Grouse Season is Almost Here

[Nameless Range]

Had a real fine opening morning.

 

[Irrelevant]

Those birds are eating well.

 

[cedahm]

I think the bug proportion of diet is very true for the family groups (hens and birds of the year). We see males in the fir/spruce zone from about July onwards given their reverse migration. They are very opportunistic but we predominately find vaccinium berries and leaves, and those little white subalpine flower buds until about the first snowfall or hard freeze in late September. After that, it's predominately fir needles and vaccinium leaves where they are still green along creeks and seeps.

Excited to get the new-to-us Brit out this fall. I've more or less abandoned Archery elk season for dog training.

Well - this was only partially true today - took the new (to me) pup out for his first foray in the grouse woods this morning. He was shockingly good - we limited in a couple hours - but two of the birds crops were full of aspen leaves. The largest males crop was puffed out to the size of a tennis ball, he had so many packed in there. The small female had the standard mix of flower buds, grasshoppers and berries (which are already on their way to rotten on most of the bushes).

Awesome day. Was sad to end early.

 

[Sask hunter]

Upland opens septmeber 15th here same day as rifle elk. Maybe I’ll tag a bull that morning or take the evening off to chase ruffies. All I know is I am out of ruffies and I need a good feed

 

[Hunting Wife]

Fencing day at work, could hardly lift my arms from tamping posts. 75 degrees, 25-30 mph wind gusting to 45+. Not ideal to say the least, but I’ve been waiting all year for this damn it.

Ran out after work, put on 3 miles before we found birds. They were wild with all the wind, of course. Managed two before we needed to go find a pond for the big dog. Not the best day we’ve ever had, but by 2020 standards it was pretty good.

 

[trb]

Wonderful after-work opening day here in Colorado. An interesting tidbit from the hunt...after hiking 6+ miles with no luck, I heard 2 Stellar's Jays mobbing something in a tree nearby, and it was this guy who had just flown into an aspen. Something I'll keep an ear out for around dusk in the future.

 

[rwc101]

Found grouse heaven.

 

[Pucky Freak]

We saw quite a few grouse the other day while mountain biking. One really nice covey of blues and a couple of single ruffies.

Not bad for Arkansas!

 

[dk88]

I got out yesterday afternoon after work and the wind made it a little tough but we ended up getting on the birds. Ended up with a sharptail and dove limit and 11 partridge.

 

[Bgriffith]

Found these while working in CO, there was three but really only got a good picture of one... they sure were big.

 

[802flyfish]

Escaped to Central MT for our first hunt. Only saw one other group of hunters.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Found grouse heaven.
View attachment 152662

Looks like the grouse did too!

 

[jtm307]

We had or best dusky grouse opening weekend to date in the Snowy Range. After three years my brother finally harvested his first animal of any kind. Four grouse in two days with less effort than we’re used to.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

We had or best dusky grouse opening weekend to date in the Snowy Range. After three years my brother finally harvested his first animal of any kind. Four grouse in two days with less effort than we’re used to.

View attachment 153700

I only saw blue grouse