Sage grouse are out this year SO Sharp tail here we come...

[slugger]

It's Just the right thing to do.
Sage hen are in trouble there is no dought. Hunting pressure In my mind is little or no fault. Ag practices is the major problem here but with the FWP headed by a commission of all rancher and farmers, we will never address it and save them. A huge part of MT was closed to hunting them this year but in there wisdom the Main breading areas and the corp of there population was left open to hunting them, how does that make any sense? Anyway we are going to give them a brake this year and concentrate on Sharp tail and huns the first of September. If we don't get our first freeze a dove season ender before it open we may have to shoot some of those feathered pin pong balls too. I have that Monday off and plan a relatively close hunt out In some of our coyote country. I have been seeing a BUNCH of grouse out that way. This spring we marked 10 different Leks , not that there on the dancing grounds now but there still in the area I'm sure. Early season in this heat tends to put sharp tail in very loose flocks scattered all over just random grass and brush, as the weather turns more "Fall" they tend to tighten up in to closer groups and later in to Large flocks. now with out dogs we have to hunt water and the back side of land feachers out of the wind, just a LOT of walking. It really helps to be in a spot where there ARE some birds. You could weir out two sets of boots just starting out walking prairie. How does the grouse out look to you? I hear the mountain grouse look great too I just don't know how and whare to try for them.

[Deleted]

I feel your pain,
Our grouse in Eastern Ohio and Western W.V. have all but vanished over the last ten years or so. I can't explain why and I guess it doesn't matter, cause neither state has done anything about it, that I've seen or heard.
It used to be fun hunting them and if you had a good place to hunt them, you could jump more than plenty on a days hunt, there have been several years lately where I haven't seen or heard a grouse all season long, not a single one! It's a shame cause they were a blast to hunt and great eating if you could get one.

I did see 1 grouse last fall in deer season, I thought wow, a grouse. Maybe they are on a comeback..
Oddly enough, they claim if you go south a couple hours from here in WV, they are still plentiful. I'm not sure about central or western OH.

[ronlaughlin]

slugger,

When i lived in the neighborhood, there was always some grouse in the Highwoods; they aren't there anymore?

[slugger]

Those are Duskey and or Franklin grouse, AKA mountain grouse. Sage grouse are very different and at least twice as big, and yes there are LOTS of grouse still in the Highwood's. In fact there numbers are very strong and growing in all the mountain portions of MT.