Head to the High Country
Winter 2025
Aticles and photos by Jimmy Jacobs
The ruffed grouse hunting season. opens in North Georgia on the 15th of October and runs through the end of February the next year.
Opening day offers the small cadre of hunters that pursue these birds the chance to take to the high country. Grouse are at the very southern edge of their natural range in the Peach State. In fact, Georgia offers the most southerly location for hunting these birds in the eastern part of the nation. Grouse are big birds by Peach State wing-shooting standards. While a bobwhite quail may tip the scales at 6 ounces and mourning doves are even smaller, grouse can weight from 1 to 1 3/4 pounds.
The fabled flush of a covey of quail can be exciting and even startle a hunter. On the other hand, when a grouse busts out of a snag pile in the mountains, it can be an eruption that is about a subtle as a helicopter taking off! These flushes can be downright frightening for first time hunters. Part of the appeal of grouse hunting is where it takes place. The game birds are found in the state’s mountains at elevations ranging from 1,800 to near 4,000 feet. The first couple of weeks of the season put sportsmen in some of the most picturesque locations in Georgia. The mountains are draped at this time in the fall colors of changing leaves.
The fabled flush of a covey of quail can be exciting and even startle a hunter. On the other hand, when a grouse busts out of a snag pile in the mountains, it can be an eruption that is about a subtle as a helicopter taking off! These flushes can be downright frightening for first time hunters. Part of the appeal of grouse hunting is where it takes place. The game birds are found in the state’s mountains at elevations ranging from 1,800 to near 4,000 feet. The first couple of weeks of the season put sportsmen in some of the most picturesque locations in Georgia. The mountains are draped at this time in the fall colors of changing leaves.
Once you find a grouse — and assuming you manage to bring it down — the bird makes for an excellent meal. Also, the fan of its tail feathers makes a great trophy and is one of our hardest hunting prizes to bag.
While it’s nice to wax poetic about the beauty of the surroundings and majestic nature of the birds hunted, a dose of reality is needed as well. Grouse in Georgia don’t live in flat places. You need to be ready for some challenging walking when pursuing these birds. Both you and your dogs will get a workout!
With regard to dogs for grouse hunting, an English setter or Brittany can be good for the action. Because of the lay of the land, wide ranging American pointers can be problematic, even with GPS collars. Assuming the collar stays in contact with your dog, you still may have to climb over a steep ridge to find him. The closer working breeds are a better bet.
Our southern grouse are usually found in earlier succession woodlands. With the scarcity of clear cuts on public land in North Georgia, finding such edges takes some work. The borders of wildlife clearings are worth checking, especially if there are springheads surrounded by mountain laurel and Christmas ferns nearby.
A wildlife clearing on the Blue Ridge WMA.
Another option is along the edge habitat created by gated, gravel Forest Service roads. These are open to foot travel and there is no threat of running into vehicles on them.
The Chattahoochee National Forest offers a bit more than 750,000 acres of land in North Georgia, with much of it offering grouse habitat. Search the Forest Service Web site at www.fs.usda.gov/main/conf/ for information on recent timber clearing to improve the habitat for golden warblers. Grouse love the same type cover and don’t seem to realize it is not being created for them!
Jimmy Jacobs is the editor of Georgia Outdoor Adventures, as well as being editor/publisher of On The Fly South. He also is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association. He makes his home in Marietta with his English setters, Luke and Lulu. He can be contacted at jimmyjacobs@mindspring.com.