NW MT Grouse Monitoring Report

[Ben Long]

Saturday morning spent in the ruffed grouse coverts. Two hunters. Two dogs. Two flushes. Two shots. Two birds. Definitely ain't like last year. What are others seeing?

 

[LuckyMike]

Not really NW Montana. Helena area. Spent one afternoon and the next morning hunting Blue Grouse in a couple of my favorite spots high in the Big Belts. Only flushed one and got one on each of my outings. Normally I would see half a dozen or more in each of these spots. Don't know why.

 

[Nameless Range]

I have had about the opposite experience so far this year in West Central Montana.

I have been slaying them in the Elkhorns, and earlier this week while bow hunting near Lincoln ran into them numerous times. My brother has been limiting out regularly in the Southern Madison range as well.

I can't think of any reason or weather event that would've dropped their numbers this year. Maybe that really bad cold snap we had early last December, Or the heavy snow we got late this winter? Maybe Northwest Montana got it worse .Would that even affect them? I know very little about grouse other than that they taste amazing in broccoli cheese hot pockets.

 

[idnative1948]

Up scouting on this past Friday. They seem to be doing okay in our area. Guessing two mild winter/springs in a row has helped.

 

[Ben Long]

I've heard a lot of explanations for grouse cycling, but I don't know for sure. Lots of it depends on brood survival, obviously. Cold wet springs are hard on chicks, I'm told. I've read that southward migrations of accipters (goshawks and Cooper's hawks) can also influence cycles, though that sounds sketchy to me. Then there's simple statistics. I have may be at the wrong place at the wrong time...