Grouse hunt on scouting day?

[R.K.]

How close is too close?

I’m thinking about heading out a day before archery season to scout and see what the elk are doing, hopefully to ambush them bright and early opening morning. Since that’s mostly a morning/evening deal, I thought I might occupy midday trying to chase grouse.

Which brings me to my question- how far away from the elk would you want to be before using a shotgun or .22? Half mile? Ten miles?

 

[Dsnow9]

I don’t think elk react to gun shots much at all. Scent and site will send stuff running. But I have shot multiple deer and elk out of a heard and the others don’t react. Obviously choosing the shot where the given animal is out of site from the other and drops where shot. In my experience the other elk take off when the shot elk reacts or runs, not necessarily at the shot.

Personally I would use a .22 instead of a shotgun but that’s more personal preference.

 

[Elky Welky]

How close is too close?

I’m thinking about heading out a day before archery season to scout and see what the elk are doing, hopefully to ambush them bright and early opening morning. Since that’s mostly a morning/evening deal, I thought I might occupy midday trying to chase grouse.

Which brings me to my question- how far away from the elk would you want to be before using a shotgun or .22? Half mile? Ten miles?

Hunt the grouse with your bow.

I've taken grouse with my shotgun in my archery elk spot a few days before opener, didn't really seem to have an effect. I'd just use your best judgment. My personal limit would probably be about 1-1.5 miles from where I think the elk are hanging out. The aspect of sound (how ridges project noise) is determinative to me.

 

[Birdbander]

As a grouse hunter using pointing dogs making just my second trip west to hunt blues, disturbing big game hunters is high on my list of things I try to prevent.

I have no experience with elk. I can say tge deer, both whitetail and mule, don't move very far when my dogs and I have come across them. More often than not they move to the side and sometimes circle in behind.

Elk may be very different and I hope I don't cause anyone issues. I think most animals have an idea when they're not the target and don't expend any more energy than necessary to feel safe.

I guess if I was in your boots I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a grouse unless I could see elk.

 

[Stocker]

X2 on using a bow, it’s not hard and a bunch of fun!

 

[cedahm]

I do it all the time, up to and including this coming Monday.

I have shot grouse (shotgun) within a couple hundred yards of where bull elk were shot (unbeknownst to me until later) the same day. And, my Brit and I have run into elk within minutes of shooting birds that were completely unconcerned with the sounds. My current males very first day grouse hunting he actually ‘pointed’ a raghorn that was bedded in between where we’d killed one bird and where the rest of the ‘covey’ landed

They don’t seem to care much.

I don’t go out of my way to hunt birds in the exact same spots I’ll be toting the bow for elk the next day, and if I run into guys scouting elk, I’ll ask where they’re headed and try and avoid their ‘spot’, but that’s about it.

 

[brymoore]

I blue grouse hunt in elk country every year. Elk don’t really care unless you touch them. I’ve blasted down a ridge and heard bulls bugling and cows below me afterwards. I hunt the sage ridge tops. The elk are normally in the timber sides or bottoms. This is at first light. I don’t normally bust elk herds.

I do a tremendous amount of elk scouting while blue grouse hunting. Son had an elk tag in an area he didn’t know a few years ago. I put Xs on a map on places I’ve seen elk grouse hunting. The elk were still there in October. He killed his first 6 point.

 

[Rack Daniels]

10 miles. Out of love for your fellow man, please do not lol

Use the bow! Its archery season for crying out loud aren’t you excited to hunt all things with your bow in bow season? I know I am!!!

 

[R.K.]

10 miles. Out of love for your fellow man, please do not lol

Use the bow! Its archery season for crying out loud aren’t you excited to hunt all things with your bow in bow season? I know I am!!!

Oh, I am. But I’m also excited to get a grouse in the freezer for my puppy. And kill the midday lull without putting my scent all over the drainage where I usually find them. Plus I have some 20 gauges that haven’t gotten enough love recently.

Plan is to glass the open hillside morning and evening to see if they’re using the same meadow they usually do, and if not- shoot back in the dark to hunt the backside of the ridge they also tend to use (longer walk, and can’t glass it).

Grouse hunting would be in a different drainage about a mile away from the elk or more.

 

[brymoore]

Blasted down a ridge this morning. No birds. I was shotgun training a pup while we hunted.

I jumped big mule deer buck from his bed 3/4s the way down the ridge. He listened to my gunshots with the last within 500 yards of his bed. I marked his bed for further investigation during deer season.

Fresh cow elk sign on the ridge but I didn’t see any elk. There’s only a draw elk September tag. No elk hunters in the area. I had the mountain to myself.

 

[shrapnel]

How close is too close?

I’m thinking about heading out a day before archery season to scout and see what the elk are doing, hopefully to ambush them bright and early opening morning. Since that’s mostly a morning/evening deal, I thought I might occupy midday trying to chase grouse.

Which brings me to my question- how far away from the elk would you want to be before using a shotgun or .22? Half mile? Ten miles?

The only time I wouldn’t shoot a grouse, would be if there was an elk standing behind the grouse!

 

[Westelker]

How close is too close?

I’m thinking about heading out a day before archery season to scout and see what the elk are doing, hopefully to ambush them bright and early opening morning. Since that’s mostly a morning/evening deal, I thought I might occupy midday trying to chase grouse.

Which brings me to my question- how far away from the elk would you want to be before using a shotgun or .22? Half mile? Ten miles?

I agree with Dsnow9, the elk will definitely run if they see your movement or smell you. And a 20-gauge is slightly louder than a .22 long rifle. One major word of caution, you do not want to walk in on the elk's bedroom midday or that may be the last time you see them. Running from you is what the elk may be doing!

If you were to know the location of elk in your area, ask yourself, "Why would I want to shoot at a grouse"?

 

[TheTone]

Grouse are fine and all but I’ll never get people desire to shoot them while elk hunting

 

[Hem]

Rather embarrassing.
First opening day of Upland in 38 years I got skunked. Didn't even see one.
Its so friggin dry.
Good leg morning though.

 

[belshawelk]

Done it several times. Turkeys too. Shot a turkey on my road two years ago and shot an elk 30 minutes later 1/2 away.

 

[R.K.]

I agree with Dsnow9, the elk will definitely run if they see your movement or smell you. And a 20-gauge is slightly louder than a .22 long rifle. One major word of caution, you do not want to walk in on the elk's bedroom midday or that may be the last time you see them. Running from you is what the elk may be doing!

If you were to know the location of elk in your area, ask yourself, "Why would I want to shoot at a grouse"?

I’d be in the next drainage, a mile away or better from where they bed. But had something come up, might have to push back the elk hunt a week.