Finding Wyoming Blues and Ruff's
The key for finding Blue Grouse (Dusky Grouse) in Wyoming is to hunt high. Regardless of what mountain range you are hunting, Salt River, Gros Ventre, Winds, Snowy's, Absaroka's or Bighorns, look for them near or above 7500 feet. You don't need to be near tree line, but do get up high. They like area's of meadows and high mountain parks, preferably with a good smattering of sage brush and grass in them. These meadow area's are usually filled with grasshoppers which are a major food source for the birds during the late summer and fall months.
If an area is devoid of pines, you won't find them. If an area is nothing but thick pines, you won't find them. Look for "edge" area's. The edge of high mountain parks. Or park area's with groups and pockets of pines. Hunt the edge of the pine trees, not out in the middle of a large park or meadow. Pines, parks and meadows should be your key areas.
Now if you're looking for Ruffed Grouse, and Wyoming has a boat load of them in certain parts of the state, your focus should be totally different. First off, hunt west of the continental divide. Ruff's do live on the east side, but in much lower numbers. You focus area's should be lower elevations than with Blue's. And with Ruff's you aren't looking for pines, but rather focus on riparian area's along creeks with deciduous trees. Out here that mostly means aspen tree's. If your in cottonwoods you are hunting much too low. Look for area's of aspen tree's near water--creeks and small streams--in western Wyoming and you'll find Ruff's.
These forest grouse species are not very popular with bird hunters in the cowboy state. In fact, if you see another forest grouse hunter, it is by Wyoming standards, much too crowded. In all my years chasing Blue Grouse I can't think of seeing another hunter who wasn't with me. With Ruff's maybe a time or two as riparian corridor's are much smaller and narrow, but I've been bird hunting for 45 years, so if you make a trip, you're likely to have it all to yourself. In Wyoming, most forest grouse are harvested by big game hunters. Because of this, shooting them with rifles is legal in Wyoming. While ground sluicing grouse with a rifle isn't my idea of fun, when some guy is 15 or 20 miles off road hunting elk, it isn't an issue worth arguing about.
One of the great things is that unlike pheasants, the best grouse hunting is on public land. More specifically on National Forest land. Most BLM land is too low in elevation for forest grouse, and better suited to Sage Hens. I like a 20 ga. O/U shooting 1 1/8th ounce of #6 lead shot. No need for steel on grouse. Some guys would lean more to something smaller like 7 1/2's or 8's. But out here it's common for a Blue to give you a 40 yard crossing shot once they flush, and you want to knock them down. Once down, they aren't apt to run much and my Lab's have never lost one that I can think of. I use Lab's because I hunt ducks and roosters as the months get colder, but a pointing dog would be a better choice if my focus was just grouse. Plenty of times the birds will flush the other side of a big pine tree and you'll only hear the wings. A pointing dog would give you much more time to maneuver for an open shooting lane prior to the flush.
One last closing thought. If you love the outdoors, just know that there are a lot of selfish politician's trying to convince the public that giving the public lands to the various western states is a good idea. If that ever were to happen I can guarantee you that it would be sold off to billionaire's at the first excuse they could think of. Don't sit on the side lines and let others decide the fate of western public lands and public hunting opportunities. Make you're voice heard. KEEP PUBLIC LANDS IN PUBLIC HANDS! If you do, your kids will someday know what my kids have known for decades. Public lands is the best idea America ever had.