# Sage Grouse



## SwedishCowboy (Sep 25, 2017)

Planning on putting in for Sage Grouse but have 0 points. Looks like decent odds to draw West Box Elder. How hard are they to find out there? Anyone done it before?


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## mtnrunner260 (Feb 15, 2010)

Easy to find. 
Spend more time driving then hunting


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

A few things that I have learned - They love plateaus or ridges within a mile of water. You can step out of the truck and they will be right there or you can hike miles and find nothing. They can be the easiest hunt or a very difficult hunt. The terrain they live in combined with their camouflage makes them invisible unless they are on the move or stick their head up. They are extremely slow flyers (first time out I shot in front of them by ways) and you will get multiple points on the same flock, so pick out a bull/drake/rooster/tom/jake (whatever the male nomenclature is) and only shoot one. Nothing is more disappointing than driving 45 minutes and limiting out in 3 minutes.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I haven't ever hunted them but have kicked them up many times.


They have kind of freaked me out on a few occasions because I could see something rather large running in the undergrowth near me but couldn't get a good enough look to determine what it was until they suddenly decide to fly.


Cool birds.


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## SwedishCowboy (Sep 25, 2017)

Thanks guys! Any tips on where to start kicking bushes out there? And any recommendation on what gauge to use on them? I would want to mount it so I would want to minimize damage to it. 28 enough?


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

SwedishCowboy said:


> Thanks guys! Any tips on where to start kicking bushes out there? And any recommendation on what gauge to use on them? I would want to mount it so I would want to minimize damage to it. 28 enough?


If you want to mount one, then you have to go late as possible. Early in the season, the sage grouse will have a bunch of pin feathers.

It doesn't matter what gauge, but I would use a improved cylinder and steel shot No.4 or No.6.

Let them get out a bit and hammer them.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

improved cylinder and lead #6 always work. Sage grouse are not a tough bird, you could kill them with target shot #7.5 out of a .410 if you wanted.

Good luck getting one mounted, even the last day of the season will be too early. It sucks that this state--which controls the exact amount of birds killed mind you--can't push the season back a couple months. The same amount of birds are getting killed so why not facilitate us lowly upland hunters the ability to get a fine sage grouse mount that we can enjoy and appreciate.

Lot's of private in Box elder, be sure to get a gps with land ownership--its cheaper than a ticket and losing your hunting rights. My advice would be to network and ask the locals where the birds are. If you don't draw this year come to the chukar foundation banquet next year-->one of our board members had a little cabin in the area and he sells a 'guided' sage grouse hunt that will guarantee you shots at a bird--all ya have to do is be the highest bidder and donate some money to the upland wildlife cause.

Look at me being a saleguy again -O,-


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Airborne said:


> Good luck getting one mounted, even the last day of the season will be too early. It sucks that this state--which controls the exact amount of birds killed mind you--can't push the season back a couple months. The same amount of birds are getting killed so why not facilitate us lowly upland hunters the ability to get a fine sage grouse mount that we can enjoy and appreciate.


I'd be interested to know why the season dates are what they are(?)


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

gdog said:


> I'd be interested to know why the season dates are what they are(?)


I ask that every year the dove hunt comes along.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Bax* said:


> I ask that every year the dove hunt comes along.


and chukar


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Dove always frustrates me from a northerner perspective because the rains come almost like clockwork before the season starts and push all the birds south.


I feel like chucker could start earlier too. 


Id be fine with the same season length, just different start dates.


Now that we've hijacked the thread.... sage grouse. They are cool 8)


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Bax* said:


> I feel like chucker could start earlier too.


Chukar...later not earlier.

now back to Sage Grouse....


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Wyoming is a good option if you are looking to hunt them outright, but given the season is generally Sept 15 - Sept 30 you get a lot of fin feathers. Another advantage that Wyoming has is that duck and goose opens on the 22nd. There may be a few ponds around that have a duck or a goose on it. 



I think they should have the season in November, because Sage Grouse are not too effected by winter and it will allow for all of the pin feathers to be gone.


I did attach a picture of a mount I just got back. It sits in my living room on a shelf and is an eye catcher due to the size of the bird. 



I love chasing these birds each fall, but I do wish the season was later in the year. I put in for the Rich tag and hopefully 1 point is enough to pull a tag. If not Wyoming has plenty.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Airborne said:


> improved cylinder and lead #6 always work. Sage grouse are not a tough bird, you could kill them with target shot #7.5 out of a .410 if you wanted.
> 
> -O,-


I use steel, because I do not want lead shot in me vehicle in case I forget to take it out when I go duck hunting.

Or if duck season is open, I can get a combo sneaking onto a few on ponds.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

gdog said:


> Chukar...later not earlier.
> 
> now back to Sage Grouse....


Lol. I like the heat!


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Bax* said:


> Lol. I like the heat!


Chukar brood a bit later though, so if the hunt started any earlier, they'd all be tiny and have milk on their lips. Gotta let them grow up a touch more.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

......and disperse off the guzzlers


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

My only advise is if you jump a bunch, target and shoot only the little ones. Sage hens are possibly the worst table bird in Utah...only slightly better than mud hens. If you don't happen to get lucky but still hanker for that Sage hen stew...just take couple pounds of their name sake home and boil it up.
There are hundreds of receipts for Sage Grouse...none of them good. Even bacon can't improve on the nasty nasty taste of an old adult Sage Grouse. Of course, if you want you could follow the advise of some on an earlier thread and donate the meat...oh, what a cruel joke that would be.


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## GCKid (Sep 11, 2007)

Not sure where to start here. I don't frequent the forum like I should but I will try to answer the original question about where to find Sage Grouse in Box Elder. There is plenty of public land to hunt them. The foothills north and west of Park Valley is a great place if you don't want to travel all the way to Grouse Creek. There is also the Chokecherry WIA that has both Sage Grouse and Huns. If you want to go all the way to Grouse Creek, there is plenty of public areas west and north of the town and there is a good public area northeast of town where you can find Sage Grouse and Huns. Why we have the dates we have is a whole different topic and they have evolved a little over the years. Sage Grouse used to be only 2 weekends but now you get 4 because there is a 2 bird limit. We have pushed back the dates for Chukars, Huns, Sage Grouse and Sharptails to start on the last weekend of September and we are looking to push it back until October 1st so it will generally start midweek rather than the weekends. Because there is a 2 bird limit for Grouse, we try to have the same start day as huns and chukars so you can hunt another species if you get your grouse on the first part of your day. Doves are controlled by the Feds because they are a migratory bird. We want chukars to start later so we get some fall rains and they are no longer on the guzzlers.


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## SwedishCowboy (Sep 25, 2017)

Looks like I drew my sage grouse tag, Hopefully I can put all of this info to use.


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## Decoycarver24 (Aug 17, 2018)

Don't sleep in, the first 3 hours of day light are the prime time. 
See if you can find a water source the birds are using, they water at least 2 times a day.

Also don't listen to the "throw the bird out and eat the boot" crowd. Sage hen are perfectly edible, even the big roosters, as long as you gut em when you get em to hand.

By far sage hens are my favorite upland bird to hunt. If the season lasted as long as duck season I wouldn't hunt ducks any more.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Decoycarver24 said:


> Also don't listen to the "throw the bird out and eat the boot" crowd. Sage hen are perfectly edible, even the big roosters, as long as you gut em when you get em to hand.
> 
> By far sage hens are my favorite upland bird to hunt. If the season lasted as long as duck season I wouldn't hunt ducks any more.


Truer words may have never been spoken!

I've found success up on the top of the Raft River range and on a couple of the different WIA in Box Elder for sage grouse. Additionally, I've always found them on the very tops of the ridges or near areas with new/younger sage brush.

Best of luck!


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## trackerputnam (Dec 21, 2014)

I am driving all the way from Washington State to hunt them. Will be in Wyoming. I will happily chomp up my four sage chickens. And even if they don't taste like how my grandmother used to cook them I will still remember her cooking them in the kitchen. It's dark meat. Yep it has some sage taste to it also. But it's not garbage fair by any means. Clean them birds quickly and that will help. If you want to whet your whistle, watch this video of mine from a few years ago. The sage grouse are at the end.


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## SX3 (Jun 3, 2014)

Do a search in the recipe section under a thread called hunter-style sage grouse that Goob started. I have not tried his recipes for sage grouse but those of his that I have used have been terrific. There is a recipe in that thread under my previous name "Me and Annie" that I can vouch for. I purposely used big old roosters to disprove non-believers. Like most things done properly sage grouse can be excellent table fare. Try it you will love it.


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