This weekend I got out to do some pre-season scouting for the upcoming blue grouse season in Central Utah. I was encouraged by what I saw. I found fair to good numbers of birds and a fair number of broods with 4 – 5 chicks. I would have liked to have seen larger brood sizes, but was still excited about what I saw. If you are planning on hunting grouse this fall, you may want to start looking around now. They are moving upslope now and are close to where you will find them in September. Look for hens and broods in more mesic sites with good cover, while the cock birds will likely be a little higher and on more xeric sites. Let me know what you are finding.
As for chukars, all the reports I am hearing are really good. All the spring and early summer moisture really seems to have boosted production. Folks I have spoken with in several places around Utah and in northern Arizona and Nevada are all reporting the same high numbers of chukar chicks. I am excited about this hunt.
