Chasing Blues

We made it a goal this year to really focus on early season grouse hunting. With Piper being pregnant, we wanted to take advantage of as much of the September and early October hunting opportunities as possible. Here in Washington, that means forest grouse.

After a couple of unproductive outings in the thick undergrowth of the temperate rainforest that we call home, we decided to head over the crest of the Cascades to the dry side of the mountains. We studied maps and satellite images to pick a few forested public areas that seemed promising for both Ruffed and Dusky Grouse.

Just a few miles and several switchbacks up the first forest road, we had our very first grouse encounter. A pair of Duskies were starting to cross the logging road when we came rolling up. Joe hit the brakes and put the truck into reverse. We crept backward out of sight and looked at each other. What now? Excitement got the better of me and I hopped out of the truck, grabbed my gun, and tiptoed through the woods. Feeling a bit like Elmer Fudd, I swiveled my head back and forth as I stalked through the pines. Sure enough, two grouse leapt up out of thin air and flushed in opposite directions. I stood, slack-jawed, as I watched one sail across my field of view and into a distant tree. I later told myself that it was WAY too far away to shoot, but in reality, I was just paralyzed by the rush of the new experience.

Since this location seemed promising, we set off from the truck and walked the ridge in a large loop. Other than re-flushing the grouse out of its tree perch, we didn’t encounter any other birds in this area. It was quickly getting warm and we worried about pushing Piper too hard, so we went back to the truck and continued our drive through the National Forest.

The day continued in much the same way - drive to a new spot, hike in a big loop, and flush a few birds. We moved a total of eleven grouse before finally getting an opportunity to shoot. Right as the end of shooting light was approaching, a young bird crossed our path and froze when he realized his mistake. His exit wasn’t fast enough and I was lucky enough to connect. Piper had a flawless retrieve to hand - a perfect way to end our first day chasing blue grouse.