# Oh for 2 on grouse hunting so far.



## mjbarney12 (Feb 13, 2011)

I've been out twice, hoping to get my 6-month-old pup into some birds on her first couple of hunts...not so much. Not a single bird seen. Very frustrating. Went down Curtis Creek Road up on Monte Cristo yesterday for a couple hours. Nothing! Went through private land (we had permission) just south of Peterson (back side of farmington peak). Was hoping to run to into some ruffs but nada. This was on Opening day.

I saw some up behind and on top of willard peak two or three weeks ago so maybe I'll try up there next but if anyone wants to give a friendly tip to increase my odds, I'd be very grateful


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I talked to a member of the forum who is out hunting deer this weekend in one of my favorite grouse hunting areas, and he said he had only seen one bird!

Hopefully this next spring will have a better hatch


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

mjbarney12 said:


> I've been out twice, hoping to get my 6-month-old pup into some birds on her first couple of hunts...not so much. Not a single bird seen. Very frustrating. Went down Curtis Creek Road up on Monte Cristo yesterday for a couple hours. Nothing! Went through private land (we had permission) just south of Peterson (back side of farmington peak). Was hoping to run to into some ruffs but nada. This was on Opening day.
> 
> I saw some up behind and on top of willard peak two or three weeks ago so maybe I'll try up there next but if anyone wants to give a friendly tip to increase my odds, I'd be very grateful


Dont give up. I have a love hater relationship with blue grouse. I love chasing them but hate how they fool me.
I have a spot up by smith and morehouse that i have hunted for 15 years. SOme years i hunt 30 minutes and have my 4 birds and see 30 to 40 of them. SOmetimes i walk all day and see nothing and then get 100 yards from my truck and find a flock of five next to a pine tree i have walked by 5 different times. Just because you dont see them dont mean they are not there, Just need to be there at the right time and i have not figured out the right time. I just know if i keep going to the same place and hunting hard i always get into them. I havent made it out yet but plan on it about mid September when it starts cooling off considerably as thats when i have my best luck. Sometimes mornings are better and sometimes the evenings are. No matter if you get into the birds or not you cant beat going on a walk in the mountains with a gun on your shoulder.

DiverFreak


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I hunted all day Friday and half the day on Sat up on Curtis, walked miles and miles behind my dogs, only saw 2. Those crossed the road in front of me while I was driving home Friday evening, it wasn't dark yet, so I got out the dogs and ran those 2 down. Didn't see anything on Saturday.

I heard from a CO that it was a spotty year for them, sure seems like it.


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## stimmie78 (Dec 8, 2007)

I hunted Saturday in a location I've seen them and gotten some in years past. We didn't see a thing, but it could be that all the people on the mountain pushing cows scared a lot of critters out of the area. . .


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## grouse dog (Jul 20, 2011)

i think the very wet cold spring really messed up the hatch. it is going to be a tough year. one thing i would suggest is dont keep going back to a spot you do find a few birds in because if the birds are scarce and we shoot out a local population it will hurt future years in area. chances are we are hunting mostly last years birds which means it could have a hard impact on local area if it gets hunted too hard.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I have seen a few while elk hunting this year, but they have all been young birds. Not as many around it seems this year.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

scratched 2 this morning. hiked about 2 miles and saw nothing until we got back to the truck and saw 1 sitting on a stump, flushed him and shot, 5 more got up. 4 of the birds were very small, like quail small.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Fowlmouth said:


> scratched 2 this morning. hiked about 2 miles and saw nothing until we got back to the truck and saw 1 sitting on a stump, flushed him and shot, 5 more got up. 4 of the birds were very small, like quail small.


Dang late hatch. I wonder how they will fair this winter?

Glad to hear you got some


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Very late hatch, of course everything is about 3 weeks late this year with the hard winter we had. I have been elk hunting the last 3 weekends and haven't heard a bugle, I have seen elk and know they are there but no noise out of them yet. Also no color change on the leaves, even in the high country. I don't think I will try for grouse again until the first part of October.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

What little I've spent in forest grouse country up here this year, I would say next year may be worse. Didn't see any young birds. Couple of my buddies had mixed reviews. Wow, lots of Utah bird hunters up in Wyoming this year.


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## FC2Tuber (Oct 26, 2007)

Couple nice birds there!


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

I went up to a spot I've hunted in the past couple of years. Everything is late. The aspens show no hint of changing. I flushed one group of ~10 birds while my dog was off to my right. Killed one with the first shot at a grouse with a new gun. Very young, note the tail feathers either haven't filled in or I shot them off:










Had a few others flush wild, and didn't have the best dog work. I think it's going to be a pretty good year.


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## johnny (May 24, 2010)

paddler213 said:


> I went up to a spot I've hunted in the past couple of years. Everything is late. The aspens show no hint of changing. I flushed one group of ~10 birds while my dog was off to my right. Killed one with the first shot at a grouse with a new gun. Very young, note the tail feathers either haven't filled in or I shot them off:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Nice gun. I am a 16 gauge man as well.


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