My 2014 dusky grouse opener

C

ChocoLab

New member
After three different properties and several miles, we found 'em.

My lab and I were working our way through the sage along the edge of an aspen island; lots of grasshoppers, oak brush, and forbs - just where my research told me I should be. But the going was tough and we hadn't found anything, so I wanted to head uphill to the next aspen stand. My lab decided to go left instead . . . I didn't follow. Figuring she?d catch up, I looked back to see her locked up on point.

Now, running through the sage with a backpack full of water and a shotgun in hand is not the most graceful act, to say the least, but I started hustling in her direction as best I could.

At the edge of my improved cylinder range I watched one dusky after another get up. As luck would have it, one flared my way and I connected with my new 20. Not the best shot, not the deadest of birds, but despite my lack of faith in her, my lab pinned the grouse down in time for me to catch up and finish what she started.

Grouse for dinner. The rest of the season for dessert.

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Congratulations on your grouse:) Sounds like you worked for him too!

How do those birds taste? Similar to Ruffed grouse:confused:
 
Thanks!

I've never had ruffed grouse, but the dusky's are ok. The key is to not overcook them (probably goes for everything), I kinda like 'em actually. :)
 
Looks like you had a very fun day. I'd much rather be up in the mountains than dove hunting but I'll have to wait a few weeks for mountain quail and grouse to open.:cheers:
 
ChocoLab said:
Thanks!

I've never had ruffed grouse, but the dusky's are ok. The key is to not overcook them (probably goes for everything), I kinda like 'em actually. :)
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We did a side-by-side last year in Wyoming of Blues and Ruffs and the Ruffs won handily.

I love Blues, probably because they tend towards a stronger flavor and can thus handle a little more spice. A simple marinade and a really hot grill will make a believer out of anyone with either of them.

I'm frothing that I spent most of the opener on an airplane and not in the mountains today...
 
Nice:coolpics::thumbsup:

Plan on heading up to the mts. in the next couple of weeks to chase those rascals.

I have really grouse hunted since my days in Alaska, stationed at Elmendorf when I would take my lab with me to chase spruce hens and willow ptarmigan on snowshoes once the snow started falling....

Greg
 
nice grouse and story, i was imagining myself there as i read it.

i haven't hunted grouse before usually just pheasant and quail but once with my bow when i was elk hunting (got one) but was trying to find a decent spot to go this weekend. i talked to a hunt planner thru the DOW and he suggested up around Tabernash, has anyone hunted grouse in this area and if so any opinions or locations would be a great help.
 
ChocoLab said:
After three different properties and several miles, we found 'em.

My lab and I were working our way through the sage along the edge of an aspen island; lots of grasshoppers, oak brush, and forbs - just where my research told me I should be. But the going was tough and we hadn't found anything, so I wanted to head uphill to the next aspen stand. My lab decided to go left instead . . . I didn't follow. Figuring she?d catch up, I looked back to see her locked up on point.

Now, running through the sage with a backpack full of water and a shotgun in hand is not the most graceful act, to say the least, but I started hustling in her direction as best I could.

At the edge of my improved cylinder range I watched one dusky after another get up. As luck would have it, one flared my way and I connected with my new 20. Not the best shot, not the deadest of birds, but despite my lack of faith in her, my lab pinned the grouse down in time for me to catch up and finish what she started.

Grouse for dinner. The rest of the season for dessert.

20140901_113746_zpsec165986.jpg
Click to expand...

Congrats on a good hunt. And a well deserved dinner. Give the bones to your dog...he will love them!
 
Shorthair Hunters said:
nice grouse and story, i was imagining myself there as i read it.

i haven't hunted grouse before usually just pheasant and quail but once with my bow when i was elk hunting (got one) but was trying to find a decent spot to go this weekend. i talked to a hunt planner thru the DOW and he suggested up around Tabernash, has anyone hunted grouse in this area and if so any opinions or locations would be a great help.
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Thanks, it was fun to write!

I'm not familiar with Tabernash, but quickly looking at it on a map seems like it could work. In my limited experience and extensive reading I've learned that this time of year, before a series of frosts, one should focus on the sagebrush/aspen interface. After a hard frost the berries, grasshoppers and forbs are no longer available, at this point the hen/brood groups of grouse begin their uphill migration to spruce/fir forest where they join the males who moved up earlier. It's these males that most elk and deer hunters encounter, but right now (September and early October - most years) the majority of grouse are at lower elevations.

Please correct me and/or provide some other tips if you've got them. :cheers:
 
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ChocoLab said:
... that this time of year, before a series of frosts, one should focus on the sagebrush/aspen interface. After a hard frost the berries, grasshoppers and forbs are no longer available, at this point the hen/brood groups of grouse begin their uphill migration to spruce/fir forest where they join the males who moved up earlier. It's these males that most elk and deer hunters encounter, but right now (September and early October - most years) the majority of grouse are at lower elevations.

Please correct me and/or provide some other tips if you've got them. :cheers:
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Pretty spot on advice, ChocoLab.

And since it's been frosting recently (and supposed to continue with evening lows in the high 20s out West), that uphill movement should be underway.

Although - at a spot in West Grand county last Sunday, we found them right on the sage/aspen border @ about 8500'. One young bird was absolutely tiny - about the size of a Hun. It seems like it was a late hatch. In years past (2011 with the late snowmelt was another year like that), the birds migrated late. There are still plenty of hoppers around, and all the crops were full of serviceberry. We didn't see any birds at a go-to ridge of mine up higher near the Spruce line.

I'm headed over to our 'grouse camp' in Routt county tomorrow for 4-5 days with the 12yo male Brit on his farewell tour. He's always been too big a runner with grouse, but being old, slow and mostly deaf should tighten up his range a bit :) Will report back. I love September...
 
Shorthair Hunters said:
nice grouse and story, i was imagining myself there as i read it.

i haven't hunted grouse before usually just pheasant and quail but once with my bow when i was elk hunting (got one) but was trying to find a decent spot to go this weekend. i talked to a hunt planner thru the DOW and he suggested up around Tabernash, has anyone hunted grouse in this area and if so any opinions or locations would be a great help.
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If you go to the North out of Tabernash, it will be a pay to play as there is a fee to enter the Arapahoe Rec area.:cheers:
 
NICE mtn-chicken ChocoLab, hope it was tasty! :cheers:
Haven't been out much specifically after blue (dusky) grouse yet, but been doing some heavy research & gonna learn this gig just like I did with pheasants! In the past few years I have kicked around kinda Half-@$$ up in the high country for them one day a year or so & did get out last week for an afternoon near home (mostly just to experience the peak fall colors, clear my head & try to chase the demons away from recently losing my son to cancer), but next year I'm gonna get serious! I do plan to get out for at least another day this week while it is still warm & maybe once again next week if weather holds, but at this point I'm probably already too late & just chasin behind 'em up the mtn into the thick spruce stuff which is not exactly the dog-friendly way I really wanna do things.

Hey retrvrman, wanna go for a spirited march behind the dogs at least until we get sewing-machine legs & can no longer walk??? :eek: :p We could maybe meet up somewhere roughly halfway between Denver & CO Spgs. I've got a prime 5 yr old burn area possibly in mind...
 
I am down for that....sorry to hear about your son. Good to see you back on the forum. Gearing up for 2nd rifle this weekend, heading out tomorrow. Then back next week, then out of town for work, then back and then head out for pheasants in Kansas.....love this time of year, absolutely love it, wish it could last forever:thumbsup:

Greg
 
Any of you UPH boyz in the Denver or Co Spgs area wanna go tromp around the mtns close-to-home for a blue grouse or two tomorrow (Fri/Oct 17) before we piss off all the elk & deer hunters beginning on Sat thru next week??? :eek: :D :p If anybody is seriously interested PM me tonite, I'm leaving @ the crack of dawn tomorrow...

Tried connecting with several of my regular hunting buds, but none of them can bump-n-run right now on such short notice.
 
wilson said:
darn i didn;t see this tell just now 7:20
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Hey Wilson,
You still up for another crack @ the mtn chickens in between elk/deer rifle seasons before the grouse season ends mid-Nov (particularly this coming Fri/Oct 24th near tail-end of 2nd rifle season or anytime next week Mon/Oct 27th thru Fri/Oct 31st in between 2nd & 3rd rifle season while warm weather is still barely holding on before the birds move any higher up into the thick stuff)???
I have a couple promising places in mind pretty close (only an hour or so away from home), in addition to whatever you care to share/trade...
Long-time/no-see, PM me if you're interested! ;) :cheers:
 
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Here's a new one

Here's an experience that was "a new one".
I brought a new pup into the household last fall and have been working hard to get him ready for upland/duck seasons this year. I live in southern CO and spend at least one (if not both) weekend days each week in Sept up grouse hunting mornings and then working afterward to come back down with a cord of wood (keeps wifey happy). The Last Friday before youth duck opener I was up above 9500ft and working hard for them. I had missed a couple (people who say grouse hunting isn't difficult have to be shooting them on the ground or out of trees, hitting a grouse before it gets behind a tree after the flush gets harder every year :p) and had another in the vest when I decided to work the edge of one more large park on the way back to my chainsaw in the truck. The pup flushed a nice male, however it was on the "wrong side" of a couple of Spruces and sailed unmolested downhill and across the clearing. Working our way around to the general area where it landed without any more flushes, the pup suddenly went crazy birdy and completely ignored all commands. I watched him flush a couple of nice sized birds (once more with trees between us) and as I hurried to catch up, the grass to my immediate left exploded in feathers..... All of a sudden, the woods were alive with about 12 turkey's taking flight, most of them close to me were young of the year , small and dark, and I came oh so close to mistakingly dropping one (or more). Thankfully, good sense overrode instinct and I held off on pulling the trigger. I had never seen any sign, much less the birds themselves, of turkeys that high up and was completely dumbfounded (didn't have a fall license, nor was I in a unit open to hunting em'). I have to admit though that I got my turkey call out of the truck (left the gun behind) and played around with the flock as they started calling to each other and re gathering, awesome practice opportunity for the pup to sit quietly in the face of temptation and a lot of fun :)....
Anyone else ever run into these birds while grouse hunting? I have flushed grouse while hunting Tom's in the spring but never the other way around. It was neat to see them extending their range as lack of birds in that unit is the reason it's closed to turkey hunting.
 
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