Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: Dave Workman on May 24, 2016, 05:47:27 PM


Advertise Here
Title: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Dave Workman on May 24, 2016, 05:47:27 PM
It's that time of year again. Start looking for grouse broods. I'm already starting to salivate as the Memorial Day weekend looms. Time to get up real early and start cruising the gravel roads.
Get out there and start locating the fool hens, thunder chickens, whatever you want to call them.

I may even have to haul out the shotguns and start cleaning just to get in the mood.

 :yeah:
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: fly-by on July 04, 2016, 07:29:09 PM
I've been seeing more than usual when driving logging roads to fishing spots this spring.  Both Blues and Ruffed.  Mild spring, similar to last year, seems to have helped.
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: JJB11B on July 04, 2016, 08:13:56 PM
Took my pup on a 5 mile hike up in the Blues Friday morning, She was VERY VERY interested in the grouse, I saw tons of them! couldn't give an accurate guess on numbers, we probably bumped into them a dozen times or so, pretty convinced it was different groups of birds as the ones we bumped moved perpendicular to our direction of travel. What a great way to spend a morning on a day off!
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: johnnyaustin44 on July 04, 2016, 11:36:07 PM
Saw lots of grouse this spring. Bunch of hatches also. Should be a good year.
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: 180-GRAIN on July 08, 2016, 02:52:58 PM
Had a hen and 4 chicks in my back yard last week. Walked out to the woodline and they jumped up. Scared the hell outta me!
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: YoungFowler on July 12, 2016, 08:13:08 PM
Saw a hen blue and chicks a few weeks ago hiking in the Olympics (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fuploads.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F20160713%2F99d034f3e14111d9194007677e98059b.png&hash=18636a5cc07a252718b7824a6e07d7a5ad4edf77)(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fuploads.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F20160713%2F3dbcd572c45326658862088b592f470e.png&hash=f8631bb48dfd2075f58fc32771f5996b60755d9c)


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Dave Workman on July 15, 2016, 01:26:52 PM
GREAT PHOTO!
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Wetwoodshunter on July 15, 2016, 02:00:45 PM
I had a group scare the crap out of me on a run the other day. About 11 of them all took off right in front of me on the side of the logging road. Its going to be a good year, lots out there.
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Duckslayer89 on July 15, 2016, 02:40:24 PM
I saw some today, one grouse only had one chick. Don't know what that's about!
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: AspenBud on July 18, 2016, 08:48:20 PM
Arguably there should be a good hatch. We've had a nice mix of rain and sun. Plenty of bugs and berries for them to snack on.
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Jonathan_S on July 18, 2016, 09:10:44 PM
The chickies are getting feathered out now, kicked up a mama blue with a dozen young and it sounded like helicopters taking off
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: ffbowhunter on July 18, 2016, 09:25:17 PM
Tons out in the Teanaway today!
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: KDB on July 23, 2016, 10:01:27 PM
Haven't seen much over here in Klickitat County!!
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: elkboy on July 23, 2016, 10:05:36 PM
Jumped a nice group of blue grouse while scouting in the Taneum today. Very big, looked nice and fat. :)
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Dave Workman on July 31, 2016, 05:28:47 AM
I think the most remarkable grouse sighting of my whole life was one Friday night up on Snoqualmie Pass about 5-6 years ago. My pal Brian Lull and I were headed to Pullman on a deer hunt and there, in the middle of the freeway, with traffic roaring down toward Hyak was this blue grouse. :yike:
Just badooping along the white lines between lanes. :IBCOOL:
It stunned me so much I had to swerve a bit not to hit the dumb critter. It seemed as if it was oblivious to what was going on around it.
It was a big grouse, too. If that bird survived, I'd trust it to buy me a lottery ticket.  :tup:
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Dave Workman on July 31, 2016, 05:31:03 AM
Jumped a nice group of blue grouse while scouting in the Taneum today. Very big, looked nice and fat. :)

 :tup: :tup: :tup:
The Taneum has always been a great haunt for grouse. I've killed a bunch of birds up there, and missed a hell of a lot more!

Maybe we'll bump into each other one of these days. 
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Dave Workman on July 31, 2016, 05:32:20 AM
I saw some today, one grouse only had one chick. Don't know what that's about!

Maybe she's homely.  :chuckle:  :dunno:
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: CAMPMEAT on July 31, 2016, 07:44:56 AM
Seen quite a few around my neck of the woods.....
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Buck Rub Jr on July 31, 2016, 09:12:56 AM
Saw a few when I went out to check cams, no chicks with them that I could see!
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Wetwoodshunter on July 31, 2016, 09:33:05 AM
Here is a pic of a few I saw yesterday. There were about six of them hanging out in the shade.
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Wetwoodshunter on July 31, 2016, 09:41:35 AM
Here is an easier pic they blend in so well
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Fl0und3rz on July 31, 2016, 10:37:00 AM
A good source of information for those who are new and considering giving it a go.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/upland_birds/forest_grouse.html
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: CLARKTAR on July 31, 2016, 01:50:44 PM
Here is a pic of a few I saw yesterday. There were about six of them hanging out in the shade.
I can't see a single bird in that photo. I best let you do the glassing, and me the shooting!!


Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Dave Workman on August 06, 2016, 05:20:15 AM
Here is a pic of a few I saw yesterday. There were about six of them hanging out in the shade.
I can't see a single bird in that photo. I best let you do the glassing, and me the shooting!!


Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

I see one bird. The problem is that the image is on its side. It needs to be rotated once to the right. The bird is in the center of the frame.
But I don't see six birds.
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Tracker0721 on August 06, 2016, 08:13:12 AM
Driving to a friends house, dirt road, come around a corner and there's probably 2 dozen grouse in the road. Just covering the whole road. Locked up my brakes and they all stared at me a few moments before wandering off either side of the road. Sat another moment memorizing the exact spot and how far up the road I was and I plan to be back at the start of the month. I've never seen a cubby so big in my life!
Title: Re: GROUSE 2016 - Any sightings yet???
Post by: Dave Workman on August 08, 2016, 10:36:17 AM
Driving to a friends house, dirt road, come around a corner and there's probably 2 dozen grouse in the road. Just covering the whole road. Locked up my brakes and they all stared at me a few moments before wandering off either side of the road. Sat another moment memorizing the exact spot and how far up the road I was and I plan to be back at the start of the month. I've never seen a cubby so big in my life!


That's not a covey,,,,nor a "cubby"
That's a HERD!  :yike:
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal