in this particular region;
- a small bullet can fly up to 1 km, so the shot should be fired strictly above human height.
ATTENTION! Sharpen your shooting skills! Do not shoot at grouse further than 100-130 meters!
Pneumatics
The advantage of an air gun is that it is an accurate weapon for a reliable engagement distance of 50-70 meters. For black grouse they take a caliber of 5.5 or 6.35. Depending on the caliber, as well as the shooting distance and game, a bullet is selected.
Therefore, before hunting with an air gun, you need to be clearly confident in the gun so as not to cause wounded animals. To do this, you need to shoot at different targets made of different materials (can, plasticine, board) with bullets of different weights from different distances.
REMEMBER! The strength of the wind also affects hitting the target.
This way, you will select the optimal bullets and the optimal distance for you.
Rifled
Hunting with rifled weapons is permitted only in the autumn-winter period.
A rifled weapon is necessary for those types of hunting when it is necessary to make a long shot. For black grouse they take 5.6-7.62x39.
The cutting pitch of the barrel should also be taken into account. If it is more than 230, then the bullet, when it hits the scythe, will tear it into pieces.
Black grouse are tough to wound. A wounded animal, filmed from a considerable distance, can go into the thickets, hide there and die from its wound. Therefore, the accuracy of the shot in this case plays an important role.
For rifled weapons, the flight range of a bullet can be about 5 km, therefore:
- you can hunt with rifled weapons in vast areas;
- remote from the possible location of people;
- there must be a good view over a long distance in all directions;
- shoot above a person's height.
REMEMBER! Autumn is the period of “quiet hunting”. Don't shoot the mushroom pickers.
Carbine
Carbines can be either smooth-bore or rifled. They are used for shooting at game from a considerable distance - more than 100 meters. However, it is not recommended to shoot at 250-300 meters.
When using a carbine, you also need to have optics, and ideally also a rangefinder.
Shooting accuracy must be excellent, otherwise the hunt is fraught with wounded wounds and disappointment. Self-loading automatic or semi-automatic carbines allow you to fire several shots in a row, but practice shows that usually only one shot is fired at one group of birds. Carbines are quite heavy weapons - from 3.4 kg, therefore, if you are planning a long walking hunt, the weight of the firearm must also be taken into account.
Limb removal
Difficulties arise when removing it from the wings, head and legs. Typically, limbs must be removed to continue skin separation. Here they start, naturally, with the birds’ feet. The skin can be removed from them up to the ankle joint. Next, it is better to cut it off using, for example, wire cutters.
Then release the leg through a pre-made abdominal incision. The same procedures should be done with the second lower limb. It will be much easier to pull the leg through the incision in the abdominal cavity if the skin can be folded like an accordion.
Once you're done with both legs, start separating the tail. To do this, a cut must be made on the back of the carcass above the attachment of the feathers. The tail section should be cut off so that they remain in place and are not damaged.
What weapons and ammo to use
Let's talk in more detail about the cartridges and weapons that are used. The weapon should have a compact and sharp fire; medium and large numbers are chosen as shot. It’s not worth taking less than No. 3, and you don’t need a special “large one”. Often the fire opens at a distance of 40-45 meters, so the hit must be clean, without killing wounded animals. When choosing a system: automatic or double-barreled shotgun, be guided by your own preferences.
Take care to ensure the sharpness and accuracy of your weapon before you go hunting!
Conclusion
To summarize, we highlight the main tips, main nuances and recommendations that it is advisable to follow:
- You shouldn't expect good hunting before the second half of October. Officially, the hunting season begins in September, but it is best to move on to the active phase of preparation only in October
- 50% of success depends on the right location. It is better that the stuffed animals are located in the very center of the birds’ flight route from the swamp to their feeding area
- The hut should be located next to the fodder trees, located between several small trunks
- When hunting in autumn, it is better to choose calm and warm weather
- Choose the correct fraction
"Skeleton" stuffed animal
Then comes the turn of making a frame on which we will place the bird's skin. As we wrote above, it is important to maintain the typical dimensions for the species. Frames are usually made from scrap materials. Each master chooses the one with which it is easier for him to work.
Frames can be plaster, wood or wire. The latter are the most common, and there is the most information about their production. So, for example, to assemble stuffed magpies, snipe and birds of similar size, you need to take soft wire with a diameter of 1.2-1.5 mm. For black grouse or pheasant you need thicker - 2.0-2.5 mm. For a goose or wood grouse, that is, larger birds, a wire with a diameter of 3.0-3.5 mm will come in handy.
The manufacture of a wire frame begins with the formation of the main rod. It is usually equal to the length of the bird’s body with a small margin of 1-1.5 cm. Transverse wires, which are intended for wings and legs respectively, must also be made with a “reserve” of 1 cm on each side.
At the level of the shoulder and hip joints, it is recommended to fasten the wire with rings. Then tow should be wound on it, the total thickness of which is equal to the size of the bird carcass. If the material is not of very high quality, it may begin to unwind. However, this is not a problem. Unwinding tow can be fastened using harsh threads.
Requirements for manufacturing technology
What qualities should finished stuffed animals have? There are quite a lot of them. First of all, and this is quite understandable, they should look like ducks. Ideally, in the twilight, even the hunter himself should not be able to distinguish at first glance where his stuffed animal is swimming and where a live duck has stopped for a few seconds. If the imitation is not plausible enough, then there is always a risk that the duck will not believe that its brothers are resting on the water.
At the same time, they should also be light. Still, sometimes a hunter has to walk several kilograms from an abandoned car to the hunting site. Excess weight will cause serious discomfort and will cause fatigue to set in faster than it otherwise would.
Based on these requirements, it is worth choosing materials suitable for production so that the finished stuffed geese for DIY hunting are natural and light.
Stuffed animals for hunting should look realistic
Connecting all the elements
Next, the front end of the central rod must be inserted into the bird's skull, piercing it. The wire should be threaded into the neck along with the tow. As a result, the wrapped rod should hold very tightly.
After this, you need to insert the wire into the wings and, slightly bending it, push it into the legs as well, after making holes in them with a thin awl. Try to give your lower limbs a natural position. This can be done by fixing the wire connections a little more tightly and slipping tow into the places from which the muscle layer was previously removed.
Then we need to stretch the skin over the neck and chest of the base we formed, and then sew up the top layer with harsh threads. All feathers should be put in order. After this, it is better to give the stuffed animal the most natural pose possible. It can be installed on a branch specially selected in the forest and prepared in advance.
In conclusion, I would like to give simple advice: do not despair if the first time the stuffed animal does not turn out the way you would like it to be. Unsuccessful samples can be used in large compositions, placing them like prey caught by a predator - in the mouth or paws. In the future, if you practice regularly, the stuffed birds you make will turn out better and better. And in the end, you will become a real pro in the field of taxidermy.
Source
Construction of a hut
A well-chosen place and a properly equipped hut is 70% of success. See if it meets the following requirements:
- There are fodder birches nearby
- It is advisable for the hut to stand between nearby trees, preferably spruce, pine and birch
If there are trees growing nearby, black grouse will in most cases choose birch for addition. After arranging the stuffed animals, it is necessary to keep them in sight, so, if possible, place the hut on a hillock or hill. There are different methods of construction, from prefabricated and fairly simple to complex and time-consuming to install.
The simplest of them is to use branches, young trees, sticks, and grass growing at the hunting site. This will allow you to not stand out from the surrounding area, having the same colors as the nature around you. You can use pointed sticks stuck into the ground, a kind of pillars. Either a camouflage net or burlap is attached to them. Such walls perfectly camouflage the hunter. They are often secured with plastic wire clamps. They are cheap, it is not a problem to find them on sale, they are quickly tightened and hold well.
Dismantling them is not a problem. There are also special shelter tents that are quickly set up, easy to clean, and hide a person well. The easiest way is to make a shelter in the form of a cone, from felled young trees, without cutting off the branches. Place spruce branches, dry grass and whatever grows in this area on top. Autumn weather is full of different colors, it is necessary to observe them when building a hut, for naturalness. If you go hunting frequently, it is best to have a couple of huts in different places.
