# How have the blue/dusky grouse populations been in your hunting area?



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Where I hunt them they have been down significantly from the time period I first started hunting them 15-20 years ago as a young lad. Anymore it seems like I can count the number of "pine hen" I see each year on one hand. Places I used to go and feel like I had a 50/50 chance at seeing some birds almost never hold birds anymore. I don't think I have even killed one since 2012. Actually, that was my wife that killed them that year, so it's been even longer than that for me.

If I had to guess what is causing the decline, I would say predators. I used to never see red foxes in this area, but now they aren't a super uncommon sighting. Hell, I see them maybe more than I even see grouse now! Seems like I see more skunks than I used to as well. I'm almost positive it hasn't been overhunted or anything because this is private ground, and my family has never really hit them that hard. I doubt if I ever killed more than a daily bag limit per season, and only 2 or 3 of my other family members hunt them and they didn't hit them any harder than I did. Unless trespassers were coming in and blowing them to pieces I doubt human predation has really hurt them at all. I don't think there have been any sustained unfavorable weather patterns for them over the years. I miss having them around and it would be fun to carry one arrow with a judo tip in my quiver while I'm bow hunting if I actually had any to shoot at!


----------



## Trooper (Oct 18, 2007)

My guess is the trees are getting too old. Go cut 10 acres and see if that helps. 

Don't freak out on me, but climate change is not helping forest grouse at all in this state. Lack of understory/forbes/berries/mushrooms, limited dew in hot weather, shortage of insulating snow in cold weather, beetle kill taking down winter roost trees. 

Predators peak and fall in cycle with their prey... they don't cause long term changes.


----------



## SureShot (Oct 2, 2007)

Good populations in the two or three spots I hunt each fall. I haven't noticed any declines. I only hunt each spot one or two times and generally do quite well.


----------



## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

My archery deer area has tons of them. I kick atleast one from every stand of trees I bust through


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Trooper said:


> My guess is the trees are getting too old. Go cut 10 acres and see if that helps.
> 
> Don't freak out on me, but climate change is not helping forest grouse at all in this state. Lack of understory/forbes/berries/mushrooms, limited dew in hot weather, shortage of insulating snow in cold weather, beetle kill taking down winter roost trees.
> 
> Predators peak and fall in cycle with their prey... they don't cause long term changes.


Climate change? Pffft. I got cold a couple times this winter. Where is this global warming everyone is talking about.


----------



## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Hawks, falcons, and eagles can destroy a grouse spot in a very short time period


----------



## swampfox (Dec 30, 2014)

My areas were a little down last year, but have been good the last several years before that. I deer hunted the cache last year and saw an unbelievable amount of grouse on that hunt. They don't seem to be struggling much in the areas I normally hit, so my guess is it's more of a local issue in your area. I love the little buggers so I hope they find a way back to your property.


----------



## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

swampfox said:


> My areas were a little down last year, but have been good the last several years before that. I deer hunted the cache last year and saw an unbelievable amount of grouse on that hunt. They don't seem to be struggling much in the areas I normally hit, so my guess is it's more of a local issue in your area. I love the little buggers so I hope they find a way back to your property.


Well now we will have everyone up in cache looking for birds


----------



## swampfox (Dec 30, 2014)

Hoopermat said:


> Well now we will have everyone up in cache looking for birds


Haha yeah I know how those blues draw crowds. My apologies for hot spotting your 1500 sq. miles (give or take) of prime grouse habitat.


----------



## CROC (Sep 12, 2007)

Does anyone know if there grouse on the San Juan Abajo mountains? I have been scouting down there and haven't ran into any yet.


----------

