Grouse Hunting Northern MI

**OneClick** · 09-24-2012, 20:00

My dad an I went out for our annual grouse hunt near Kalkaska, MI. We took the usual tent, which I slept in 2/3 nights. Ouch! I forgot how bad that hurts my arms - since I can't sleep on my back, theres just no good way to lie without my arms getting in the way and eventually falling asleep.

Anyway, one of the nights I set up the hammock in some nice red pines and had a nice 9 hour sleep. I put in my backup 20"x20" piece of windshield screen to supplement my 40° Incubator, which was a bad idea. I woke up about 3 hours to find a ton of condensation chilling my back. The temp was around 34° at this point. So I pulled the wet screen out and went back to sleep. I think I slept all the way thru after ditching the pad, warm and cozy!

Overall, not the best weather. 40s for the high most of the day, flirted with 55 one day. Mostly cloudy and rain all three days - 20 minutes on/45 minutes off so the rain gear got some heavy use.

Only one bird but still had a great time. And a great reminder about sleeping in a tent vs. hammock.

**bigevilgrape** · 09-24-2012, 20:01

How many grouse before you have enough down to stuff a top quilt?

**Dblcorona** · 09-24-2012, 20:34

Sounds like fun. Haven't been out since my setter tore a tendon in his leg.

**geoforge** · 09-25-2012, 07:13

Only 1 bird
Thats why its called Hunting and not shopping :-)

**canoebie** · 09-25-2012, 07:15

I always see grouse hunters when I paddle the Manistee this time of year. It looks like all that bushwhacking could be hard work. No doubt the sleep off the ground was welcome.