Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Montana Grouse ID

Timbermaster;
Good afternoon, thanks for the wonderful hunting story.

Since you've officially opened the "how tough can Blue Grouse be" stories and by the way I totally get that happening to you, I'll share our strangest.

In the late '80's we used to wander up onto a chunk of mountain that had no roads, so other than the rancher checking on his range cattle a buddy and I were the only two crazy enough to go there. I'll note that we were both much younger, fitter and indeed a bit touched to go some places we ended up, but what wonderful memories we've got because we did.

Anyways we used to bump into so many big flocks of Blues we decided to drag a .22 along with us. I can't say which one went along, we both had a few so likely the lightest one since we Canucks cannot be trusted with handguns afield.

We were sneaking across a bit of a Sagebrush opening when we saw a good sized flock spread out all around. Buddy took careful aim while I watched with my binos and at the shot, the head dropped onto it's breast indicating a perfect neck shot to me.

However as we were walking the 35 odd yards to pick it up, it began to flap it's wings furiously, with the head still hanging down loosely. It rather sort of "helicoptered" up and then pitched out over a fairly significant canyon wall we'd been skirting, finally dropping out of sight about 100yds into the middle of the tree filled canyon.

For sure we were disappointed in the loss of the meal, but nonetheless an illustration of how determined some things are to live perhaps?

All the best, thanks again and good hunting.

Dwayne

Sorry Dan and Buckstopper, but they birds pictured are dusky grouse. The wing primaries are black with white spots on sharptails. The primaries on sooty and dusky grouse are solid color with a light colored edge... exactly as the pictured birds. Also the tail feathers are wide and fan-like on these birds, not pointy like a sharpie.

For fly tying I have examples of almost all US gamebirds and spend a lot of time looking for very specific feathers.

A sharpie headed down out of a tree (without the arrow, of course) is about the fastest bird I have ever missed. Many times I have watched people try to hit one after shooting one sitting and failing to even get a shot at the second. And they are tough birds!

They did similar to us on black rockfish many years ago and we now have dusky and black rockfish...

Always trying to make it tough on old guys...

The fastest sharptail I ever saw was one I shot out of a pine tree. It only bounced once after it hit the ground and a blue duck hawk hit that thing in the air on the bounce. That’s the last I saw the hawk and the sharptail.

I agree with Art. I doubt sharptail go to 7400 feet, and..... they have "hairy" feet IIRC - I might not- it's been awhile..

I grew up in central ND, where all we had were sharptail. I've seen exactly one in the Fairbanks area.

I usually see 2-3 sharptail a year north of Fairbanks but they seem pretty spooky and rarely give me a shot. I have killed a few though.

To the OP, that it most definitely, 100% a blue grouse (or Dusky if a guy wants to be with the times). Classic dry land blue habitat in the background too.

Bird on the left is a Sharptail from Fairbanks area. Their feather patterns are a bit different than the sharptail n Montana, but not much.



These are classic blues from Montana, exactly what the OP has:

And fewer than 8,000 were made. I have one of the short-barrel, fold-up models (intended for concealed carry?)

And fewer than 8,000 were made. I have one of the short-barrel, fold-up models (intended for concealed carry?)[/quote]




Like this…

Like this…






[/quote]

Like that, but yours is in much better condition than mine which, if not rode hard and put up wet, shows its age.

I enjoy bird watching and when I lived in Roseburg Oregon a couple years ago I was up in the mountains west of town many times for walks and bird watching. I kept hearing that low booming noise that Sooty Grouse make and would try and try to see one. It was fun and frustrating at the same time. Finally one day I was driving home and saw a female with chicks along the road and stopped and got some photos. I heard a male hooting up the hill and hiked up there and finally saw my 1st male Sooty Grouse. It was way up in a tree. I got a photo and video. One of my most prized photos of a bird.

Does it take a bit of practice to not "slam-fire" the Burgess? Or does the trigger need to be released to be re-set?

Whatever they’re called, I don’t appreciate it when they blast off from under my horse’s nose….😳

Yep, I have been startled many times by grouse. They can practically stop your heart.