GROUSE?

[magnanimous_j]

I’d like to find a couple places around my house to get some grouse this year. Can anyone be my hero and give me a direction to go on?

Thanks to a hint on this forum, I’m going to check out Monroe Camp Road in Snohomish over the weekend. But I wanted a couple other spots within an hour and a half or so of Bellevue.

I’m still a total n00b to hunting and I don’t have a strong understanding of where its ok to hunt and not. My biggest fear is to stumble into a city park with my shotgun and get myself arrested.

I don’t need anyone’s honey spots, but anywhere I can have a decent chance at some grouse, and not accidently crashing someone’s backyard BBQ.

P.S. I have a 12 guage, Thats not too big is it?

[MtnMuley]

It is pretty hard to mis-manage grouse because they sort of do their own thing.

Upping the limit to 4 throughout the whole state is mis-management.  What other species in this state are struggling in areas and the limit is upped???  Steelhead aren't having a good run, they shut down the sport fishing season.  Overharvest of bull elk in a unit, they limit the number of tags the next year.  This is common sense reasoning that even a 3rd grader could understand.

[Dave Workman]

Upping the limit to 4 throughout the whole state is mis-management.  What other species in this state are struggling in areas and the limit is upped???  Steelhead aren't having a good run, they shut down the sport fishing season.  Overharvest of bull elk in a unit, they limit the number of tags the next year.  This is common sense reasoning that even a 3rd grader could understand.

Actually, in my interview Friday with a gamebird biologist — which readers of Northwest Sportsman magazine will see as part of my annual grouse treatise in an upcoming issue — upping the limit didn't have an impact at all. Quite the opposite! The harvest last year actually dropped from 2009 by (are you ready for this?) approximately 45,000-50,000 birds.

It all hinges on the weather during the next couple of weeks.  Pray for mild temps, blue skies, lots of bugs and mushy creatures that feed little grouse, and we could be in for decent hunting.

And I may even sneak a column or two about grouse hunting into my "Seattle Gun Rights Examiner" column here and there, so read up.

[bobcat]

I believe it. In 2009 there were grouse everywhere I went, lots of them. I got three one day and a limit of four the next day without even trying. Last year I barely saw any grouse all summer, and I was out there a lot scouting for deer. And the lack of grouse wasn't because of the 4-bird limit, it was because of all the rain we had in the spring. The thing is, in a year like last year with very few grouse, people aren't going to hunt them a lot anyway. I know I didn't. I went out grouse hunting in 2009 specifically because I had seen a lot of grouse. Otherwise, I don't bother. And the only time people are going to get limits of four grouse, is during a good year, when grouse are plentiful.

[Tom Reichner]

  Places where I traditionally found grouse were barren.  I DIDN'T see grouse in the Okanogan on two separate trips. (Now THAT is bizarre...)   

Dave,

I live in the Okanogan, and have seen far more grouse (Ruffed) this spring than I have ever seen before around here.  I located 8 drumming logs with very little effort. 

In one area, there are so many grouse that the males' drumming locations are only about 100 yards from one another - that's right, a different male grouse drumming every 100 yards, over an area of prime habitat about 3/4 mile long by 1/4 mile wide.  I'd say that is maxing out the capacity of the habitat!

As far as Blue Grouse are concerned, this spring I have seen many of them here in the hills within 10 miles of the Okanogan River.  Many more than in past seasons. 

I'm not sure what was wrong when you came here looking for grouse, but I can assure you that there are plenty of 'em here now.

[Pathfinder101]

Another cold, wet spring down here in the Blues.  ...not lookin' good for the grouse clutches..

[Ironhead]

I put 94 miles on my truck in prime grouse country yesterday on the wet side, I saw one hen Ruffed and that was it. She was sitting  a clutch though. I heard a bunch of male Blues but didn't see a one.
I think this cold weather delays things a bit. It was the same way last year up there and I ended up killing 19 grouse, 13 Blues and 6 Ruffed.

[bobcat]

I was checking one of my trail cameras today and walking down a deer trail, a few little birds flew up at my feet, and at first I didn't think anything of it, then I realized they were grouse chicks. So I stopped, and looked around, didn't take long and the mother, about 20 feet to my left, began flopping around and slowly working her way through the brush directly away from me, in an attempt to get me to follow her and lead me away from her babies. Well I didn't want to disturb them anymore than I already had so I just continued walking down the trail and left them alone. Good to see there are a few around.

[MtnMuley]

Upping the limit to 4 throughout the whole state is mis-management.  What other species in this state are struggling in areas and the limit is upped???  Steelhead aren't having a good run, they shut down the sport fishing season.  Overharvest of bull elk in a unit, they limit the number of tags the next year.  This is common sense reasoning that even a 3rd grader could understand.

 upping the limit didn't have an impact at all. Quite the opposite! The harvest last year actually dropped from 2009 by (are you ready for this?) approximately 45,000-50,000 birds.

Do you think that maybe the low population numbers might be to blame for the dropping of harvest??  All the more reason not to up the limit in certain areas.

[MtnMuley]

  Places where I traditionally found grouse were barren.  I DIDN'T see grouse in the Okanogan on two separate trips. (Now THAT is bizarre...)   

Dave,

I live in the Okanogan, and have seen far more grouse (Ruffed) this spring than I have ever seen before around here.  I located 8 drumming logs with very little effort. 

In one area, there are so many grouse that the males' drumming locations are only about 100 yards from one another - that's right, a different male grouse drumming every 100 yards, over an area of prime habitat about 3/4 mile long by 1/4 mile wide.  I'd say that is maxing out the capacity of the habitat!

As far as Blue Grouse are concerned, this spring I have seen many of them here in the hills within 10 miles of the Okanogan River.  Many more than in past seasons. 

I'm not sure what was wrong when you came here looking for grouse, but I can assure you that there are plenty of 'em here now.

Tom,  Have you lived around here long?  Do you realize that nearly every blue grouse comes way down to the lower elevations to strut and breed.  Areas you might hear 5 blues drumming in now usually have 20.  They're typically way more spread out.  Now they are concentrated much more in smaller areas.  If you think these birds will be around in the fall where you're finding them now, you're greatly mistaken, as they have hundreds of miles to disperse out in.  The blue population is NOT doing well around in Okanogan. 

[Tom Reichner]

Hey, Mtn Muley

I have lived here in the Okanogan region since 2006.   

I do know/realize that Blue Grouse take to the more heavily timbered areas as fall progresses, as that is their preferred winter habitat.  I also know/realize that these areas are often (although not always) at higher elevation than their preferred summer habitat.

Dave Workman opened this thread asking us to "watch for grouse in our May wanderings".  I was simply giving him a report of what I have seen this May.  All I can do is tell Dave that I am seeing many grouse now.   

[MtnMuley]

I guess what I'm getting at is just because you see grouse in the lowlands this time of year strutting and drumming doesn't mean at all that the population is doing well, and in my opinion, doesn't tell us much of anything about the upcoming hunting season.  The horrible weather we have had all spring is the third very wet spring in a row, and I will assure you that the blue hatch will be VERY PISS POOR...........again.    

[Dave Workman]

Hey, Mtn Muley

I have lived here in the Okanogan region since 2006.   

I do know/realize that Blue Grouse take to the more heavily timbered areas as fall progresses, as that is their preferred winter habitat.  I also know/realize that these areas are often (although not always) at higher elevation than their preferred summer habitat.

Dave Workman opened this thread asking us to "watch for grouse in our May wanderings".  I was simply giving him a report of what I have seen this May.  All I can do is tell Dave that I am seeing many grouse now.

EXACTLY, and you done good.

Now, it would have been helpful if folks had narrowed down where they are seeing these birds, identify general areas, for example. As it is, I don't find comments like "I saw some grouse where I was on a road this morning" to be very useful. I've made a living from time to time sharing specific information about where to catch fish and kill game. Anybody who has read my stuff knows that I traditionally gave up 1-3 of my favorite hot spots every year prior to the opener. On some occasions, that information got very specific, and more than once, I found people went in and shot out whole populations, which was kind of stupid IMHO but that's another story, but I take that as a matter of course because those grouse weren't mine, I don't own the public land (we all do) and that was my job.

I think we all want each other to share in the success. and besides, where you see grouse now is not necessarily where they will be in three months. 

[Dave Workman]

I guess what I'm getting at is just because you see grouse in the lowlands this time of year strutting and drumming doesn't mean at all that the population is doing well, and in my opinion, doesn't tell us much of anything about the upcoming hunting season.  The horrible weather we have had all spring is the third very wet spring in a row, and I will assure you that the blue hatch will be VERY PISS POOR...........again.

Not necessarily.  When you get a chance to read my story in an upcoming edition of NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN, it will explain that the next couple of weeks is critical in terms of weather. Warmer and relatively dryer will make for a better hatch.  And the forecast is shaping up that way right now, so crossed fingers is the word!

[MtnMuley]

""Now, it would have been helpful if folks had narrowed down where they are seeing these birds, identify general areas, for example. As it is, I don't find comments like "I saw some grouse where I was on a road this morning" to be very useful. I've made a living from time to time sharing specific information about where to catch fish and kill game.""




 
And now you want specifics about where the struggling birds that are left are hanging out???......to print in a magazine for anybody to buy and read???.............I've had a great time hunting grouse over the years with lots of other hike-happy hunters and friends by keeping tight lipped and letting our legs find the birds.  Anybody can do that.   
Also, the forecast in the Okanogan area calls for increased temps over the next couple weeks, but also calls for more rain showers.........I do have my fingers crossed though.......for the bird's sake.