# Oak Brush and Grouse



## chumblefish (Aug 28, 2017)

I've been out a few times in the last couple of weeks grouse hunting. I've found that as I'm driving into a new (or old) area I always keep on driving until I'm well past any oak brush because i've never seen it on the list of ideal habitat (pines, aspens, snow berries etc.) Anyone have any experience seeing grouse down lower where there is still oak brush or am i right to ignore those areas?


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

I've only hunted UT grouse a handful of times, but have found them in the oaks....


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have found lots of them down in the scrub oaks and brush way before the pines and aspens. 

They will be where ever they find food.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

In Utah, I shoot 90% of my ruffies in oak scrub or oaks mixed with cottonwoods. I don't think I've shot more than a handful of duskies in the oaks though.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

johnnycake said:


> In Utah, I shoot 90% of my ruffies in oak scrub or oaks mixed with cottonwoods. I don't think I've shot more than a handful of duskies in the oaks though.


+1. Killed lots of ruffed grouse in oakbrush. Only seen blues in deep dark pines.

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have actually found a lot of dusky down in the sagebrush a quarter mile away from the nearest tree. And quite a few ruffels up in the pines, the first one that I ever killed was right in the middle of the pines up White River. 

I decided a long time ago that they are where you find them.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Critter said:


> I have actually found a lot of dusky down in the sagebrush a quarter mile away from the nearest tree. And quite a few ruffels up in the pines, the first one that I ever killed was right in the middle of the pines up White River.
> 
> I decided a long time ago that they are where you find them.


There is a lot of truth to that last statement, and is why I didn't put absolutes in my post.

I've shot a number of ruffies in aspens and pines, some in sage, but the vast majority were in oaks, mixed oaks/cottonwoods, and cottonwood/willows right next to small creeks. I've shot a few duskies in the oaks, more in sage near aspens and pines, and most of them on stretches of gravel in dark timber. They are wherever they want to be, and definitely don't follow "rules" to a T.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Critter said:


> They will be where ever they find food.


This^^^

Find what they eat and hunt those areas.

Depending on the time of year, their diet will fluctuate. You may find birds in one area early in the season, and then they have moved on to another food source later in the season.

I think its best to make a mental note of what birds are eating each time you shoot one and what time of year it was when you shot the bird.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

+1 on the food sources.

There are a few areas I know of that blues exist pretty much year round in the scrub oak and maples. Ruffies down in the maple draws.

However, I do shoot far more blues in the pines and aspens at higher elevation.


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## Wasatch Wings (Sep 29, 2015)

The ones we shot last week were on the side of a sagebrush and scrub oak hillside far away from pines or any big tree. They have still been out on those more open hillsides eating the grasshoppers all morning.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Wasatch Wings said:


> The ones we shot last week were on the side of a sagebrush and scrub oak hillside far away from pines or any big tree. They have still been out on those more open hillsides eating the grasshoppers all morning.


Gosh, that almost sounds like chuckars.

I honestly haven't ever found grasshoppers in the grouse I have shot that I can remember. Every season I see grasshoppers and think they'd be an excellent food source but have yet to jump a bird in the areas full of hoppers.

Good to know that it really happens!


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I quit calling them "pine hens" and started calling them oak hens years ago......
That's where I find them most of the time. 
They like to hang along the seam where the quakies and the oak meet a lot as well.


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## chumblefish (Aug 28, 2017)

wow. Thanks so much for all the feedback. I had no idea... honestly all i've ever seen in the oak brush is turkey so now i know i need to go look around a little more and explore some new areas. The idea that they might hang out around in areas with oak brush certainly opens up alot of places I could check out closer to home...


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## Slap That Quack (Mar 2, 2017)

Yep, I've busted a bunch of duskies and ruffies in the oak brush


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