# ptarmigan 2012



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

gdog and I went up to Eyekantelyadanameofda Mountain on this year's White-tailed Ptarmigan (WTP) hunt. It goes without saying that our packs weighed 75 lbs (uh...mine weighed around 50) and we walked 11 miles (uh...4 to 5) into ptarmigan country. 










There was a crazy moon:









gdog's tent at sundown:








I slept on the ground.

The first day of hunting we walked 10 miles according to gdog's GPS. (That seems like a lame number, I should change it). And we found enough WTP feathers to re-create a bird.









It's steep   :








Man, I love that picture.

Gabagool, provolone cheese and crackers, apples, even fried fox squirrel, for supper:









The birds were running thru camp at sun-up on the second morning:









gdog shot a couple in camp while I was trying to sleep. His shoes weren't even tied:


















A little while later, while having coffee, a flock of WTP flew into camp nosily clucking and cackling so gdog and I shot a mess of them to shut them up.....and then went back to drinking coffee:









Both of us had 28 gauge shot guns and of course, no dogs. We took the normal 1,128 condescending hero-shot pictures, most of which show the horizon and are out-of-focus, so there's no sense in posting them. 









Food is limited in their normal habitat for this time of year. The birds were down low, eating small seeds and willows:









Good weather, good equipment, and good company.


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## leviwin (Dec 7, 2011)

Looks like fun. I'm headed out again next weekend hopefully this time I'll find some birds.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Thanks for the invite Goob! jk

Looks like a nice trip and good company


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## flyfitch (Sep 22, 2007)

Too darn awesome. Great post. I'm jealous.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

We set up camp at treeline on a bench between 2 rock ledges. I sleep on the ground if the weather is nice. About dawn of the second day some birds woke me up. I told myself "I don't recognize that bird song. Wouldn't that be cool if they were ptarmigan?" And then I fell back to sleep, only to be awakened by gunshots. I think the 2 birds my buddy shot walked right by me as I slept next to some krummholtz!

The ptarmigan weren't clucking, they were calling one another; like a "hail" call.


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## silverkitten73 (Sep 20, 2007)

Excellent post!


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Nice! Glad you guys had some fun and got into some of those high country birds.

Thanks for sharing.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

dang goob that looks like a lot of fun


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Awesome report. Looks like a ton of fun and you got a few of those things as well. 

How was the fishing?


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## gpskid (Jul 24, 2012)

Really Nice report and nice pics
Not sure about the fun these guys are talkiin about, my hunt was alot of pain :lol: 
Your in better shape than I was.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Catherder said:


> Awesome report. Looks like a ton of fun and you got a few of those things as well.
> 
> How was the fishing?


I didn't go fishing. This was strictly a business trip.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

It's easy to walk right by them. They get up alongside a rock and just freeze like in this 1997 picture:


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## grousehunter (Sep 11, 2007)

I was going to hunt them this year but I traded a trip to the winds instead. I will try them next year, thanks for sharing.


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