Sharp-tailed Grouse

[Hemorrhage]

I have to say my favorite bird to hunt is the Sharp-tailed Grouse. I think because I get no competition where I hunt. Anybody else love them?

 

[1_pointer]

Was hoping to chase them this year, but other hunts got in the way! I here there's quite a few between Oakley, ID and Snowville, UT.

 

[Ithaca 37]

Never hunted them. Sounds like fun though and I'd like to try. I hear they don't taste very good. All dark meat.

 

[Nemont]

I love to hunt them because the season starts so much early and I can tune up for pheasznts. As for eating they can be a little gamey but if you know how to cook them up they aren't too bad.

Nemont

[ 10-06-2004, 16:37: Message edited by: Nemont ]

 

[Idaho_Smiley]

I think they taste just fine and what I like about them is there are a lot of doubles and they are not to fast so even I can make a few doubles a day .

 

[Hemorrhage]

Hey, Smiley. I grew up in Rigby. Graduated in 88. You probably hunt sharpies same places I do.

 

[D4570]

OK another sharpy hunter!

They are fun, very similar to pheasants and they taste a lot like pheasants too. Montana the season runs from sept 1st to December 15th, thats a lot of hunting!!!

[ 10-22-2004, 09:25: Message edited by: D4570 ]

 

[Idaho Ron]

I love to hunt sharpies! I also think they are one of the BEST eating birds. I think I might even like them better than pheasant or blue grouse.
Hemorrhage, and Idaho smiley. What are the populations looking like? Ron

 

[wilecoyote76]

I saw a ton of sharpies while deer/elk hunting this year. Those freakin' birds always know how to screw up perfect stalks on deer!! Probably saw about a hundred of them in a few days time.

 

[Idaho Ron]

Wilecoyote76, Are you sure they were sharp-tail? Ron

 

[wilecoyote76]

Ron, I am positive they were. I don't care for the meat so I don't hunt them. Where we hunt deer here in Idaho, there are tons of those dang birds. In years past, I have seen groups of birds with as many as 50 and seeing 200 sharpies in a day. I also saw a few big sage hens this year too but they are closed to hunting.

 

[Hemorrhage]

Ron, I think they are doing great. I saw many last year in Idaho hunting deer also, but didn't hunt them seriously. As long as CRP stays around they'll do well. I can't get get back to hunt them this year but will next year.

 

[1_pointer]

A buddy was deer hunting the Hansel Mtns, last year and said they saw lots of sharpies.

 

[Big Sky]

Yup I like them. I think sometimes they don't like me as much as I like them though. Here's a photo from last season you may like if you are a sharp-tail fan.

 

[Hemorrhage]

That is a very cool picture. I'm excited to hunt them again next year. What's the bag limit there in MT? It's only two in ID with a four posession limit.

 

[Big Sky]

The limit here is 4.

 

[Idaho_Smiley]

The sharp population is doing really well along with the huns atleast in the areas that I go . And Hemmorrage , I probably do hunt the same areas you used to go Ririe area . I have only been here since 92 and have been hunting the birds since .

 

[Idaho Ron]

I love to eat sharptails but they are a bit rich for some peoples taste. I hunted around Ririe last year and I got one bird in 3 days. I went to Montana and shot 4 birds per day for 5 days. Montana has a different type of sharptail than we do but they taste, act, look, and sound the same as ours. Ron

 

[Hemorrhage]

I actually never hunted by Ririe although I grew up near there. I hunted several hours south.

It looks like Montana is a better place for sharpies. I'll probably try it next year. Any suggestions? I assume any block management lands in CRP are a safe bet?

 

[Idaho Ron]

We had good luck in Montana about everywhere we went that had block management. Same went for pheasants. Ron