Blue Grouse no more in Washington

[Dmanmastertracker]

 The WSO split the blue grouse family into two different species groups in 2006, -the "sooty" grouse, primarily found from the Cascases, west, and the "dusky" grouse, found in the NE and SE corner's of the State.

[jackelope]

I'm gonna go for the grand slam.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Dusky grouse get shot after sunset, sooty grouse get cooked over a campfire on a stick.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 :-) Good eats. It always did seem to me the NE grouse were a little bigger than what we have here, I didn't realize the change until updating my photo list from the WSO's web site last year.

[bobcat]

Both types will still always be blue grouse to me.

[GoldTip]

Both types will still always be blue grouse to me.

Exactly.

[grundy53]

Both types will still always be blue grouse to me.

[Dmanmastertracker]

Both types will still always be blue grouse to me.

 As long as the regs don't differentiate, stay tuned.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I could see it as a potential future mechanism to adjust season's as well, particularly east of the mountains.

[bobcat]

What, do you think they'll have a different limit for each type? I'm not sure why they would, as the daily limit as it is now combines ruffed grouse, blue grouse, and spruce grouse into "forest grouse." (yes, I said blue grouse)  

[bobcat]

I could see it as a potential future mechanism to adjust season's as well, particularly east of the mountains.

I don't think so. They could already do that if they wanted to by just specifying different areas. Most people won't know the difference between a dusky and a sooty. Do you think one is low in numbers and the other is not?

[Dmanmastertracker]

 They've done it in the past. . They have both liberalized limits and cut back season's due to reproduction rates. If NE populations suffer say from drought, which is a very common cause of low-reproduction rates, it would make more sense to shorten the bag-limit on the species experiencing the decline, as opposed to the State as a whole. How blacktail are now managed with the segregatetion that occurred in the Klickitat area is a good example. It opens the door to that possibility. That said, I don't believe WSO's intent had anything to do with season's at all.

[Woodchuck]

I can see the "benchleg" grouse arguments coming already  

[Dmanmastertracker]

I can see the "benchleg" grouse arguments coming already  

 B&C benchleg Sooty grouse...

[bobcat]

Grouse populations are affected very little by hunting pressure so I really doubt they would change the season and/or limit for one but not the other.

[Woodchuck]

How the hell are we gonna score these things? Is the PCT the break line for these to?

[Ellensburg]

I'm gonna go for the grand slam.

HAHAHAHA

[MtnMuley]

That's nice, but what classification do the birds in Okanogan County  and the rest of central Washington fall into........  

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Those are the endangered *censored* grouse.   

[Dmanmastertracker]

http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=122

http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=489

[bobcat]

In reading the description of the Sooty grouse, I see they have further split that species up into two subspecies: the "interior" and the "coastal" varieties. What a bunch of crap! They're ALL blue grouse, just with different color variations!   

[bearpaw]

Dusky grouse get shot after sunset, sooty grouse get cooked over a campfire on a stick.

 

[MtnMuley]

Those are the endangered *censored* grouse.   

I agree.  They're definately becoming ENDANGERED because of the last two very wet springs we've had here in the north central part of the state, and because those *censored*S from WDFW upped the limit as a state to 4 birds.

[boneaddict]

Since half of washington can't tell the difference between a blue grouse and a ruffed one, I'm not sure this will have much signifigance.  Someone must have had a grant and needed to write a paper.  Good for them.  Indeed, wet is much harder on them than say drought.  The last two springs have hammered on them.

[bigtex]

Those are the endangered *censored* grouse.   

I agree.  They're definately becoming ENDANGERED because of the last two very wet springs we've had here in the north central part of the state,

Last fall was the worst grouse year on the westside of the cascades in atleast 10 years. Same goes for rabbit.

[Skyvalhunter]

The grouse run in cycles. I heard it's typically a 7 year cycle(along with how wet the springs are) and we are definately on the low side of that cycle.

[Curly]

Those are the endangered *censored* grouse.   

I agree.  They're definately becoming ENDANGERED because of the last two very wet springs we've had here in the north central part of the state,

Last fall was the worst grouse year on the westside of the cascades in atleast 10 years. Same goes for rabbit.

Yeah, and the year before was pretty darn good. 

Does seem to be truth about the cycle story.