A Generational Tradition of Hunting Sage Grouse

Memories of our childhood fade with every passing 12 months, finally turning into a figment of our perceived actuality. While I can’t recall lots of the particulars, a number of dusty old albums stuffed to the brim with images of my early searching experiences with my father and grandfather paint an in depth story of my deep-rooted searching heritage. However, there are a small handful of defining experiences in my younger years that I can nonetheless recall with readability many years later.

My tenth birthday, which conveniently coincided with opening weekend of sage grouse season, marked the primary day I might legally purchase a small-game searching license within the Cowboy State. For a young boy coming from a protracted lineage of hunters, I felt I had formally gone from a boy to a person, toting a shotgun of my very own throughout the huge sagebrush flats, walking parallel to my father and grandfather.

We obtained into loads of birds that day, however that was not by probability. My household’s long-standing custom of searching the long-lasting sage grouse on this area spans a number of generations. An gathered wealth of information, constructed over a number of many years, put us in a historic hotspot, and the chicken numbers that 12 months have been ample. Both my father and grandfather stuffed their every day restrict, which was three on the time, by early afternoon. I “killed” two birds within the morning, although if I used to be a betting man, I might wager that these birds fell to my father or grandfather’s patterns, who kindly disguised them as my very own. Regardless, I didn’t know any higher and also you couldn’t knock the sheepish grin off my chunky face.

Determined to fill my first restrict, we carried on behind the dogs, flushing a number of extra birds all through the afternoon. Shots have been fired, however these birds have been pretty protected with me behind the set off. Just because the solar started to set, the dogs flushed a brace of sage grouse on the sting of vary. With nothing to lose and desperation seeping in, I shouldered my 20-gauge and pulled the set off. By a small miracle, one of many fleeing birds was struck by a golden BB, folding from the sky and placing an exclamation mark on a big day. I nonetheless keep in mind the colourful pink and orange hues of the setting sky, and I can nonetheless recall the dialog that my dad and I had walking again to the truck that night. For a 10-year-old boy, life was pretty much as good because it will get.

Grouse Camp, The One Constant

Fast ahead 23 years and lots has modified. Several unbelievable chicken dogs have come and gone. My grandfather is not with us, although each on occasion I can nonetheless hear his contagious snort as I comply with behind chicken dogs of my very own. My father is now a grandfather, and I’ve two little ones of my very own. However, one remaining fixed throughout that point is our innate pull to the broad expanses of sagebrush nation that the mighty sage grouse name home each September.

Last season marked the primary time that I used to be capable of take my very own son, Hudson, with us searching sage grouse, as my father had finished with me many, many years in the past. As excited as I used to be to take my son, I think about it was equally as particular to my father to see the subsequent technology becoming a member of in on the household custom. My spouse and 1-year-old daughter, in addition to my youngest brother additionally joined us that day. For those who have hunted with children, that they current a novel set of challenges. Luckily, and terrifying on the similar time, my son desires nothing greater than to be like his dad, blindly following me all over the place I’m going and mimicking my each transfer. I knew this hunt could be totally different just because I might not have the flexibility to lace up the boots and canopy nation like I usually do, however the basic rules and pleasure of searching these sage loving birds remained the identical.

Sage Grouse Hunting Tactics and Traditions

Given the arid areas that the sage grouse name home, and the truth that most seasons take place throughout the warmth of September, you possibly can wager that sage grouse shall be tied to a water supply. During the primary hour or two of daylight, it’s not unusual to catch sage grouse inside a pair hundred yards of water.

Sage grouse aren’t usually present in excessive densities, so coveys are scattered, usually a number of miles aside. Since I might be searching with my three-year-old, our plan was to spend loads of time behind the steering wheel, strategically bouncing from water supply to water supply in hopes of finding birds to pursue so I might protect what little gasoline he had in his tank to comply with alongside behind me and the dogs.

As is usually the case when searching with children, we have been working late. The morning dawn had already given technique to blue skies by the point we lastly bumped down the dusty two-track to a water supply that sage grouse have frequented for a lot of years. My two Labs, Hoyt and Grizz, started pacing within the again seat as quickly the tires hit dust, and the children have been greater than able to get out of the truck after a pair hours of driving. Conveniently coinciding with Hudson insisting he wanted a potty break, I noticed the primary birds of the day. Four sage grouse slipped into the tall sagebrush. I drove one other 200 yards down the street, let the children get their wiggles out, and turned the dogs into the wind again in the direction of the place we had seen the birds.

Walking by way of waist-high, dense sagebrush is close to unattainable for a three-year-old so we fell behind the pack. However, the birds had not gone far, and my dad dusted the primary chicken of the morning with the dogs in scorching pursuit. Shortly after, Hoyt and Grizz obtained birdy, flushing a pair of sage grouse effectively inside vary. The sheer dimension of those birds impedes their skill to stand up and out shortly and each pictures from my 20-gauge Browning Citori discovered their mark, filling my every day restrict of two birds. Hudson, who was 40 or so yards behind me, kicked up a mud path as he got here working in the direction of me with pure pleasure because the dogs retrieved the downed birds. They say an image is value a thousand phrases. I might disagree. For me, the images that my proficient spouse captured of that particular second of a cherished custom being handed on to the subsequent technology are invaluable past financial worth.

More Tips for Hunting Sage Grouse

With every passing 12 months, I discover myself appreciating the alternatives to hunt these particular birds an increasing number of. Unlike many different upland species, sage grouse aren’t tied to agriculture. For the adventurous upland hunter, this implies a DIY sage grouse hunt is a doable endeavor with the overwhelming majority of sage grouse being scattered throughout tens of millions of acres of our public land. With that stated, sage grouse are simply one of the crucial closely regulated upland species within the West. Short seasons and restricted every day bag limits are the norm, and states like Utah require potential hunters to use by way of a random draw for the small handful of permits which are given there annually. There are huntable populations of sage grouse in most states throughout the West, however Wyoming is King by way of sage grouse numbers and alternative.

Populations unquestionably eb and movement, however by and huge the sage grouse numbers that we now have seen in recent years have been encouraging, and searching alternatives have been plentiful. In truth, I might argue that the final two years have produced the best chicken numbers that I’ve seen within the final decade.

While not unattainable, these giant coveys of sage grouse are notoriously troublesome to get inside vary of. However, sage grouse do generally tend to stagger their flush, permitting the alert hunter to shortly shut the hole on the preliminary rise and sometimes choose off a straggler or two. I’ve at all times hunted sage grouse with Labradors with out issues, however the skill to have a pointer point out birds forward at distances of fifty yards or extra might definitely be helpful when searching giant coveys. Once the covey is damaged into smaller teams, or singles and pairs, they turn into a lot simpler to get inside vary of as they are going to usually hunker down and depend on their uncanny camouflage to evade hazard. Unfortunately for them, they can not escape the nostril of chicken canine.

Scouting for Sage Grouse

If a sage grouse is in your bucket listing—and it needs to be—begin by learning distribution maps and making telephone calls to native biologists. Do not ask for hotspots when making these calls, fairly ask how total chicken numbers are doing and the kind of terrain and vegetation that you need to focus your time and a focus on. Once you will have recognized an space that you simply wish to hunt, scour over maps, determine native water sources, and get to work. Exploring and discovering the areas that these birds inhabit is all a part of the expertise.

A Word of Caution for Hunters

I might be mendacity if I stated I wasn’t just a little bit nervous in regards to the impact that the extreme winter that blasted a lot of the West final 12 months goes to have on chicken numbers. Nothing has been formally launched on the time of writing this text, however I’m betting that chicken numbers shall be down in comparison with years previous in lots of areas. Be cognizant of total chicken numbers. In areas the place numbers are down, take one or two much less grouse and take an lively function within the preservation of those outstanding birds.

In one other 23 years, I do know that a lot will change. As a lot because it hurts to even take into consideration, my beloved chicken dogs shall be gone, changed by others that in some way will fill the empty void and convey the enjoyment and satisfaction that solely a well-trained chicken canine can do. But most significantly, God prepared, I’ll have instilled a love for searching and the outside in my kids. And, with just a little luck, I’ll get to witness them passing on the revered custom of searching these iconic birds onto kids of their very own.