What trips do you have planned for this year

AggieHB said:
Im heading out next month on a loop through NE, SD, MT and Wy. Going to try to do the Grouse Slam with Huns and Chukars thrown in. I’ve had pretty good luck with everything except Blues in the past, but like Westok said a walk in the mountains with your dogs is still a great day.

The weather here in Ok has been as good as we could hope for. I have been getting some good reports on our quail. I was in the sand hills north of Woodward today and the land conditions are exceptional. Hopefully we will have a cool wet winter.
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Do you find chukar and Huns in Wyoming? I’d love to try them but with my job its hard to get to Idaho or Nevada during the season
 
I have found Chukars in Wy and MT. Found them by accident working Our way up the mountains to hunt Spruce. I have not figured Chukars and Blues out as of yet, but hope to this year. I’m still planning to go further west sometime for Chukars and Mountain Quail. Montana has a bit of everything. I haven’t founds Huns in Wy, but I haven’t hunted anything but the mountains there. I would suspect some of the Ag areas up north would be a possibility.
 
Just going south in the state of Iowa for quail. Just had my first kid so travel is light this year. Paying my dues upfront with my wife, getting all the list done to buy as much time as possible.
 
BPATT11 said:
Just going south in the state of Iowa for quail. Just had my first kid so travel is light this year. Paying my dues upfront with my wife, getting all the list done to buy as much time as possible.
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I now have a 5, 3, and 2 year old. I know where you're coming from (and where you're going). Enjoy the time with the family and get out when you can! One thing that has helped me is having all of my gear very organized and ready to go at all times in my truck - I can usually get out 1-3 times a week for 1-3 hours each (including travel time), so I can't waste anytime searching for or loading up gear. When I get the unexpected green light, it's load up the dog and gone. Then I also take 2 SD trips a year, but they've shortened up a bit - leave early in the morning to get there by 10am, hunt a few days, then drive back home in the dark after the final day.
 
Gobbler said:
I just got an email reply from Kenneth Plourde Upland Bird biologist for Montana region 6. He said the Wolf Point area of Montana where t I usually hunt is going to be as dry as 2017. That was the year I first learn how the impact of drought can crash the bird numbers, not to mention the cover. I was shocked when I arrive that year at how the cover was not there and even more shocked when I hunted at the lack of birds.
It looks like I may have to change states. Does anybody have any suggestions? I hear Iowa is coming back to bird number of the past. Has anybody hunted Iowa recently?
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I live here, it is dry, dry, dry. However our bird numbers are up. Our report is going to come out in the next couple of weeks I think. You can take a look at 2020's report on the Iowa DNR website
 
Wisconsin Grouse tournament early Sept. for the 11th yr running. Then couple of long weekends at cabin in Oct and Nov for Grouse and Woodcock. And 5 days in SD with same group of guys for the last 19yrs. Can't wait for season to get here, hope I have shells to shoot!
 
AggieHB said:
Im heading out next month on a loop through NE, SD, MT and Wy. Going to try to do the Grouse Slam with Huns and Chukars thrown in. I’ve had pretty good luck with everything except Blues in the past, but like Westok said a walk in the mountains with your dogs is still a great day.

The weather here in Ok has been as good as we could hope for. I have been getting some good reports on our quail. I was in the sand hills north of Woodward today and the land conditions are exceptional. Hopefully we will have a cool wet winter.
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Im way over in Grove and have been driving to Beaver...is there public land north of Woodward to hunt?
 
Hal and Fern Cooper is North west of Woodward then Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff North east. Cooper is the biggest at about 17000 acres. There’s also some walk in in the area. I haven’t hunted them myself yet.
 
Cooper can be good, but I like Cimarron Hills and FT Supply over it. Both of the Cimarron areas have limited hours which keeps the pressure down. All of the areas north of Woodward have a few pheasant and an occasional chicken. As Westok said there are also some nice walk in areas.

Eddie Wilson is the biologist at Cooper and is a pretty good contact for birds in the area.
 
I am doing a trip for the first time to Wyoming. Going after bucket list birds Sage Grouse, Hun and Chuker. Will be in KS for the pheasant opener. Couple trips to AZ for Mearns Gambles, and Blues....if the numbers hold. Not to mention NM Blue Grouse for the first time. Then just my normal dove, bobs, blues and pheasant here in the Panhandle of TX and NM. I pretty much hunt every weekend from Sept. to the end of Feb. WOW!!! Sounds like I'm bragging but I bet I'm not the only one on this page that has this addiction. If it fly's it dies!!! Happy New Years Bird Hunters!!!
 
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Where in Wyoming you headed for Sage, Skeet? I was in the bighorn mountains for sage and blue grouse a few years ago. Only picked up one of each and some trout but it was a blast.
 

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Skeet Mc said:
I am doing a trip for the first time to Wyoming. Going after bucket list birds Sage Grouse, Hun and Chuker. Will be in KS for the pheasant opener. Couple trips to AZ for Mearns Gambles, and Blues....if the numbers hold. Not to mention NM Blue Grouse for the first time. Then just my normal dove, bobs, blues and pheasant here in the Panhandle of TX and NM. I pretty much hunt every weekend from Sept. to the end of Feb. WOW!!! Sounds like I'm bragging but I bet I'm not the only one on this page that has this addiction. If it fly's it dies!!! Happy New Years Bird Hunters!!!
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I have hunted blue grouse in NM, I have not got them figured out. Last year the area I hunted was pretty dry compared to the year before. I got skunked last year. I did find a few the year before.
 
Westok said:
I have hunted blue grouse in NM, I have not got them figured out. Last year the area I hunted was pretty dry compared to the year before. I got skunked last year. I did find a few the year before.
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From all my research about Blue Grouse, a primary factor with finding them is the elevation they Wana be out. Too late in the year or certain weather, and they've come down. Earlier in the year or a certain weather pattern, they'll be up higher. My experience when I was hunting them was I wasn't high enough in the mountains for the time of the year I was chasing them.
 
What elevation are you starting to look for Blues? I’m still trying to figure them out. I found plenty of Spruce above 8500’, but was shut out on Blues.
 
Blue Grouse...I remembered you guys chatting about Blue Grouse when I ran across this on You Tube today.
 
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Munster927 said:
From all my research about Blue Grouse, a primary factor with finding them is the elevation they Wana be out. Too late in the year or certain weather, and they've come down. Earlier in the year or a certain weather pattern, they'll be up higher. My experience when I was hunting them was I wasn't high enough in the mountains for the time of the year I was chasing them.
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Well, Blues make a reverse migration. They head up the mountain in late summer and overwinter up high, in Doug firs and if available Whitebark pine trees. Then in the spring, they head down the mountain to breed.
 
Naknekm said:
Well, Blues make a reverse migration. They head up the mountain in late summer and overwinter up high, in Doug firs and if available Whitebark pine trees. Then in the spring, they head down the mountain to breed.
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You may be correct and I certainly could have it backwards haha it's been awhile since I did my research on Blue Grouse.
 
Of all upland birds I’m the most crazy about blue...or dusky grouse. I live in colorado and I scout for new places all year for the the hunting season. I think like most people I got interested in them when big game hunting up high and started seeing a big old blue grouse sitting on a log looking all fat and easy to harvest. These grouse are the males. Who’ve already made the reverse migration up high to where they spend their winters. You can find them here and harvest some....but if you want to really get into blues then you need to find the breeding / raising areas and follow them up as the season progresses. This is where you’ll find mom and her covey of this years birds. And that will vary from year to year based on the conditions. Food and cover. I’ve read a hundred articles about elevation. I don’t th8nk that means much except for the elevation you’re at when you do find them. 8500‘ seems like a good place to start. I found a really good paper written about hunting blues. I tried to copy the link but my web skills are not as good as my blue grouse hunting skills! Try and google
Hunting dusky grouse / Reddit.com
its all you’ve ever wanted to know about blue grouse and a lot more!
one other bit of advise I would give is that if you’re walking easily of flat ground...then you’re not where most of the birds are. They like steep areas where they can flush and glide downhill.
good luck! They’re a tricky bird!
 
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