Blue Grouse, last weekend

B

beartooths

New member
i am heading into the front range hills this weekend to chase some blues for their last weekend. i was curious if anyone has any pointers to chase these guys in the lower elevation mountains without a timberline? i have a spot i saw quite a few on rampart during elk archery season. any pointers on what type of terrain to hunt, what time of day or is there a bad time/good time. unfortunately i have to help my wife in the early morning, but will probably get to the woods around 10am with my GSP.
 
Blues can be tricky!

Blue's can be tough to locate this time of year. Unlike most animals, blues actually seek higher elevation as the snow starts to fly. There are limited numbers in the front range, and those who have located concentrations safe-gard the coordinates.

If you do come across one, I suggest you field dress it right away. Pay attention to what is in the bird's crop and key on that food source the rest of the day.

Good luck!
 
i've heard there are not very good numbers of them along the front range, especially around the rampart range area, but i have an area where i have consistantly bumped into good sized coveys of them. since its the last weekend for their season, and i want to avoid the early season crowds for pheasant out east i figured id give them a shot. problem is, i have heard that they move around on the ground in the morning, but mid day just loaf high up in the tress, nearly impossible to see, until the evening when the come down toforage again before roosting.
this area i am going to really has no snow, just in the shade. no timberline and tops out around probably 9,000ft elevation. i do find the blues right at the top of the hills but i have never hunted them... i am curious if they are even worth chasing mid day ( 10 am on ) , or if i should focus maybe on the afternoon into the evening?
 
I hunted for duckies last year and this year's openers around Crested Butte and got skunked both times. Too far south I think.
 
Grouse are most active in the morning and evening. I have had my best luck right before sun down.

At first light, I often flush them out of trees just off the edges of canyons and up hill from transition areas. (ie...the up hill side of the oak / dark timber line.)

In the middle of the day, shaded areas with berries or clover seem to produce.

In the evenings, I often find them along roads picking stones for their crop.

(These are just trends I have discovered....all strategy goes out the window once the first bird flies!!!)
 
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