Late Season Hunting

Late Winter Choice: Grouse, Cottontails or Hares
By Mike Seymour

New York hunters are blessed with an array of opportunities that begin with Canada geese in September and extend to snow geese in March. Often overlooked among the myriad of hunting choices are late winter ventures for ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit and varying hare. Such winter outings promise the simple joys of the woods and the hunt.
Grouse, cottontail or hare hunts provide a number of challenges at this time of the year. For one thing, populations are at an annual low due to natural predation and winter mortality, and this predation has made the prey extremely wary and forced them to inhabit the thickest cover available. Also, deep snow can make the going tough for hunters.
Despite these challenges, winter hunts have attractive features such as the opportunity to spend time in the woods at this special time of the year when temperatures begin to increase and the days get longer. Hunters typically have the woods to themselves in late winter, and if deep snow conditions exist, hunters have the excuse to do some snowshoeing. Late winter hunts also provide the opportunity to relish those few final outings before the shotguns are exchanged for the fishing rods of spring. Furthermore, weight in the game bag translates to a tasty meal at day's end.
Winter Grouse
A recent DEC survey of logs completed by 274 grouse hunters revealed that hunters averaged just over an hour per flushed bird and that one out of 11 flushed birds was actually harvested. In essence, hunting grouse is a challenging activity. Thus, the foremost characteristic of grouse chasers needs to be a positive attitude right from the get-go.
Many hunters refer to their activity as "partridge" hunting, but no matter whether the bird is called a grouse or a partridge, knowing the bird's winter habits can lead to success in the field. Unlike fall, when grouse spend the majority of their time on the ground, winter sees birds roosting in conifer stands most of the time, so such stands make prime hunting areas. Grouse also like the protection of thick vegetation. Too, hunters should seek areas having the trees on whose buds winter grouse dine. Those trees include apple, aspen, beech, birch, cherry, dogwood, ironwood, sumac, and willow. Since grouse typically feed at dawn and an hour before dusk, those are prime times to be afield.
In addition to roosting in trees, grouse will sometimes bury themselves 10 or so inches into a soft snow. Signs of such entries are visible to the hunter with a careful eye. Of course, tracks in the snow are a sure sign that one is in good grouse habitat.
Hunters can increase their odds of success by taking to the woods on nice days when birds are more active. In unpleasant weather, the hunter should spend his time in leeward areas as grouse typically seek shelter from any wind. No matter what the weather, though, a grouse hunter wants to cover as much good habitat as possible. Covering ground increases the odds of encountering grouse because, unlike the widely dispersed birds of autumn, winter ones tend to congregate. And so locating a single grouse means there is the likely possibility of additional birds nearby.
Experts believe that a grouse's eyesight and hearing are similar to that of a wild turkey so making a quiet entry into grouse habitat is key. The standard stop-and-go strategy of autumn also works in winter as birds tend to flush on the stop. All flushes should be watched carefully as following up on flushes often presents second chances just as it does in the fall. Instead of following the flush directly, though, try approaching from a different angle. In fact, if hunters have been approaching a thicket from the same side all season, late winter is the time to try a new entry point.
Winter Rabbits and Hares
Even though a cottontail rabbit's brown coat contrasts with the white snow, the animal's habit of seeking shelter in rock piles, brush piles, holes in the ground and the thickest of thickets serves him well in winter. The cottontail also finds protection from predators by being most active at dawn and dusk. Another natural defense is the tendency to run in a zigzag pattern when flushed by pursuers. The cottontail thrives across the state, and its favorite haunts include hedgerows, ditches, apple orchards, downed trees, brush piles, stone fences, briar patches, small woodlots and young-growth thickets.
Often referred to as the snowshoe rabbit or white rabbit, the varying hare earned those nicknames because of its large, snowshoe-shaped feet and its color change from brown to white as winter approaches. Unlike cottontails, hares do not hole up. Instead, they rely on their natural white camouflage, and they remain above ground throughout the winter, seeking cover in natural thickets, blow downs, low-growing conifers and snow bends (vegetation bent over by heavy snows).
Like grouse hunters, winter rabbit and hare chasers are wise to go afield on nice days as the wildlife is most active then. Of course, early morning and late afternoon offer the best hunting because those are natural feeding times. Again, the habitat emphasis needs to be on thick areas such as young conifer stands, swamps, overgrown orchards and brushy lots. Hunting several small thickets typically out produces hunting a single, large area.
Tracks in the snow are sure signs of rabbit and hare activity, as are the telltale signs of browsing on twigs, berry bushes and young trees. When hunting such areas, the hunter needs to move slowly, stop often and look carefully. Careless approaches serve only to alert nearby rabbits and hares whose natures are extremely cautious. Since these animals have keen hearing, a wise hunter approaches likely areas from the downwind side. Once a hunter has found an active area, he should consider reworking the area from the opposite direction.
Hunting Options
The simplicity of pursuing winter grouse, rabbits or hares allows hunters to go it alone, head out with a partner(s) or take the dog along. Each style of hunting has its advantages. Hunting solo brings freedom and flexibility to the hunt as well as providing the opportunity for the solitude that only the winter woods can offer. Hunting with a partner means camaraderie and teamwork, both of which can bring a lot of joy and satisfaction to the hunt. Hunting with a dog doubles the pleasure of an outing because the hunter experiences the joy of the hunt as well as the joy of his dog's exuberance. Furthermore, a good dog means the amount of game in the bag at day's end will also be doubled.
Late winter hunts are an option for hunters across New York State. When planning a venture into the winter woods, hunters are reminded to consider taking a youngster along and introducing him or her to the rich pleasures of the hunt and the woods.
Mike Seymour is a U.S.C.G. and NYS-licensed guide who offers fishing trips on the St. Lawrence River, Black Lake, and other St. Lawrence County waters. A member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the New York State Outdoor Writers Association, he writes a weekly newspaper column and contributes regularly to outdoor magazines. Mike enjoys all kinds of fishing. You might find him fly fishing for native brookies on a small Adirondack stream or trolling for trout and salmon on Lake Ontario. Mike can be reached at 315/379-0235 or fishmike@slic.com.