GROUSE?

[bobcat]

2009 there were a lot of grouse. One day I got three and the next day four, without even really trying. Last year was terrible. I didn't see any grouse all summer and didn't even bother to go grouse hunting. I did end up shooting one ruffed grouse with the 30-06 on the last day of the westside deer season. The lack of grouse was no surpise, as we had a really wet and cold spring. Hopefully the weather here will improve soon so we can have huntable numbers of grouse.

[BigGoonTuna]

i only really made an effort to hunt them once last year.  there's a kind of overgrown gated logging road about 15 miles from my house that i saw all kinds of them on in 2009.  finally made it out there in october expecting to at least see a few...only thing i saw was a sign posted on a tree at the gate, they had sprayed herbicide down the road and killed off all the green stuff the birds seem to like

i didn't start seeing them in the woods until around december when i was walking to the river to go fishing.  saw 4 in about 200 yards walking into the humptulips one day.

[RClare1223]

Ive been seeing about 6 to 10 everytime ive been out scouting this year.which is a lot more than i saw last year.

[MtnMuley]

In the north central part of the state this spring, the blue numbers seem to be about 20% of normal in their breeding grounds.  Nearly every bird has been a big mature bird.  With the wet spring we're having again, the forcast for them looks horrible to say the best.  Maybe the original poster could make the comment in their magazine about this sad situation we're in, in the Blue Grouse Capitol of the state.  I, along with my friends, will most likely take the year off again.

[Kain]

Down here in SW WA I saw lots of rabbits and grouse down low around 500-1000 feet last year.  I only saw a couple grouse around the 2000 foot level.  Talked to some guys elk hunting and he was amazed he had not seen any all elk season.

I also saw TONS of coyote sign and heard them every night and morning during bear and elk season down here.  I am guessing the predators are getting their fair share.

[Dave Workman]

Down here in SW WA I saw lots of rabbits and grouse down low around 500-1000 feet last year.  I only saw a couple grouse around the 2000 foot level.  Talked to some guys elk hunting and he was amazed he had not seen any all elk season.

I also saw TONS of coyote sign and heard them every night and morning during bear and elk season down here.  I am guessing the predators are getting their fair share.

Well, you are witnessing "modern management" by the WDFW!

[Dave Workman]

In the north central part of the state this spring, the blue numbers seem to be about 20% of normal in their breeding grounds.  Nearly every bird has been a big mature bird.  With the wet spring we're having again, the forcast for them looks horrible to say the best.  Maybe the original poster could make the comment in their magazine about this sad situation we're in, in the Blue Grouse Capitol of the state.  I, along with my friends, will most likely take the year off again.

Alas, grouse don't read my magazine.
 

[MtnMuley]

In the north central part of the state this spring, the blue numbers seem to be about 20% of normal in their breeding grounds.  Nearly every bird has been a big mature bird.  With the wet spring we're having again, the forcast for them looks horrible to say the best.  Maybe the original poster could make the comment in their magazine about this sad situation we're in, in the Blue Grouse Capitol of the state.  I, along with my friends, will most likely take the year off again.

Alas, grouse don't read my magazine.
 

Nope, but there's many of outdoorsmen/women that do read the magazine, and get excited every year when you publish the articles getting everyone fired up ready for some grouse action.  All I'm saying is that maybe this year, the sad truth might be exposed, enlightening hunters that our blue grouse in the north central part of the state are in real jeopardy instead of the "get your guns out and get some tablefare" approach.  You have the ability reach out through your magazine, and I feel that's important.  I don't.  It's apparent that our WFDW here is more concerned with wolves or wolverines than the game that's kept them in business for years.  That's very apparent.......upping the bag limit to 4........

[bobcat]

Changing the limit to 4 isn't going to have much affect at all, on grouse populations. Weather is the big thing. How many people are actually going to shoot 4 grouse in a day anyway? In a year with a low population due to the weather you'll have many people like me who don't even target grouse, because there just aren't enough of them to make it worthwhile. When populations are high (due to favorable spring weather) then more people will go hunting specifically for grouse, and yes, perhaps sometimes some people may take four grouse, but in a good year it won't matter. I don't believe there's really anything the WDFW can do that will increase or decrease grouse populations. Basically I'm just trying to say, you can't blame everything on them.

[BigGoonTuna]

i agree with that - it's kind of like how WDFW upped the steelhead limit to 6 fish a couple years ago on the cowlitz.  in times when very few people would even get 1 or 2, it didn't change much other than a few people got lucky enough to fill the bonus bag limit.

[MtnMuley]

I respect your comment bobcat, but in my opinion, how would it make any sense to up the bag limit in an area on an animal/bird that's populations are in such a decline?  Makes absoutely zero sense to me from a wildlife management standpoint.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I don't know that Grouse numbers are really on a decline overall. Maybe in pockets of habitat, but I saw plenty of Grouse last year even as wet as it was early. I've yet to see hens with broods but I've also stayed out of the woods recently because of the rain/snow/mud/slide potential. The few opportunities so far this year, I've already seen birds above the low snowline that looked very healthy. Both Blues and Roughed. I haven't ventured into my birdie honey hole yet though.

How many people are actually going to shoot 4 grouse in a day anyway?

-Only a hunter that's truly targeting Grouse will do this and that's pretty rare, as most of the time someone goes Grouse hunting, they are actually scouting for Bear or Deer and will miss opportunity on birds.  Once in a while they'll get lucky. Bagging 2 or 3 in a day, with say a 70% success rate is a good hike in the woods in my book.

-Steve

[JKEEN33]

I target grouse and have shot 4 in a day. In fact last year, I think I shot 4 opening day in about 15 minutes. I love hunting grouse and specifically target them every September. I am lucky enough to have some private area to hunt that has a lot of grouse. From what I have read, grouse go through 10 year cycles. Even if they are not hunted, they will go from a low population to a high population and back to a low in the cycle.

I agree in some areas I think the population is down and I am guessing it has a lot to do with the extremely wet springs, but while turkey hunting this spring I was seeing and hearing grouse drumming all over the place. Seems like I was seeing more than usual, so hopefully it will be a great year for hunting.

Why is it you need someone to tell you how many you can shoot? I like the 4 limit, but if I know an area is low on numbers, I leave it a lone.

[Heartsblood]

One thing I haven't heard in this discussion relates to habitat change. Is there a possibility that some of us who have honey holes hold on to them longer than they themselves remain good grouse habitat? Is there merit to the idea that a specific favorite grouse habitat (honey hole) can out grow it's suitability for grouse? Is it reasonable to expect to see grouse in the same covert every year?

I'm seriously asking because I do not know the answers to those three questions.

[MtnMuley]

One thing I haven't heard in this discussion relates to habitat change. Is there a possibility that some of us who have honey holes hold on to them longer than they themselves remain good grouse habitat? Is there merit to the idea that a specific favorite grouse habitat (honey hole) can out grow it's suitability for grouse? Is it reasonable to expect to see grouse in the same covert every year?

I'm seriously asking because I do not know the answers to those three questions.

Considering I have dozens of "honey holes", and each one of them is down in population considerably, I'm not thinking that they've out grown their habitat.  I hunt the north central part of the state, which vastly differs than other areas.  Fire is to blame for some of the habitat loss, but other areas haven't changed at all.  I never take more than a limit or two out of each area, and I'm sure nearly all of the areas I hunt aren't overhunted.  I do believe in the "cycle" of the grouse, and have it seem to prove its truth, but this population decline we're in now is strictly weather related in my opinion.  They aren't getting the hatch with these wetter springs for 3 consistant years now.  I've never recalled 3 years in a row when we've got this much moisture in certain areas in this time frame.