Rocky Mountain Grouse - Scouting begins..

[David Safris]

The Grouse season starts in a quick five weekends up here so I decided to try a few new areas to see what we could kick up. Got up a few single males and a couple of broods that are still together. The first year birds look small. I wonder if some late snow in the spring set them back a few weeks. Just enough summer rain has the flowers popping still. Tried two spots between 8,500 and 9,500 feet. both had birds and we put up ten in total in two outings most would have been tough shooting but a few would have found the pot i think. Had to like the guy that flushed up and sat in a tree posing. Don't do that next time I see you! hah. There is still snow in the high peaks above us and might make it to the first new snows.. Some photos, a blister from new boots -dang , and some tired dogs. nice.

[Garry L Gordon]

Beautiful scenery.

Just wondering what the temperature and humidity was. Here it’s over 90 for both. Definitely not scouting weather.

[David Safris]

Beautiful scenery.

Just wondering what the temperature and humidity was. Here it’s over 90 for both. Definitely not scouting weather.

Great question - with the altitude we are already in the low 40's overnight and highs in low 70's. Humidity is currently low 20% . I left at about 7:00Am to get out early and wrapped before 11AM.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Great looking dogs and beautiful horizons. Here in West Virginia which was once a storied grouse mecca, that might be a whole seasons worth of flushes.
Keep us posted and envious as your season commences.

[Garry L Gordon]

Oh, for cooler temperatures and lower humidity!

[Lloyd McKissick]

This really gets me going, thankyou!

http://i.imgur.com/R50K2i6h.jpg (https://imgur.com/R50K2i6)

http://i.imgur.com/uqeVUvZh.jpg?1 (https://imgur.com/uqeVUvZ)

The ruffies of the Great White North have spoiled me a bit but I still remember chasing "Blues" out here. All my old coverts have mostly been run over (by all the growth on the Front Range) but... I surely appreciate the reminder of those fun past hunts.

It used to be birds in the morning and then trout in the afternoon on those "opening" weekends.

http://i.imgur.com/jR1QGomh.jpg?1 (https://imgur.com/jR1QGom)
Tricos!

http://i.imgur.com/SvgZnExh.jpg (https://imgur.com/SvgZnEx)

[David Safris]

Fantastic photos Lloyd - though I may have progessed to the - Grouse in the morning - Nap in the afternoon - phase of life.

[Lloyd McKissick]

Fear not David....I appreciate a good nap now and then too.

[David Safris]

Well Grouse season scouting was so promising - and then I managed to get a little run of bad luck -

Got Covid just before the opening and man does that do a number on me. I was out of commission for a good while and no thought of hiking at 9,500 feet for Grouse. That behind me I finally got out for some short outings.. but . No birds to be found.

Not sure if they got hunted out while i was sick or if the cold wet weather had them hunkered down but we got blanked our first attempts.

I finally got my first grouse with a Parker on our third outing. I think the dogs were a bit frustrated by a lot of hunting and not a lot of birds and they got in a fight over the dang Grouse.

In my haste to get to them I banged the stock of the Parker on a log and it popped the wrist just like that. dang. done. So i sorted the dogs and just sat for a while trying to re focus on the big picture.

I shipped the Parker off to Will Brothers Restoration to see what they can do- and got back out there with a 28Gauge caesar geurini - it's taken a few more grouse in the last week. I found them walking a power line that goes through a nice area right at 9,500 feet or so. The grouse hit the kitchen where my wife worked her magic.

Grouse wrapped in Prosciutto with apricot and orange glaze and zucchini from the garden. Hoping for a few more grouse and then heading after some Pheasant in October... life. what a ride.

[Lloyd McKissick]

That is a hard one. I was just in Ireland recently and think I brought back Irish Covid. Man was I dragging around for a while. And then...to wreck the stock on your gun? That is harsh. I'm not sure how well I'd handle that one.

[Dean Romig]

Are we seeing a mega-hatch over the river in your previous picture where you’re fishing or is it graininess in the pic??





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[Lloyd McKissick]

Dean:

Those are spinning tricorythodes mayflies. The "spinning" is their mating dance. Afterwhich the females fall upon the waters surface with their wings outstretched, or "spent".

Not sure where the males end up, likely at the bar.

[Dean Romig]

Yes Thanks. I have seen Trico hatches like that - that’s why I asked. Once upon a time I was pretty adept at tying Trico imitations on size 24 hooks but today neither my eyes nor my fingers are up to the task.





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[Lloyd McKissick]

Yeah, my challenges are starting there as well.

[John Dallas]

A friend of mine ties tricos down to size 30.

[Dean Romig]

Anything beyond 24’s was beyond my fat fingers’ abilities.





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[John Dallas]

I've got a magnifying lense on my tying bench, but I can't carry it into the river. Brother Tatman know Glen also. When tricos are on Glen fishes a Paul Young 7 foot 3 weight Midge bamboo rod that I suspect is worth as much as some of our good guns

[Steven Groh]

A friend of mine ties tricos down to size 30.

A masochist, no doubt:eek:

[John Dallas]

Not bad for a guy who is about 84 years old.

[David Safris]

Managed a trip to the western slope to shoot at Black Canyon Wing and Clay in Delta, CO - They have an impressive amount of land for paid Pheasant hunting. They had an early season deal on putting out hens. Dogs dont care either way so I loaded up and drove over. I had a little thing for 16 gauge the last year - bought this nice D grade off the forum a few months back and took over a Browning A5 - sweet 16 ( I love that gun !) - I went three for three on the fist birds and then fell back to earth shooting ahh .... not well. Early in the crisp morning the birds held pretty tight. Later they were running all over heck and the shot distances were climbing rapidly and my success rate was not good.. Dogs had a blast though and I guess that's why we hunt. otherwise it would be called shopping. Enjoy some pictures of the drive over and the dogs in the field.

[David Safris]

If you are on the fence on a new Browning this season - i'd give this a look. At this price point I couldnt be happier with it. Comes in a nice enough hard case for throwing in the truck, extra but plate spacers for at him LOP adjustments - can just be seen upper right in first picture. I bought RST shells for the Parker and a regular hunting load of 6's for the A5. Both dropped 'em fast (if you mount the gun properly and hit them to begin with. cant blame the guns on my misses)