First BP Shotgun Grouse

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

9/20/15

Well, it wasn't much of one, but I got one! In total, the 3 of us shot 2 dusky grouse over 8 days of hunting.

It was really dry up there and the forest service was nice enough to run a dozer through the trails and that let all of the yuppie "Hunters" get into the good places and set up camp in the hunting areas we've had great luck in. These guys actually think they can park in a field and have elk run across their hoods or something

In total we saw 5 grouse, 2 of which are in the freezer. We got a whole lot more meat in the cooler, but thats a story for another day

I busted this one in a tree at around 40 yards, I aimed a little high as I knew she patterns a little low at this kind of distance and squeezed the trigger. Wings went flyin and flappin down the tree until she hit the ground!

CVA Hawken .12g with full choke
70gr Jim Shockeys Gold Super Powder.
over powder card, lubed wad and 1oz 7 1/2 shot

A great deal of shot hit her square in the head.

 

[pab1]

Congrats and welcome to TMF!

 

[Patocazador]

Good deal!

Are dusky grouse the same as blue grouse?

 

[Boomerang]

Good Job! Looks like fun. :hatsoff:

 

[pab1]

Are dusky grouse the same as blue grouse?

Yes they are. Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks tried recognizing them as dusky grouse in either the 2013 or 2014 Upland Game Bird Regulations. I noticed they once again refer to them as blue grouse in the 2015 regs. Kind of like when the movement was underway to get us to adopt the metric system. Too set in our ways. :wink:

 

[pab1]

Are dusky grouse the same as blue grouse?

Yes they are. Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks tried recognizing them as dusky grouse in either the 2013 or 2014 Upland Game Bird Regulations. I noticed they once again refer to them as blue grouse in the 2015 regs. Kind of like when the movement was underway to get us to adopt the metric system. Too set in our ways. :wink:

I should point out that they were originally labeled dusky grouse. The name was changed to blue grouse a long time ago and it stuck.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well done guys.

What is that powder?

B.

 

[Patocazador]

Are dusky grouse the same as blue grouse?

Yes they are. Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks tried recognizing them as dusky grouse in either the 2013 or 2014 Upland Game Bird Regulations. I noticed they once again refer to them as blue grouse in the 2015 regs. Kind of like when the movement was underway to get us to adopt the metric system. Too set in our ways. :wink:

I should point out that they were originally labeled dusky grouse. The name was changed to blue grouse a long time ago and it stuck.

I never knew them by any other name than blue grouse but they're closer to a slate-gray color so dusky probably describes them better ... or "dumbbell" grouse. :grin:

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Good hunting. Nuthin better than shooting birds with a muzzleloader.

Is that a 12ga barrel on a rifle? Just curious.

GW

 

[pab1]

... or "dumbbell" grouse. :grin:

You're not thinking of spruce/franklins grouse (aka fool hens) are you? Of the three species in this area spruce are the least wary. Every now and then you still get one that's less cautious but blues are usually not as cooperative. In my experience ruffed grouse usually fall somewhere between them.

 

[Patocazador]

Spruce grouse are extremely stupid but my limited experience with both blues and ruffed grouse in western mountainous areas led me to the conclusion that they are extremely naive when it comes to hunters.

I once shot 4 blue grouse from the top of the same log with a .38 snubnose while elk hunting. One would hop up on the log and I'd pop it. Repeated until all 4 were ready for the pot.

 

[pab1]

I once shot 4 blue grouse from the top of the same log with a .38 snubnose while elk hunting. One would hop up on the log and I'd pop it. Repeated until all 4 were ready for the pot.

I've had a blue occasionally act like that. Having 4 together act like that is something else! It seems anymore like most of the blues I encounter are much more wary.

 

[wattlebuster]

Good deal :hatsoff:

 

[sidelock]

I have not seen anything like that, but many times in elk camp (as the cook) I would say OK guys chicken night and every one would come back at dark with one or two fool hens (not blues) all killed with a stick. As for name changes I'll stick with the ones I have know, like Blue Grouse and the Water Ozzle (named by Indians, read Ted R.) rather than dipper.

 

[hoochiepapa]

We call them dipsy doodles.

 

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Good hunting. Nuthin better than shooting birds with a muzzleloader.

Is that a 12ga barrel on a rifle? Just curious.

GW

Yup, I bought a CVA Hawken kit that had both a 54cal barrel and the 12g shotgun barrel. I built up the rifle, sold it and kept the 12g barrel for my own personal CVA Hawken which wears a 32" .58cal barrel.

One of the best rifles I've owned so far and the shotgun barrel was just a huge bonus.

Powder I used was Jim Shockeys Gold super powder in 2fg granulation. It's made by American Pioneer but goes through more screening for better consistency.

In Colorado, these grouse are known as Blue/Dusky Grouse.

 

[pab1]

As for name changes I'll stick with the ones I have know, like Blue Grouse and the Water Ozzle (named by Indians, read Ted R.) rather than dipper.

I got curious about why they were pushing for them to be recognized as dusky grouse again after having been called blue grouse for so long. I found an article that explains why. There's a similar species known as sooty grouse that have a limited range along the west coast. The two species have been lumped together as blue grouse but in 2006 they began recognizing each by their original names. It really only seems to be an issue in states/provinces that have both species. That might be why Montana listed them as dusky in the regs for a year or two and then went back to calling them blue grouse.

Here's the article.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/research/projects/grouse/dusky_sooty/

 

[robinsroost]

Wow! Nice photos and a nice narrative, congratulations.......robin :bow:

 

[ny griz]

:hatsoff: Nice :thumbsup: Griz

 

[robinsroost]

Wow! Nice photos and a nice narrative, congratulations.......robin :bow: