09-12-2005, 04:24 PM
I took my father in law up Daniels Canyon. We saw a lot of other hunters up there, some with dogs (we didn't have one), but only one other group said that had seen just 1 and taken him. We hiked way up into the higher pines and my Father in law shot his first grouse ever, a little ruffed grouse.
We continued on up to the summit and saw 1 doe but that was it. On the way back down through some pines, we saw two HUGE blue grouse, of course one gave me a heart attack when it flushed in thick cover and I couldn't get a shot off. Then I saw another one a ways up the game trail I was following, which was about to bolt into the thick underbrush. I took a shot, he hit the dirt and I started walking up to get him when he jumped up and took off into the brush. I didn't shoot again since I thought he was hit hard, but when I went up there we searched for like half an hour and couldn't find him. Didn't see a feather or and blood either, so I'm not sure if I just nicked him and he survived or if I missed and he just hit the dirt, and then took off. I hope I missed because I hate to see one wounded and left behind.
We finally gave up the search and went looking for the one that flew off. Suddenly, it jumped out of a pine tree above my F.I.L.'s head, scaring him to death. He couldn't get a shot off through the thick pine boughs, so we let him get away for another day. That's all we saw, a lot fewer birds than last year. I think the wet spring had a big impact on the nesting, combined with a good water year there is plenty of food and water so the birds are really spread out this year I think.
It was tons of fun though, and I got my father in law back into hunting after almost 35 years!!
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We continued on up to the summit and saw 1 doe but that was it. On the way back down through some pines, we saw two HUGE blue grouse, of course one gave me a heart attack when it flushed in thick cover and I couldn't get a shot off. Then I saw another one a ways up the game trail I was following, which was about to bolt into the thick underbrush. I took a shot, he hit the dirt and I started walking up to get him when he jumped up and took off into the brush. I didn't shoot again since I thought he was hit hard, but when I went up there we searched for like half an hour and couldn't find him. Didn't see a feather or and blood either, so I'm not sure if I just nicked him and he survived or if I missed and he just hit the dirt, and then took off. I hope I missed because I hate to see one wounded and left behind.
We finally gave up the search and went looking for the one that flew off. Suddenly, it jumped out of a pine tree above my F.I.L.'s head, scaring him to death. He couldn't get a shot off through the thick pine boughs, so we let him get away for another day. That's all we saw, a lot fewer birds than last year. I think the wet spring had a big impact on the nesting, combined with a good water year there is plenty of food and water so the birds are really spread out this year I think.
It was tons of fun though, and I got my father in law back into hunting after almost 35 years!!
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