Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: Dave Workman on May 04, 2020, 10:06:26 AM

Title: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on May 04, 2020, 10:06:26 AM: Who is scouting already for grouse?
What are your strategies?

Your replies might help me make an entertaining column in Northwest Sportsman for June. (I'm already on the prowl while cutting firewood...so don't feel like you might be jumping the gun.. Broods ought to start showing up over the next several weeks, and definitely should be showing up in June and July.)
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Onewhohikes on May 04, 2020, 11:56:51 AM: Hooters or Drummers?
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on May 04, 2020, 02:04:36 PM: Quote from: Onewhohikes on May 04, 2020, 11:56:51 AM
Hooters or Drummers?

Both. Or either.

I'm looking for some anecdotal strategies I can weave into the narrative, something a bit different, and a little bit of fun.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Bigshooter on July 21, 2020, 05:27:56 AM: Haven't seen a family of grouse yet this year. I've been out 6 or 8 times now. And I think I have seen 3 adults. I think the wet cool June might have hammered the chicks. But maybe we get lucky with a late hatch. Fingers are crossed.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Tracker0721 on July 21, 2020, 06:19:10 AM: I don’t scout, I make a memory mark or drop a pin on OnX where I find coveys. Some guy a long time ago told me grouse don’t actually “flock” up. If they’re in a covey it’s because that spot attracted them all to gather there. Good food, pebbles, something. Dunno if it’s true but hunting without a dog and hiking in I usually get over a couple dozen by revisiting those spots.

Last year just driving the dirt roads to go scouting we’d seen quite a few hens with broods and we’ve seen none this year.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: mburrows on July 21, 2020, 06:31:23 AM: Come to think of it I havent seen any hens with chicks either but in another area close by (3-5 miles) the chukar and quail family units seem to be thriving.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: TheStovePipeKid on July 21, 2020, 06:50:58 AM: We flushed a few in June while cruising the backroads of a National Forest. Had my father in law and son headed to do some recreational shooting. They flushed from the same spot on the way back down the road. I had the old itch in my trigger finger but couldn't scratch it.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: huntingaddiction on July 29, 2020, 01:50:40 PM: People scout for grouse? I shoot my fair share with a bow every year.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on July 30, 2020, 08:50:52 AM: Join the conversation:
https://www.facebook.com/dave.workman.1804/posts/10219826932377041

NOTE: Now is the time to start watching the ads for specials on shotgun shells. I just did a piece in TheGunMag.com talking about 7 1/2 shot, and I'll be doing another upland bird hunting story sometime soon over there.

You've got all of August to break out the shotgun, CLEAN IT THOROUGHLY and get out to the range and hone your skills by shooting clay targets.

Grouse are out there plotting against us! We've got to attack first. :chuckle: :chuckle: :tup: :tup: :tup: :drool:
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: predatorpro on July 30, 2020, 10:12:31 AM: Quote from: huntingaddiction on July 29, 2020, 01:50:40 PM
People scout for grouse? I shoot my fair share with a bow every year.
I thought the same thing! Lol
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: vandeman17 on July 30, 2020, 10:15:18 AM: I think its more that they scout for me so that they can find which way I hike in to my hunting spots. That way they can perch right about eye level in a spot I won't see so that they can flush at the most opportune time and scare the hell out of me. I often think I can hear them laughing as the land a few trees away.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Onewhohikes on July 30, 2020, 11:53:52 AM: Well at least their not shooting your deer for you
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: jrebel on July 30, 2020, 01:37:37 PM: I wouldn't say I scout for them, but I have seen a couple broods on the property. Looks like it could be a good year for them despite all the rain we had this spring.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on July 30, 2020, 02:26:01 PM: Ran into a hen and a large fuzzy chick on a very high ridge road in Idaho over the weekend. I stopped my quad immediately (didn't want to make a sandwich out of the fuzz head; its not season and I didn't have any bread anyway). The juvenile scurried immediately up into the huckleberry brush (per her last lesson in quad/human avoidance training) but mom burned rubber down the road like she'd just been told there was a big sale in the hen department at GrouseMart. Left her little one to fend for itself and was on her way. I putted the quad down around the corner and she still went another 75 yards on the road before bailing. She won't get many votes for mom of the year, that's for sure.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: hawks33 on July 30, 2020, 02:38:55 PM: Cant say I scout for them, but I've come across several new broods of chicks this year on the wetside. More than normal, birds look real healthy. Had 3 on a short section of FS road last week. I do find them in the same areas during the season as I do this time of year. Good luck!
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on July 30, 2020, 02:41:04 PM: Quote from: predatorpro on July 30, 2020, 10:12:31 AM
Quote from: huntingaddiction on July 29, 2020, 01:50:40 PM
People scout for grouse? I shoot my fair share with a bow every year.
I thought the same thing! Lol

Well, goody for you two. :chuckle: I like to take a drive along some of my familiar logging roads just to see if I can spot broods through the summer. Grouse don't generally travel too far from where they're born without good reason, at least not in my experience. If I see birds in the summer, they're often pretty much in the same neighborhoods on the opener.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Lucky1 on July 30, 2020, 02:48:19 PM: Quote from: WapitiTalk1 on July 30, 2020, 02:26:01 PM
Ran into a hen and a large fuzzy chick on a very high ridge road in Idaho over the weekend. I stopped my quad immediately (didn't want to make a sandwich out of the fuzz head; its not season and I didn't have any bread anyway). The juvenile scurried immediately up into the huckleberry brush (per her last lesson in quad/human avoidance training) but mom burned rubber down the road like she'd just been told there was a big sale in the hen department at GrouseMart. Left her little one to fend for itself and was on her way. I putted the quad down around the corner and she still went another 75 yards on the road before bailing. She won't get many votes for mom of the year, that's for sure.
I think she was trying to lure/lead you away from her baby.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on July 30, 2020, 02:56:36 PM: Quote from: Lucky1 on July 30, 2020, 02:48:19 PM
Quote from: WapitiTalk1 on July 30, 2020, 02:26:01 PM
Ran into a hen and a large fuzzy chick on a very high ridge road in Idaho over the weekend. I stopped my quad immediately (didn't want to make a sandwich out of the fuzz head; its not season and I didn't have any bread anyway). The juvenile scurried immediately up into the huckleberry brush (per her last lesson in quad/human avoidance training) but mom burned rubber down the road like she'd just been told there was a big sale in the hen department at GrouseMart. Left her little one to fend for itself and was on her way. I putted the quad down around the corner and she still went another 75 yards on the road before bailing. She won't get many votes for mom of the year, that's for sure.
I think she was trying to lure/lead you away from her baby.

No, she was going shopping. Had that look in her eye :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Lucky1 on July 30, 2020, 03:00:39 PM: Quote from: WapitiTalk1 on July 30, 2020, 02:56:36 PM
Quote from: Lucky1 on July 30, 2020, 02:48:19 PM
Quote from: WapitiTalk1 on July 30, 2020, 02:26:01 PM
Ran into a hen and a large fuzzy chick on a very high ridge road in Idaho over the weekend. I stopped my quad immediately (didn't want to make a sandwich out of the fuzz head; its not season and I didn't have any bread anyway). The juvenile scurried immediately up into the huckleberry brush (per her last lesson in quad/human avoidance training) but mom burned rubber down the road like she'd just been told there was a big sale in the hen department at GrouseMart. Left her little one to fend for itself and was on her way. I putted the quad down around the corner and she still went another 75 yards on the road before bailing. She won't get many votes for mom of the year, that's for sure.
I think she was trying to lure/lead you away from her baby.

No, she was going shopping. Had that look in her eye :chuckle:
I know that look! :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: sawyer on August 09, 2020, 05:11:16 PM: I just went on a long walk on an abandon road grade today in a productive forest in hopes of flushing a brood. Today availed me no flushes. Several times this summer I went on drives on familiar and new to me logging roads, and saw a good amount of grouse.

On fathers day I took my dad to a stream for some trout fishing, and then took him on a walk down one of my favorite grouse filled trails and we flushed up a group of 4 grouse.

I am fortunate to work in the woods 40 hours a week. I decided to take the long way off the mountain and flushed a mother grouse and her 5 chicks out of a clear cut and into the timber. My trigger finger is itchy and I cant wait to get out and hunt!!!

Hoping to find some Blue grouse this season, where I hunt in lower elevation forests its all ruffed. Gonna do some ridge hikes to find blues hopefully.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: BLDtraLR on August 09, 2020, 06:01:27 PM: Quote from: Dave Workman on July 30, 2020, 02:41:04 PM
Quote from: predatorpro on July 30, 2020, 10:12:31 AM
Quote from: huntingaddiction on July 29, 2020, 01:50:40 PM
People scout for grouse? I shoot my fair share with a bow every year.
I thought the same thing! Lol
[/quot

Make that 3 :yike: :hello: :IBCOOL: :tup: :chuckle: And we eat pretty well in september lol
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on August 10, 2020, 02:43:29 PM: Quote from: BLDtraLR on August 09, 2020, 06:01:27 PM

Make that 3 :yike: :hello: :IBCOOL: :tup: :chuckle: And we eat pretty well in september lol

Hey, where was that photo taken? That sure looks like familiar country in the background. Nice job!
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: HillHound on August 10, 2020, 04:13:35 PM: I’ve been seeing a ton of grouse. 6 to 10 at a time. Unfortunately while I’ve been Bear Hunting I’ve been hearing an awful lot of random single 22 and shotgun blasts from some of the open gravel roads down in the bottoms. I’m really hoping people aren’t cheating and getting an early start and shooting them before I get a chance on September 1.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: fly-by on August 10, 2020, 04:36:53 PM: Went out yesterday evening to scout last year's go-to spot around 3000 ft and saw none. Hopefully things change by 9/1 but plan to start scouting some new areas just in case.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on August 10, 2020, 05:45:58 PM: Quote from: fly-by on August 10, 2020, 04:36:53 PM
Went out yesterday evening to scout last year's go-to spot around 3000 ft and saw none. Hopefully things change by 9/1 but plan to start scouting some new areas just in case.

Good idea. Grouse can be cyclic. Some of my favorite haunts of the past seem like they've been shot out the last few years. gonna head a bit farther north this fall.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: jrebel on August 10, 2020, 08:48:40 PM: While bear hunting a few days ago, I counted over a dozen grouse. Most were big blues. It looks like it could be a good year. :tup:
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Tracker0721 on August 13, 2020, 07:15:04 PM: We’ve got a long drive up a mountain to the current house we’re building and we’ve seen about 5 grouse a morning so September 1st we’ve got a bet on who gets the most before we start that day. Also found tons of blues scouting for bucks and bear. The turkeys and quail had a late second hatch around here, lotta few week old birds running about but the grouse seem to be grown
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: hungster44 on August 18, 2020, 08:19:43 AM: I am very new to grouse and upland birds in general. However I have been into pheasants with my GSP and would love to get into grouse. I have heard of just driving the fire roads, but any tips or tricks in spotting them would be great.

I haven't found any yet while driving. What do you look for? What do you listen for? Thank you for all the help!
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: joe_dumy on August 19, 2020, 08:17:46 AM: Find some gated roads and walk them. Pick the ones that are not used that much. I prefer ones at the bottoms. Creeks ponds and swamps are all good to walk around. Have a GPS on your dog so you can find him. Usually he will be on point on the other side of a bunch of blackberries and devils club. Grouse like cover and food. The cover has to allow them to fly up out of danger so the really thick stuff is not all that hot. And in big trees the food is not all that plentiful. They like gravel so you will see them on the roads filling there crops. Grouse can be found anywhere and will make a liar out of anyone that says they know them. I would say the eastside of the mountains they are more plentiful. Good luck and have fun learning. Once your dog figures it out and you start finding them they are a great challenging game bird. Unless you just drive around shooting them of the road. Fun but no where the same as getting one off a pointed dog.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Onewhohikes on August 19, 2020, 09:13:55 AM: Or you can go to the high country to hunt the Blue grouse where there isn't the blackberries or brush mentioned earlier.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: hungster44 on August 22, 2020, 04:53:23 AM: Quote from: joe_dumy on August 19, 2020, 08:17:46 AM
Find some gated roads and walk them. Pick the ones that are not used that much. I prefer ones at the bottoms. Creeks ponds and swamps are all good to walk around. Have a GPS on your dog so you can find him. Usually he will be on point on the other side of a bunch of blackberries and devils club. Grouse like cover and food. The cover has to allow them to fly up out of danger so the really thick stuff is not all that hot. And in big trees the food is not all that plentiful. They like gravel so you will see them on the roads filling there crops. Grouse can be found anywhere and will make a liar out of anyone that says they know them. I would say the eastside of the mountains they are more plentiful. Good luck and have fun learning. Once your dog figures it out and you start finding them they are a great challenging game bird. Unless you just drive around shooting them of the road. Fun but no where the same as getting one off a pointed dog.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on August 22, 2020, 04:03:32 PM: FOUR DAYS AND COUNTING
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: kukusya on August 23, 2020, 01:09:08 PM: I’m sure last 9 days will fill like passt 9 months. Time to start practicing calling them.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Jingles on August 23, 2020, 01:23:28 PM: Not necessarily scouting but last 3 times in the woods have sure jumped a bunch
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on August 28, 2020, 06:33:36 PM: Here's a little treatise from my on-line column at AMERICAN HANDGUNNER

https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/politics-be-damned-temporarily/
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: chiwawadan on September 01, 2020, 01:04:32 PM: None this morning in the typical "honey hole". Didn't even see one!
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Birdgetter on September 01, 2020, 01:33:50 PM: Didn’t see quite as many as usual but I was able to get these 3.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200901/aa213405246d27f854892e85ec36652e.jpg)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: fly-by on September 01, 2020, 03:06:22 PM: Heading out for the 6:30-7:30 power hour shortly.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Platensek-po on September 01, 2020, 04:12:53 PM: Quote from: chiwawadan on September 01, 2020, 01:04:32 PM
None this morning in the typical "honey hole". Didn't even see one!

I saw people in all of mine for the first time ever. Lots of people in the woods for a Tuesday. Gunna go to some other areas tonight
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: joe_dumy on September 02, 2020, 07:39:14 AM: Great opener for us shot three over my dog. It was freaken hot though where we went.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: D-Rock425 on September 02, 2020, 07:50:06 AM: Saw 7 or 8 yesterday all together while looking for deer.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: bhawley76 on September 02, 2020, 08:53:56 AM: Went last night seen a few rabbits and that was it. Still pretty hot and dry.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: fly-by on September 02, 2020, 09:01:09 AM: Last year's honey hole was a bust for me. Back this afternoon for more punishment.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: sagerat on September 02, 2020, 06:22:46 PM: My son and I got into a few opening morning
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Lady Grouse hunter on September 04, 2020, 11:54:35 PM: GREAT 2 C a youth outside! Nice nice kid! Was in eastern or western, Wa.?
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: 3nails on September 05, 2020, 05:00:18 PM: I remember thinking in the spring that the nasty cold wet weather was going to put a hurting on the hatch here in Whatcom county. After doing some hikes to get in shape the last month and not seeing a single grouse I was reminded of that wet weather. I went for a grouse hunt today in an area that produces limits regularly and again didn't see a single bird. Things are looking grim up here.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: aaronoto on September 05, 2020, 05:04:00 PM: Quote from: 3nails on September 05, 2020, 05:00:18 PM
I remember thinking in the spring that the nasty cold wet weather was going to put a hurting on the hatch here in Whatcom county. After doing some hikes to get in shape the last month and not seeing a single grouse I was reminded of that wet weather. I went for a grouse hunt today in an area that produces limits regularly and again didn't see a single bird. Things are looking grim up here.

Interesting, was up off the Mt Baker Hwy area hiking last weekend and thought to myself, man I haven't seen nearly the amount of grouse that I usually do, pre-season/early season as well.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Alchase on September 05, 2020, 06:54:55 PM: Quote from: Lady Grouse hunter on September 04, 2020, 11:54:35 PM
GREAT 2 C a youth outside! Nice nice kid! Was in eastern or western, Wa.?

Both my boys learned to hunt, while hunting grouse! :tup:
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: sagerat on September 05, 2020, 08:36:47 PM: Quote from: Lady Grouse hunter on September 04, 2020, 11:54:35 PM
GREAT 2 C a youth outside! Nice nice kid! Was in eastern or western, Wa.?

Eastern, Methow valley. Pretty cool watching your son learn to hunt!
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Dave Workman on September 07, 2020, 05:14:27 PM: My brother conked a fat blue grouse with his 20-ga. Mossberg pump and I missed one, but it's been awful dry in one of my favorite haunts, and the weekend saw the place overrun with those $!$#Y(&*!!! dirt bikes and ATVs roaring all over the place. I was up there on the opener, jumped four birds and couldn't get a shot at any of them. They were awfully spooky for an opening day. :dunno:
Things'll settle down now and we can get back out there without all the twerps.

With half the state on fire or breathing smoke, it's pretty strange out there. That might just have "something" to do with it.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: Skyvalhunter on September 07, 2020, 05:51:06 PM: Limited out on my 3 days of hunting. Saw 20+ birds a day.
Title: Re: Who's Scouting for Grouse already?
Post by: MonstroMuley on September 08, 2020, 07:24:14 AM: Quote from: Skyvalhunter on September 07, 2020, 05:51:06 PM
Limited out on my 3 days of hunting. Saw 20+ birds a day.

:tup: