Grouse Nirvana

November 8, 2010 Lock, Stock and Bedlam No Comments

After a long week hosting the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conservation Ed Training Academy I took the weekend to head out west with my father-in-law to chase grouse. We had a blast! I think grouse hunting is just plain awesome and truly enjoy chasing these psychotic sandhill chickens. You will walk a ton (like I need that kind of impact to my cholesterol level) but in some of the best scenery in the state. Grouse can pop up at any time and give you little warning but when their numbers are large it is a blast (yes pun intended).

Grouse can be a challenge for some and generally we have luck when the weather gets a bit cold and they tend to huddle up on the protected side of hills from the wind. On warmer days, the shady side of hills is best. They are not like pheasant and do not care for thick cover grass but rather favor more choppy sand hills with mixed grasses that have been thinned a bit by grazing. Give it a trip or two and you’ll get the hang of it.

We also enjoyed a bit of waterfowl in the sandhill potholes and of course had no intention of going through an entire pheasant opener without chasing them too! Life is good!

Get Em’ Out There

Rawly