Grouse hunters better get informed

[Special T]

Since we dont know what the population is, And we can only extrapolate what the harvest is... I would imagine that sportsmen dont have a big impact. Weather, predators, and  amount of logging probably has more to do with numbers than anything else. I think i remember reading that just like cougars most grouse is incidental harvest and that the upping of the numbers had more to do with encouraging folks to go grouse hunting because a limit of 2 or 3 didnt quite justify a road trip.. I know Ive only shot grouse while deer and elk hunting.

 

[Skyvalhunter]

I know there are several in my group that the grouse hunt is a yearly hunt beginning on the opener and lasting 4 or so days. I recently turned in a survey in the mail asking for harvest numbers on forest grouse and small game animals. I am happy to turn the survey in honestly.

[hunter399]

I know there are several in my group that the grouse hunt is a yearly hunt beginning on the opener and lasting 4 or so days. I recently turned in a survey in the mail asking for harvest numbers on forest grouse and small game animals. I am happy to turn the survey in honestly.

My son got the same survey haven't sent it back yet.
Not really sure if I should ,the way that they figure populations off of harvest reports. Even with good reporting I've seen them ignore the writing on the wall.
With that said.
Maybe they should leave there desk and try there hand at hunting ,put some boot leather down and do some real surveys.

[RobinHoodlum]

Anyone know whether the commission adopted changes to the grouse season? Or are we looking at status quo?

Normally better at finding this info on the DFW website, but not this morning.

[bowhunterty]

It opens on Sept 15th this year

[Dave Workman]

If they want to increase grouse numbers they should focus on better habitat creation (more logging) and shorten up the modern rifle seasons.

I don’t think they get a good idea of what is going on with those barrels at all. The vast majority of grouse shot in this state are opportunistic shots taken during the modern rifle seasons. They are camp food and I’d be surprised if even 5% are represented in those barrels.

Shorten the modern rifle seasons?  Are you serious?  Modern rifle seasons for deer and elk are short enough. If you don't think potting a grouse during deer/elk seasons is a good idea, don't do it.   

[Dave Workman]

For what it's worth my  you want higher grouse numbers? Be active in predator management. Grouse are an easy meal for coyote,bobcat,or cougar. All of which we can hunt, bobcats can be trapped. A unprotected nest of eggs is easy pickings for skunk, raccoon and possum which all can be trapped. It's another reason to get afield and spend time in the woods and since we can only run cage traps legally in our state many old time trappers gave it up when the rules changed and there are far less people involved in lowering the carrying capacity of the land on predators. Think about it as every predator you remove could possibly save between 1-20 grouse if I'm being optimistic. Then wdfw shouldn't feel the need to stick there nose into seasons since their laws are the ones that created what seems to be a plethora of predation problems across our state....but this is just my opinion

There are folks who shoot every coyote they see.

[Jonathan_S]

Skunks and raccoons are a significant problem to nests. If I were worried about grouse, I'd trap heavily for those species. Hunting coyotes enough to benefit grouse populations in wooded areas is unlikely to happen.

[hunter399]

I kinda have mixed areas where I hunt.
Some areas have pretty good population,other areas they have been depleted to almost nothing.
So I'm kinda on the fence with the season pushed back.
But in the end don't really mind it I guess.
And trying to find a spot to hunt on Labor day weekend is not exactly easy sometimes.
Everybody shooting in and from roads on a busy weekend where most dirt roads look like a highway.
Just seems like an accident waiting to happen.