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This past month I have had the opportunity to watch both sage-grouse and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse on the lekking ground a number of times. No matter how many times I watch, it never ceases to amazes me. These were in extreme Southeastern Idaho. Populations over the long-term are bumping down, but in the short-term look good. I am looking forward to seeing these birds again this fall.
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I came across a funny sight today. While out in the backcountry I came across the scene in the above photo, a grouse head poking out of the snow. From a distance I thought it was a dark piece of bark, but as I got closer I realized it was a grouse head looking at me. I went on by, pretending not to notice and dug my camera out, then turned around and snapped the photo. As I approached, the bird popped out of the snow and angled away from me until it was behind cover, then it flushed.
There had been a fresh snow the evening before, so you could read what had happened. After it had snowed, probably about dark yesterday evening the grouse dove out of a nearby aspen tree and plunked directly into the snow. It probably spent the night under the snow in its snow cave, then as the day was warming up, it climbed up and was just sitting under the snow with its periscope up, scanning for predators. Numerous times I have found evidence of them diving under the snow during bad weather, but I have never seen them stay under the snow and poke their head out and sit look-out.
It’s not over till it’s over. There’s almost a month left in the chukar season here in Idaho, even longer in Utah, so keep after ’em. I am looking forward to several more chukar hunts and possibly a couple of days in Arizona after quail. There’s still time to get those young dogs out and show them some birds.
Let me know how your season finisher goes.
Hungarian or gray partridges (aka Huns) are a great bird to hunt. They are similar to chukars, but use open flat agricultural lands as habitat. I hadn’t been after huns since the end of the pheasant season, so I decided to try to finish the season with some today. It was a great day, but as far as the bag went, it was frustrating. I saw several flocks of huns, but they were out in the wide open bare fields and wouldn’t let me get within 150 yards before they would flush. In the past I have done this and flushed them several times until I caught them over a slight rise or in some sagebrush cover and have been able to harvest some, not so today. They weren’t playing around.
I did marvel at the unique survival strategy. Most birds survive by hiding into the cover, but in their habitat, open snow covered fields, there isn’t much cover, so they sit there like a dirt clod on the most barren ground, all face opposite directions and watch while one or two scratch for seeds. It worked. I couldn’t get within shotgun range of them. On the bright side, the dogs and I got a good work out.
The above photo was taken by a hunting buddy in Montana in his yard during an extreme cold spell. They hunkered on the lee side of the yard in the sun and stayed for several days.
Across the west we have lost an estimated 96% of our aspen stands over the past 100 years, primarily due to the control of wildfire and compounded by cattle and sheep grazing. Aspen ecosystems are maintained by fire; it’s critical to their health. Fire eliminates encroaching conifers and stimulates aspen suckering, which renews a stand.
Ruffed grouse are an early seral stage species, which means that they love aspen stands for the first 10 or so years after a fire. If you like hunting ruffed grouse, keep track of burned aspen stands and visit the area a year or two after the fire. You’re sure to find grouse using the stand. After 5 or so years the aspen is so thick you can barely walk through it. Grouse love this for hiding cover and forage. Over time, the aspen will self-thin.
The above photo is a prescribed fire in an aspen stand. Prescribed fires like this promote aspen regeneration and directly benefit ruffed grouse, mule deer, elk and many other species of wildlife. The photo below is the second year after a prescribed fire. Note the thousands of aspen shoots 2-3′ tall. Many of the old trees were decadent and on their way out (they are small based on the low site potential of the area – mt. brush habitat.) I flushed quite a few ruffed grouse from this stand.
The only problem with solo hunts is that you can’t be in the photos. The dogs and I sure enjoyed the grouse hunting this afternoon. The sharp-tails weren’t holding for points, but they were coming up close enough to make for easy shooting. It was great for a close-working flushing lab, but not so good for a big running pointer.
We had a great family grouse hunt this weekend. Sharp-tail numbers seem to be doing really well in SE Idaho this year and we have had a ball with them. It’s a great hunt to take the family on because the walking is generally pretty easy. Because of the CRP grass cover, the dogs are usually fairly visible which makes it an enjoyable outing for everyone.
Photo: N. Muckerman
A picture is worth a thousand words, eh?
I don’t know what it is about chukars, but, MAN I love to hunt ’em.
There’s just something about getting a chukar in the hand after working so hard for them. Allie (lab) and I had a fun chukar hunt yesterday. I was planning on going after sharp-tailed grouse again, but since it was a cool day I decided to try for chukars. We got into several coveys and got some shooting, despite the fact that they were flushing a little wild for this early in the season. I downed several and Allie made some nice retrieves over some steep rocky slopes. I am kicking myself over three easy shots that I missed due to either poor footing or quick shooting as they were diving over an edge. One bird surprised me by flushing out of a juniper tree like a grouse as I walked through a small stand on my way toward a great outcrop that I was sure held a covey. That one caught me off-guard and I hate to say I missed. I guess that’s why I love hunting chukars, they make you work for every bird.
One of the things I love most about hunting sage-grouse is the seemingly endless sagebrush country they inhabit. There is just something about rolling sagebrush hills that go on and on. I love to let my pointer open up and cover the ground. It helps to have an idea of common haunts, springs and wet areas they use year after year, but it mostly pays to just get out and walk. (Something that suits me just fine.)
Next year I would really like to hunt from horseback just to do it. Let the pointers go and ride along and watch them from a top a horse. Anyone want to join me?
