Another season with the hounds

quail hound

Moderator
Started the season off with a great mountain quail and grouse camp with some new friends and their dogs. Hot and dry conditions but Lady put it on like normal and had the only points of the weekend including lots of quail and her and I's first blue grouse, a very delicious young bird.

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We're leaving to Oregon tomorrow to hunt sage grouse.
 
Looks like a nice way to start the season. Congratulations.

(But, gotta tell you, from a guy from Wisconsin's perspective, that second picture could be Donner's Pass. Where are the cornfields and soybeans?)
:D
 
At 8,600' it may as well be Donner!

Drove up to Oregon with a goal to take one male sage grouse and we accomplished that goal. What an absolutely amazing bird and gorgeous scenery as well. Lady pointed a flock and they got up tremendously slow allowing me to pick this big male and take him cleanly. Thus hunt was quite an experience.

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So I woke up at 2 a.m. this morning and drove 500 miles to see if there really are any ruffed grouse in California. Lady had a nice find on this bird and it made the mistake of quartering over the road giving me a shot.

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That's a nice Sage Grouse. They do get much bigger up to 6 lbs with an average of 4. Let us know how it tastes. I've eaten Calif. Sage Grouse that were just terrible and Idaho grouse that were delicious. Calif., sage only diet. Idaho, sage and grain.
It's odd that Blue Grouse taste so good given they spend their winters sitting on a limb eating nothing but pine needles. Some things we just aren't meant to know.
 
I cleaned him within 30 mins of harvest and got the meat on ice. I won't lie and say it was great but it was definitely edible cooked medium rare in a cast iron skillet. I would have got it mounted but I promised my friend who is studying the birds in that unit a wing.
 
Last three day weekend of the summer and I don't have any cool plans. I think I'll head up Saturday and try to find some mountain quail or maybe another blue grouse.
 
Got a field in today in ND.
 
Robert - looks like you've done well, judging from the hay stack display. Will you join us in SD this year?
 
Good for you!! Wish I could be saying the same about western Montana. I need to figure out how to take more time off so I can get further east!!
 
I had an amazing time hunting with my friend PTM in ND. We put in the miles and found birds, no easy limits but plenty around. I had planned to hunt a few more days but I had to cut the trip short and start heading home.

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