The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 2: Small Game and Fowl by Steven Rinella

Author:Steven Rinella [Rinella, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9780812987058
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2015-11-30T23:00:00+00:00

A blue grouse hunter heads into the hills after duskies. In this particular area, the best locations are the highest ridgelines. Credit 3.40

Typical sooty grouse country. Notice the differences between dusky and sooty grouse habitat. Credit 3.170

Brody Henderson’s pointer with a couple of Colorado dusky grouse. For a dog to be useful on a blue grouse hunt, it needs to be well disciplined. Credit 3.41

Dogs can be helpful when hunting blue grouse, but they can also be a hindrance. Blue grouse hunting requires a lot of walking in steep country; dogs that are out of shape or that have soft feet can ruin a trip in a hurry. Remember, too, that blue grouse don’t hide. Many pointers who can hold a point on a bird that they can merely smell do not have the discipline to hold a point on a bird that’s standing right in front of them in plain sight. They’ll often charge the bird and flush it. That’s fine if it’s a close-working dog, but it’s trouble if the dog is ranging out ahead at 75 yards. If you do have access to a good, mellow pointer who understands the idiosyncrasies of the blue grouse, it’s a definite asset. Likewise with a flushing dog who likes to work close to its handler.

Many blue grouse hunters use a .22, preferring to take head and neck shots on standing or perching birds. The birds can also be hunted with archery equipment. Flu-flu arrows are a good bet, as they allow you to take shots into the trees without losing every arrow you shoot. Tip the arrows with hard rubber blunts or any of the small game heads that are available from archery shops. If you flush a bird while hunting with a .22 or a bow, watch and listen for where it lands. You can often find them again and make another attempt at a standing shot. When using a shotgun, #7½ shot works very well. Go with modified or improved cylinder chokes. Do not aim directly at a standing bird; rather, aim high in order to minimize damage to the meat. If you prefer the challenge of a flushed bird, walk directly toward any standing birds that you see in order to get them to flush. If a bird is in a tree, try flinging a stick to get it to fly.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOOTY AND DUSKY GROUSE

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