The grouse hunter's field guide
Know the bird.
Find the cover.
Make the shot.
Field guides, state-by-state hotspots, and honest shotgun reviews for grouse hunters.
Species Guide
Meet the grouse of North America
Ten birds, four kinds of country. Start with the bird you hunt, or the one you want to.
Northwoods
Prairie
Prairie
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Tympanuchus phasianellus
The dancer of the open grass
Read the field guide
Prairie
Greater Prairie Chicken
Tympanuchus cupido
The boom of the tallgrass
Read the field guide
Prairie
Lesser Prairie Chicken
Tympanuchus pallidicinctus
The southern plains dancer, off limits for now
Read the field guide
Season closed
Rockies
Sage Country
Where to Hunt
Where the hunting is best
Five kinds of grouse country, from the aspen cuts of the Northwoods to the alpine tundra. Find your region and go.
RUFFED GROUSE
The Northwoods
Minnesota · Wisconsin · Michigan · Maine · New Hampshire · Pennsylvania
Mid-September through December or January. Check current regs.
The states and the seasons
SHARPTAILS & PRAIRIE-CHICKENS
The Prairie
North Dakota · South Dakota · Montana · Nebraska · Kansas
Mid-September through December or January, varies by state. Check current regs.
The states and the seasons
DUSKY & SOOTY GROUSE
The Mountains
Idaho · Colorado · Oregon · Washington · Utah · Southeast Alaska
September through November or later in many states. Check current regs.
The states and the seasons
SAGE GROUSE
Sage Country
Wyoming · Montana · Nevada
Short windows in September, often just days or weeks. Permits required in some states. Check current regs.
The states and the seasons
PTARMIGAN
Alaska & Alpine
Alaska · Colorado
Generous seasons in Alaska, typically August into spring in many units. Colorado runs a fall season. Check current regs.
The states and the seasons
Guns & Gear
Shotguns for the grouse woods
The right grouse gun is the one you can carry all day and mount in half a second. Gauge matters less than you think. Until it matters a lot.Read the gauge comparison
Best Over/Unders for the Grouse Woods
Coming soonSemi-Autos Worth Carrying All Day
Coming soonBudget Doubles That Swing Right
Coming soonGrouse Dogs
The dogs of the grouse woods
Two ways to hunt a grouse: over a point, or behind a flush. Nine breeds that do it well.
Pointing Breeds
The heritage grouse dog
English Setter
The poet of the grouse woods
Meet the breed
Medium range
Llewellin Setter
The grouse-bred setter
Meet the breed
Close to medium range
Brittany
The little dog that does it all
Meet the breed
Medium range
German Shorthaired Pointer
The German do-everything dog
Meet the breed
Big-running range
Pointer
Field trial royalty in the aspen
Meet the breed
Close to medium range
Gordon Setter
The Scottish black-and-tan
Meet the breed
Close to medium range
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
The bearded dog built for bad weather
Meet the breed
Flushing Breeds
Close range
English Springer Spaniel
The flusher that never leaves the gun
Meet the breed
Close range
Labrador Retriever
The everyman's grouse dog
Meet the breed
From the Field
Watch the hunts
Real flushes, real misses, and a Brittany doing her job in the northern Minnesota cover.
Northern MN Grouse Hunting
Dec 11, 2022
Minnesota Late Season Grouse Hunting.
Nov 26, 2022
Grouse Hunting Flushes - Brittany
Dec 13, 2021
Field Notes
Latest from the cover
Jul 19, 2026
The Best Upland Hunting Vests, Tested in the Grouse Woods
The best upland hunting vests compared. Hands-on reviews of the Final Rise Summit XT and Pyke Wingman Pro, plus Wingworks, Filson, Orvis, KUIU, and budget picks.
Read it
Jul 19, 2026
The Best Grouse Recipes, and How to Get Your Bird Ready for Them
What grouse tastes like, how to clean and pluck your bird, the 150 to 155 degree rule, and the best grouse recipes on the internet, curated and linked.
Read it
Jul 19, 2026
Shot Size for Grouse: 8s, 7.5s, 6s, and 5s by Season and Species
The right shot size for grouse, by season and species. Why 7.5s are the ruffed grouse standard, when to run 8s or 6s, and steel and bismuth conversions.
Read it
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