Grouse! Let’s See Them

9-month old pup from early Sept.
After shooting my limit of forest grouse,instead of quartering in front,
she was popping wheelies behind me since there were birds in the backpack. Now at 10-months, pretty experienced chasing rooster pheasants and quartering out front.
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Winnie did her part on what would have been a third to limit out today, but that Grouse had a say in the matter and stayed low through the trees to prevent a shot. Cool air, whispy snow, happy pup. Rounding out the evening with grouse curry was the perfect way to warm back up!
 
Season for grouse doesn't even open up in NM until December. Seems strange when compared to other states. I'm guessing their numbers are too low?
 
Maybe my best grouse spot and stalk ever. Came home from a trip to the big city of Moscow, ID and then stopped at the mailbox to get the mail. There was a grouse on the driveway about halfway to the house, so 100 yards. Lined up exactly between me and my wife's RAV4.

I put the mail in the truck and grabbed my Ruger Mark II. I had to make a loop about 50 yards to the west of the bird into a creek gully to get a clean shooting lane and backstop. I popped my head up out of the creek and there was the bird. I came up out of the creek and closed to 30 yards when the bird started bobbing nervously.
I put the front sight on the top of bird's head and squeezed off. DiRT and OSOK.

MRS45 wasn't as impressed with my story of the greatest bird stalk ever, but I'm proud of it.
No postmortem pics. The bullet entered right at the base of the wishbone V. Exited through the spine. No meat damaged.

An hour later MRS and I are enjoying Panko Breaded Grouse Breast
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Why is everyone calling them duskies now? Is “blue” racist now or is “dusky” in vogue?
 
Why is everyone calling them duskies now? Is “blue” racist now or is “dusky” in vogue?
The name was officially changed by taxonomists some years ago. "Blue" grouse were divided into two separate species: Dusky Grouse (Rocky Mountains) and Sooty Grouse (Northwest).
 
The name was officially changed by taxonomists some years ago. "Blue" grouse were divided into two separate species: Dusky Grouse (Rocky Mountains) and Sooty Grouse (Northwest).

A few years ago I think Oregon F&W in the regulations had changed blue grouse to dusky grouse. But hunters didn't adopt the terminology, so F&W changed it back to "blue grouse". That's what I've always called them out of habit from hunting as a kid.
 
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