GROUSE 2025...the Season is looming!

[Dave Workman]

 

Well, it's almost July, which means grouse season is just over the horizon!  Now's a good time to:
Stock up on shotgun shells
Make sure your shotgun is clean and ready to rock
Start taking short walks with your hunting boots on (get into shape!)
Start thinking about birds on the wing, birds in the bag, and memories being made. 
Plan a scouting trek to your favorite hunting grounds.

Take a camera along!

Incidentally, now's the time to start sharing what you see out there.  I'll personally be hitting the high country north and south of Cle Elum, and I have a hankering to get up the Little Naches over in Yakima county again sometime this summer, maybe go up and over Government Meadows. Always grouse up there!

[hunter399]

Here ya go Dave.
Picture taken recently....
He was on a branch that was hanging over the road.
Picture was taken through my windshield,about two feet away.

[Dave Workman]

Here ya go Dave.
Picture taken recently....
He was on a branch that was hanging over the road.
Picture was taken through my windshield,about two feet away.

OUTSTANDING!   
The broods oughta be showing up over the next few weeks, and that will give us a fair impression about this year's hatch and the prospects for fall.

One thing I didn't mention and I really should have:  This is ALSO the right time of year to start polishing up your skills with a pistol if you plan to plug away at fool hens with a sidearm. It's no secret (Heck, I've written about it!) that I have this quirk about conking grouse with a .22 pistol, and have done so many times. They always eat better when you're not trying to dodge lead pellets at the dinner table 

For my practice sessions, I shoot at water-filled half-gallon milk jugs out to maybe 20-25 yards. The pistol in this image is a Ruger MK IV and it is remarkably accurate. I like a 40-grain RNL bullet and a couple of years ago, Roy Huntington (American Handgunner) sent me a little round die with which I can actually flat-file the tip of the bullet, and it is devastating for small game.

[hunter399]

Here ya go Dave.
Picture taken recently....
He was on a branch that was hanging over the road.
Picture was taken through my windshield,about two feet away.

OUTSTANDING!   
The broods oughta be showing up over the next few weeks, and that will give us a fair impression about this year's hatch and the prospects for fall.

One thing I didn't mention and I really should have:  This is ALSO the right time of year to start polishing up your skills with a pistol if you plan to plug away at fool hens with a sidearm. It's no secret (Heck, I've written about it!) that I have this quirk about conking grouse with a .22 pistol, and have done so many times. They always eat better when you're not trying to dodge lead pellets at the dinner table 

For my practice sessions, I shoot at water-filled half-gallon milk jugs out to maybe 20-25 yards. The pistol in this image is a Ruger MK IV and it is remarkably accurate. I like a 40-grain RNL bullet and a couple of years ago, Roy Huntington (American Handgunner) sent me a little round die with which I can actually flat-file the tip of the bullet, and it is devastating for small game.

We did observe for a minute or two
Didn't see any baby.
Seen a lot of turkey baby.
Your baby timing seems spot on....👍

[ghosthunter]

Yep going out this weekend to sight in for Bear season. I recently bought a Pietta colt army BP pistol. And going to work up some grouse loads for it.

Got an itch to shoot some grouse with BP pistol.

My list of grouse guns is growing. This year it’s.

Judge pistol
BP pistol
.410 SS coach gun
12 ga SS Coach Gun.

And maybe the Ruger SP 101 in .22

Can’t wait.

Used The Coach guns last year.

[ghosthunter]

Coach

[Boss .300 winmag]

Coach

Nice looking gun. Where did you get it?

[Boss .300 winmag]

Saw a small brood yesterday, never saw the hen. If she was gone they were going fine on their own.

[ghosthunter]

Coach

Nice looking gun. Where did you get it?

Bought from a member here. Has screw in chokes.

I got a standard model 410 too . Got it at Skagit Arms.

[bobcat]

I saw lots of baby Blue grouse when I was out scouting a couple days ago. I sure wish it still opened on September 1st. Seems to be a ton of grouse this year. At last Blue grouse. Haven't really been seeing ruffed grouse.

[EnglishSetter]

I saw lots of baby Blue grouse when I was out scouting a couple days ago. I sure wish it still opened on September 1st. Seems to be a ton of grouse this year. At last Blue grouse. Haven't really been seeing ruffed grouse.

Is this on the west side anywhere near home?

I need to learn grouse.  Hunted upland all my life.  Chased roosters in 4 states last season.

[Dave Workman]

I saw lots of baby Blue grouse when I was out scouting a couple days ago. I sure wish it still opened on September 1st. Seems to be a ton of grouse this year. At last Blue grouse. Haven't really been seeing ruffed grouse.

Is this on the west side anywhere near home?

I need to learn grouse.  Hunted upland all my life.  Chased roosters in 4 states last season.

Grouse aren't like pheasants, except they both tend to explode from cover. Difference is you hunt grouse in forested areas and pheasants out in wide open corn/wheat/crop fields. 
Blue grouse hunt them at higher elevations. Forest grouse are in the lower elevations, along creek and river basins, in mixed hardwood and conifer forests.

My best advice is to keep checking back with this group and you'll learn plenty. Keep an eye on this thread especially! And watch for these critters along gravel roads mornings and evenings.

[EnglishSetter]

I saw lots of baby Blue grouse when I was out scouting a couple days ago. I sure wish it still opened on September 1st. Seems to be a ton of grouse this year. At last Blue grouse. Haven't really been seeing ruffed grouse.

Is this on the west side anywhere near home?

I need to learn grouse.  Hunted upland all my life.  Chased roosters in 4 states last season.

Grouse aren't like pheasants, except they both tend to explode from cover. Difference is you hunt grouse in forested areas and pheasants out in wide open corn/wheat/crop fields. 
Blue grouse hunt them at higher elevations. Forest grouse are in the lower elevations, along creek and river basins, in mixed hardwood and conifer forests.

My best advice is to keep checking back with this group and you'll learn plenty. Keep an eye on this thread especially! And watch for these critters along gravel roads mornings and evenings.

I've hunted a LOT of valley quail as well.  Varied habitat. 

Only shot a few ruffed grouse as opportunistic camp meat while traveling gravel roads.  Would seem nice to get into the interior some but maybe that's not required(?).

Been told there's grouse to the west of me (Winlock), but it's all walk in from the blacktop.   DNR land I think.  Chased pheasants once at Lincoln Creek release site, that was kind of a joke for chickens but the surrounding area looked possible for grouse(). 

I do have HuntX.

[Dave Workman]

I've hunted a LOT of valley quail as well.  Varied habitat. 

Only shot a few ruffed grouse as opportunistic camp meat while traveling gravel roads.  Would seem nice to get into the interior some but maybe that's not required(?).

Been told there's grouse to the west of me (Winlock), but it's all walk in from the blacktop.   DNR land I think.  Chased pheasants once at Lincoln Creek release site, that was kind of a joke for chickens but the surrounding area looked possible for grouse(). 

I do have HuntX.

If you want to hunt blue grouse, find a hiking trail and let it take you back into the forest on high ridges. The one drawback of trails early in the season are the jerks roaring their trailbikes along. screws up everything.
You might try your luck hunting up in Chelan and Okanogan counties, higher elevations, around berry fields. East Lewis and northern Skamania counties are good for blue grouse too. Green Trails or USGS topo maps show lots of trail areas all along the Cascades.