# grouse habitat



## vato-loco (Jun 8, 2009)

just wondering where you look for blue grouse. ive heard a few people say they like to hide under thick pine boughs, but ive never tried hunting them so i dont know how to look for them. so what do you all do to find them?


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

First off take a good dog along and you will find more birds.

Blues can be in so many different habitats at different altitudes. Talk to big game hunters you know and they will surely know a few places to look. 

I have seen them places I never have thought they would be. Also if you hike a lot keep your eyes open for sign, they do leave quite a bit of sign if you know what to look for.

Good luck they are a lot of fun to chase.


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## shotgunwill (May 16, 2008)

Texscala said:


> First off take a good dog along and you will find more birds.
> 
> Blues can be in so many different habitats at different altitudes. Talk to big game hunters you know and they will surely know a few places to look.
> 
> ...


*+1*

Excellent advice IMO. The only thing I would add is a saying that I hear amongst other grouse hunters; "*Where* you've seen one, you've missed 10."


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## vato-loco (Jun 8, 2009)

interesting. are there any books out there youd recommend reading to get an idea of where to look? i dont have dogs, or access to any, so i have to try and find em by eye


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## Snipe (Dec 4, 2008)

I always see them during the deer and elk archery at about 10000 ft in the pines usually they jump out at my feet and scare the p out of me


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

There is a lot of liturature about grouse and how they act back east but not so much about our parts.

Here is one of my general rules. If there are elk, berries, a bit of water, and either pine, or aspen (preferably both) in an area there are probably grouse in the area.

Without a dog it is more likely that you will find them in trees and shoot them down. In August get out and start looking in areas you think might hold grouse. If they are there in August they should be there in Sept.

Another option is to offer to drive someone with dogs into the mountains. There are a lot of younger guys on these forums who are short on gas money and would take you up on it. They probably won't give up any spots but if you find one and offer to drive you should get some takers.

Honestly the best way to find a spot is to get out and look. I spend a ton of time outdoors fishing, hiking, running my dog, and big game hunting. Any time I see a chukar or grouse I go home and record the date, temp, and general area it was found. Come hunting season I always have a few areas to check out. The first year is diffucult and success can be hard to come by but after a few years you will have a variety of spots.


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## vato-loco (Jun 8, 2009)

ok. so i go around scofield for elk. my brother shot a ruffed south of the lake, but ive never seen any myself while ive been there. but it more or less matches your description. ill have to go check it out. ill have to go see if i can find anywhere closer that might work though. i dont wann drive clear down there for a couple birds :|


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## vdogs (Sep 22, 2007)

vato-loco said:


> ok. i dont wann drive clear down there for a couple birds :|


First..if yer gonna hunt upland game, yer not just going for birds (hopefully). You should be going for the total "outdoor experience". I drive much farther than that on occasion for zero birds and have not been disappointed.

Best of luck,

Rick


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## coolgunnings (Sep 8, 2007)

If you are hunting without a dog, and if you think that you are in some good habitat, do not just march right through looking. Blue grouse are very nervous and flighty bird. So if you stop here and there and just stand for a moment, they may flush for you, and give you a good opportunity to take on on the wing.


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## vato-loco (Jun 8, 2009)

GSPman said:


> vato-loco said:
> 
> 
> > ok. i dont wann drive clear down there for a couple birds :|
> ...


well i love the experience of being out in the woods too. i wish i could do it more often. actually i just wish i could live out in the mountains, but i dont think thatll happen anytime. im just sayin i need to go see if i can find a place thatll give me birds and the experience thats closer, so i dont gotta spend so much money on gas. it gets tough to pay for it being in the laid-off crowd 

anyway thanks for all the tips everybody. im gonna try to head down to scofield next week and see what i can see


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

GSPman said:


> First..if yer gonna hunt upland game, yer not just going for birds (hopefully). You should be going for the total "outdoor experience". I drive much farther than that on occasion for zero birds and have not been disappointed.


Well put!


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

PM Sent.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Just realize that they hang out typically in the high country, around 9000 ft give or take a few hundred feet. If you find an area with mixed pines and aspens, and some good coniferous and deciduous ground cover, that is adjacent to water, you will generally find grouse. I'm dog-less too, and have learned that you just have to take it slow and keep your eyes and ears peeled. Sometimes you will only see their head move, and other times you will hear a footstep or two as they slowly walk across some dead leaves. Don't just assume they are on the ground either. Look up into the branches of trees, especially if it is wet from rain or snow. And don't think that later on in the year when the snow has gotten deep that they have gone to lower elevations...they'll still be in the same areas.


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