2014 Sage grouse season

Check the wyoming game and fish Sight. I dont know but I think it will be the later part of september.
 
I've been to that sight a few times and they don't have anything definitive about the season this fall. I was just wondering if any of you guys from out there had the inside scoop on the situation. It's not looking good for montana this fall to have a season and the Dakotas have already said they are not going to have one.
 
Wyoming will have a season they just have not set it yet. It will only be two or three day long in most of the state there are plenty of them but they are dumb as dirt and habitat is being lost. Dam wind turbines bird killers and not just sage chickens. Find water early in the am and you will find the them.
 
Planning another trip out there myself this year. Hope they set it soon. Im guessing it will be sometime between the 3rd and 4th week of september.
 
We are gonna do it opposite than last year though. Our dogs were worn out after hitting the shirley basin hard for three days. Then we hunted huns and sharps for two days. The blues in the big horns for a day. Gonna hit the blues first this year and try to be on the sage grouse by the opener.
 
I will message you with what little information and experience we gained last year. The other guys who have posted on this thread helped me out last year. They have quite a few years of experience it seems. The blues just about drove us crazy! Hunted three days HARD before we even saw one. Then one evening , hunting the same type cover in the same general area we flushed at least 20? They will open blues really early , like Sep. 1 possibly.
 
Hunting Blues with a pointer in September is one of my favorite hunts. I always have fun even when the hunting is slow. In my neck of the woods this year is looking like it should be a good season. I'd imagine Wyoming will be similar this fall. Good luck and take lots of photos!:cheers:
 
Blues are great fun and you can get into them. :thumbsup:
Seems like, once you find a spot the Blues are at, they will be there year after year. Same with the Sage Grouse.

Montana Sage Grouse opens Sept 1st - Nov 1st.
2 daily limit and 4 in possession.
 
Cool , is that the normal MT season? Is is any different than last year? Well , if thats the case we should be able to re-inact our three day blue hunt in one afternoon!
 
esetter said:
Cool , is that the normal MT season? Is is any different than last year? Well , if thats the case we should be able to re-inact our three day blue hunt in one afternoon!
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I think it was in 2011 that the MT Sage Grouse season was changed to end Nov 1st.
It has been opening Sept 1st for as long as I can remember.
Before 2011 the Sage Grouse season went to Jan.
With a 4 per day limit and 12 possession.
 
Thats quite a drop off for sure. I feel fortunate to get to take a few before it closes completely. I really hope we get back into them this year. Im gonna concentrate more on blues i think. BTW , have any of you ever hunted the medicine bow / southern WYO area for blues?
 
As far as the MT Sage Grouse bag limits. It was due to outside pressure. There was a strong push at that time to get the SG listed for protection.
MFW&P put up the good fight, proving hunting had no effect on populations.
MFW&P folks were correct of course.
But they did agree to shorten season and bag limits. And that is OK too.
No one needs to fill the cooler with Sage Grouse, a trophy, couple young ones for the pan. :thumbsup:
 
Yea , seems to be a little squabble between the energy companies and game and fish departments. You seeing any sharp tail broods?
 
esetter said:
Thats quite a drop off for sure. I feel fortunate to get to take a few before it closes completely. I really hope we get back into them this year. Im gonna concentrate more on blues i think. BTW , have any of you ever hunted the medicine bow / southern WYO area for blues?
Click to expand...

There are blues in the medicine bows. PM me and I can share some spots if you let me know how they hunt. It's been a few years since I have been over there.
 
esetter said:
Yea , seems to be a little squabble between the energy companies and game and fish departments. You seeing any sharp tail broods?
Click to expand...

I sure wish I could spend more time out in Sharptail country. I would be fun to hike around and check out the hatch. :)
Gonna have to wait until early Sept for a report. :cheers:
 
We are thinking about trying to hit some spots in western nebraska for sharps on our way out. Mostly to say we have hunted nebraska but , i have heard that there are decent sharpie numbers there but limited public land? We did pretty well on them the one day we hunted in Wy last year. When do they normally hatch?
 
I have never hunted there myself but from what I've heard nw Nebraska in the Sandhills offers the most public land. You probably knew that much. I know there are decent bird numbers because, like the Dakotas, guys pay big money to send their dogs out there to train on young and dumb sharpies. I assume Nebraska has had similar rains to South Dakota and Kansas so this year should be better than the last couple. My buddy and I are going to head to South Dakota after leaving wyoming to chase the things just in case we leave wyoming with our tails tucked between our legs with 0 birds on the board. Haha

Also, I can't decide between the lander area and sw of Casper to start out on sage grouse. Any opinions? I, like estetter, will be chasing after blues in my trip so didn't know if there was more opportunity around there
 
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