Grouse..It's G-R-O-U-S-E- Countdown has begun!

[jamesfromseattle]

Not trying to stir the pot—actually looking for clarification. My understanding was that open Forrest service roads were off limits. I.e. if it has a name or number you can’t shoot from or across it with a firearm.

Private or logging company roads (that you’re otherwise free to access) are generally fair game.

Again, I may be totally wrong about that and don’t have any reasoning for my assumptions. Here to be educated.

[smithkl42]

Not trying to stir the pot—actually looking for clarification. My understanding was that open Forrest service roads were off limits. I.e. if it has a name or number you can’t shoot from or across it with a firearm.

Private or logging company roads (that you’re otherwise free to access) are generally fair game.

Again, I may be totally wrong about that and don’t have any reasoning for my assumptions. Here to be educated.

The language in the regs is a bit weird.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/02063/2019-2020%20Big%20Game%20Hunting%20Pamphlet.pdf

On pp. 91 and 92, they make it very clear that you can't shoot a bow or a crossbow "from a vehicle or from, across or along the maintained portion of a public highway".

But when it comes to firearms, on p. 93, the regulation adds the critical word "negligently":

7. Negligently discharging a firearm (RCW 77.15.460) from, across, or along the maintained portion of any public highway, regardless of surface, or from within a moving vehicle or moving off-road vehicle is prohibited.

That word "negligently" seems (a) quite appropriate, but also (b) a pretty big loophole.

[linxx77]

Grouse seems like something fun to get into. If anyone is going near Spokane, I'd love to tag along!

Why not get yourself a map of the Colville N.F.; use the info from these prior posts and do some scouting? Trust me, walk a few gated off roads or slash roads in that N.F. and you find grouse.

Definitely happy to go myself, but finding hunting partners and networking with common-minded people makes it that much more fun.

[jamesfromseattle]

Not trying to stir the pot—actually looking for clarification. My understanding was that open Forrest service roads were off limits. I.e. if it has a name or number you can’t shoot from or across it with a firearm.

Private or logging company roads (that you’re otherwise free to access) are generally fair game.

Again, I may be totally wrong about that and don’t have any reasoning for my assumptions. Here to be educated.

The language in the regs is a bit weird.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/02063/2019-2020%20Big%20Game%20Hunting%20Pamphlet.pdf

On pp. 91 and 92, they make it very clear that you can't shoot a bow or a crossbow "from a vehicle or from, across or along the maintained portion of a public highway".

But when it comes to firearms, on p. 93, the regulation adds the critical word "negligently":

7. Negligently discharging a firearm (RCW 77.15.460) from, across, or along the maintained portion of any public highway, regardless of surface, or from within a moving vehicle or moving off-road vehicle is prohibited.

That word "negligently" seems (a) quite appropriate, but also (b) a pretty big loophole.

Yeah, I am a little confused by the regs and statutes.  From the fish and game pamphlet, it appears as though there are more stringent rules about shooting a bow on from a road than a gun from a road.  Can shoot a gun as long as you're out of the car and not negligent?  But can't shoot a bow at all from the road?

The pamphlet cites RCW 77.15.460 in a deceptive way--highlighting "negligently discharging a firearm" and then adding the cite to the statute mid-sentence to make it seem as though that is the title and the text after the cite is the meat of the statute.  The actual statute just says "A person is guilty of unlawful use of a loaded firearm if... [t]he person negligently discharges a firearm from, across, or along the maintained portion of a public highway..."

There is no cite to the rule prohibiting shooting a bow from the road.  Therefore, I don't know what rule WDFW is relying on for that.  I think it should be published in either the WAC or be codified in the RCW but I couldn't find anything after a quick look.  Perhaps a call to WDFW is in order.

[jamesfromseattle]

On closer inspection, here's the actual rule on archery:  https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-414-070

Clearly can't shoot from the maintained portion of a public highway.  According to the RCW, "highway" = "Every way, lane, road, street, boulevard, and every way or place in the state of Washington open as a matter of right to public vehicular travel both inside and outside the limits of incorporated cities and towns"

WDFW pamphlet defines "public highway" as "Any road, regardless of surface, maintained by public funds."  Again, no actual cite to a rule, though.

Regardless of which definition you use, no archery from a public road.  Under the WDFW rule, theoretically you couldn't even shoot a bow off a gated closed road. 

[Platensek-po]

I certainly would not discharge a firearm on or across a public road. Seems like a good way to get in trouble. Also I never hunt from a vehicle as that seems to defeat the purpose. Especially for grouse. I usually just take the shorty for a walk and explore.

[Dave Workman]

I've followed more grouse off the road than I can count...or remember. Got most of the suckers, too!

Old skid roads, "decommissioned" roads seem to be fair game.   It's been a few years ago, but I did a piece on this subject and contacted game agencies all over the West.  If it's a road in use (i.e., there's regular traffic), the concensus was you've got to be off the "travel portion" of the roadway, paved or gravel didn't seem to make a difference. Forest service roads are public and they are maintained in the legal sense, AFAIK, because they get a blade once or twice a year an the taxpayers pay for that, so I make a habit of not launching a bullet or a shot charge.  Once I'm off the travel portion, fool hens are in trouble!

NOW... all that said... we're in the time when broods should be showing up pretty good.

I do however always look forward to your annual grouse topic, as chasing high country blues is near the top of my list.

As I get older, I don't chase them quite so fast,  but your kind remark is appreciated. Blue grouse have given me countless hours, even days, of great enjoyment outdoors and at the dinner table.
I once popped two boomers on the same old dusty 4x4 track up in Okanogan County more than two decades ago, while looking for a camp spot off the main road, up some creek whose name I cannot recall. This "road" was little more than an ATV trail, dust inches thick, just beat to hell, with seedlings growing up the middle, and here was this knucklehead grouse badooping along to get out of my way on a Friday afternoon before the deer opener. He didn't even try to fly, but up the hill he went figuring to outrun this human bonehead, heading into some young pines. Nailed him.  About 30-45 minutes later, his twin brother was trotting along the exact same route as I was retracing my path. Into the cooler he went as well.

That was when I fully appreciated just how stupid some of these fool hens can get.  I'm not a big walking tree, after all. Trees are smarter, especially the walking ones. 

[Dave Workman]

WATCH FOR MY PREVIEW column in the August edition of NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN magazine.

in the meantime...DO SOME SCOUTING...SHARE REPORTS... Give us all something to drool over.

 

[Dave Workman]

I’ve been seeing so many grouse this spring. Already way to excited for the opener. This thread is not helping any! Hahaha

I'm a sadist. 

[Platensek-po]

Yeah man!! I’ve literally had grouse flush out of my shooting pit this year. Also hear them every time I take the pup for a walk. Love sitting on mundo porch at night hearing the males wump wump wump while I fantasize about finding them in September.

[Latakia]

This will be my first year out for grouse. I checked out a few spots that looked promising this past weekend. One of the spots was 100 acres of public land, fairly young regrowth, one meadow, and a road bisecting it. This made me wonder about grouse hunting etiquette and hopefully you guys can help. With Archery deer season opening on Sept 1 and this spot looking like it would be ideal to hunt deer on, what do you do as grouse hunters in an area like this? Say it's public land and just charge in with a dog? I'd rather not get into any conflicts with folks because I ruined their hunt.

[pianoman9701]

I was out scouting last week with a buddy and he walked into a grouse that was dragging her wing. She'd obviously been wounded somehow. I was considering putting her out of her misery as she kept hopping along like that. Then she flew up in a tree. She'd been luring us away from her nest. It was very cool to see this in real life. Another, later in the day, did the same routine. Fascinating, nature is.

[Platensek-po]

This will be my first year out for grouse. I checked out a few spots that looked promising this past weekend. One of the spots was 100 acres of public land, fairly young regrowth, one meadow, and a road bisecting it. This made me wonder about grouse hunting etiquette and hopefully you guys can help. With Archery deer season opening on Sept 1 and this spot looking like it would be ideal to hunt deer on, what do you do as grouse hunters in an area like this? Say it's public land and just charge in with a dog? I'd rather not get into any conflicts with folks because I ruined their hunt.

I definitely try to avoid people if I can. But if you are there first and the archery hunter comes in and spooks all your grouse who is ruining whose hunt?? I stay clear of any spots that look like someone might be hunting it. Other than that it’s public land and you have a right to be there as well

[Dave Workman]

It is now July 16. Just over 6 weeks to go.
We must vanquish these thunder-chickens and fool hens from our midst, and return good dining to the realm!

Breast out a grouse, sprinkle it with seasoning and lightly brown.
Prepare angel hair pasta and your favorite sauce.
Warm/bake them together and add parmesan.
French bread.

[Dave Workman]

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN.....31 DAYS UNTIL LAW AND ORDER RETURN TO THE HIGH RIDGES OF WASHINGTON!!!!!!