My 2025 Dusky Grouse Trip

[Birdbander]

This probably won't be a very exciting or captivating day by day recap of my dusky grouse hunt, but I'll try to add pictures & write less as I go.

First day was just driving. Left Michigan before daylight & made it to Kearney, NE for the night before the sun set. No excitement, thankfully, during the drive. It did occur to me that some folks probably thought I was headed to the Michigan vs Nebraska game tomorrow. My money is on the Wolverines by a hair.

I'm going to take the less direct route to my destination tomorrow. Head through Denver then hang a left & head south. I'm going to take a blind stab at a walk for ptarmigan before continuing to the rented cabin in central southern Colorado.

If the weather doesn't look good I'll take pictures of the scenery & be on the way.

Feel

 

[Birdbander]

The morning drive leaving Nebraska was fogged in most of the way. The pictures make it look better than it was.

Stopped SW of Denver to check a spot for ptarmigan. The trailhead was full of hikers & picture takers which made me nervous so I left the gun cased in the car. A gentleman saw me putting water bottles in my vest to take the dog for an exploratory walk, came over & said another ptarmigan hunter had headed up the trail a few minutes earlier.

A few minutes into our walk I heard a shot ahead & above. Looking around I spotted the hunter & dog. I gave him plenty of room & met him on his way out. He was very pleasant and schooled me up on what to know to find ptarmigan. He said he wouldn't be back there this year and told me to get a couple that got away from him. I'll be there Friday after meeting my step daughter for breakfast.

Can't wait!! Next 3 days will be chasing the blues!

 

[Birdbander]

I almost forgot. He did get the ptarmigan when I heard him shoot. I shamelessly asked if I could see it. While he was holding it I noticed it had a band on it's leg, he hadn't. Pretty cool.

He said he'd never seen another ptarmigan hunter there. I told him it was my first time ever stepping foot in ptarmigan territory. Imagine the odds of all of it

It's amazing how many positive chance encounters I've had hunting & fishing.

 

[Bullshot]

Oh man I hope you fulfill the ptarmigan quest.

I got a couple grouse myself this year, made a nice lunch and dinner while I was elk hunting.

This is what THEY were eating:



Good luck and post lots of pictures.

 

[Birdbander]

Oh man I hope you fulfill the ptarmigan quest.

I got a couple grouse myself this year, made a nice lunch and dinner while I was elk hunting.

Good luck and post lots of pictures.

I'll be hunting blues in the same area you sent me plus looking at some other areas not too far off.

Glad you got some too!

 

[Birdbander]

No grouse in the vest today.
Checked three new spots, moved grouse in two of them but only had a shot at one & didn't connect. Still a good day.

Friends arrived & we got checked into our cabins. Relaxing & dreaming of heavy game pouches tomorrow

Dog rolled in a couple of cowpies at the end of the day

I apologize in advance for the lack of action.

 

[Birdbander]

We found the grouse this morning!
Everyone got one dusky in the first cover, in the second cover I added another & my friends younger son got two for his limit. The last cover we found one grouse and the other son ended his day with two.

They are all ecstatic to have gotten a dusky on their first hunt and I'm relieved.

We saw the Smokey the Bear must have been patrolling for forest fires ahead of us.

One crop of my bird had grasshoppers, the other was empty.

Cow!

 

[Birdbander]

Attempted a ptarmigan hunt today.
After leaving the trailhead we made our way up through the timber, reaching the treeline at around 12,000'. Another 400' of elevation & 1/2 mile actual through willows & we broke out in rock & grass fields. The weather wasn't looking in our favor but up to that point had gone around us.
The plan was I would take the high side of the rocks & they'd stay below hoping for shots.
Just as we had reached the point where we would start actively hunting, I looked off to the west. Unfortunately snow was rolling in. Just before it hit us I yelled to my friends below to grab their dogs & hunker in place. I did the same hoping it would pass in a few minutes. Visibility was reduced to less than 200'. My dog was shivering under me despite me covering him. At 10 minutes waiting with no sign the snow was going to let up or visibility would improve, I walked down to my friends, told them it was time to be smart rather than hunt & we made our way back to the truck. It was still snowing when we got to the truck, had lunch and got on the road.

My friends said that would be their only ptarmigan hunt

My dog's feet are a little roughed up so he'll rest tomorrow while we hunt duskies behind friends' dogs.

I'll make the decision of whether to attempt to hunt him Thursday for duskies and/or on Friday for ptarmigan at an easier to reach location.

If you zoom in on the picture with the snow rolling in you can see my friends below my location.

It's been a great trip so far.

Sorry so long winded and the lack of birds.

 

[Birdbander]

Tuesday night there was a fair dusting of snow in the high elevations we've been hunting. Instead of waiting until it melted off & the grasshoppers got moving, I was out voted & we hit the mountain first thing in the morning.
The duskies weren't participating. We managed 4 total throughout a lot of walking.

My friends left for home this morning, I slept in and the dog & I hit the best spot we've found. I thought I'd end this trip with 2 birds today but the dog went on point 60 yards from the car. I managed to wing it & he ran it down for a good retrieve.

I'm meeting my step daughter in Buena Vista in the morning for breakfast and with the dogs roughed up feet, canceling tomorrow's ptarmigan hunt. Next time now that I know where to start.