Today was the opener for sage grouse in Wy. it used to be a big deal, now few hunt the big birds...great....Leave them to my dogs and I...Forest grouse has been on since Sept. 1..so far the hunting has been good, but numbers of forest grouse seem down...bagged a few, the last in western Wy..a gray phase ruff grouse...but today was the opener for sage grouse...they are fun to hunt, not wild the first day, but quite unique...I have hunted them every year for nearly 40 years and love em...my old dog, a 15 year old golden even got into the act a little bit and got his nose into grouse feathers for possibly the last time..my six year old female golden had a ball...she always does..but this morning when I put the 870 12ga. into the truck and my old canvas hunting coat, she knew what was up...boy was she ready...when we got to the hunting area, while opening a gate, I saw grouse tracks everywhere...GREAT..we hunted a couple stretchs of sage with no luck..then decided to swing back to the area around the gate..they had to be there somewhere..when I stopped to open the gate to get though, about 30 birds glided off of a small hill into the sage and grass about 150 yards away...Since I was at the pickup, I put my little golden at heel and left the old man out..he is so slow it is like he is always at heel....I made sure the 870 was loaded..this time I used Win. 3 1/4-1 1/4 - 4's....when we got within 60 yards or so I saw grouse heads above the sage, not a good sign..I let the dogs go...they swung wide to the left of the grouse, while the grouse eyed the dogs I was able to close the gap....Just then the little female got a nose full of grouse scent and headed right for them..severral jumped at once. and 2 shots for the 870 put two grouse on the ground..the 870 has been dong that for 35 years or more..Peach grabbed one grouse and then headed for the other. For a while she had them both in her mouth, but it was just too much grouse for one little dogs mouth. the old man got to carry one also..So the short season is off once again...my grouse customers are fewer each year as the old timers who ate them as kids pass on...Unfortunatley I suppose it is just a matter of time before the eco freaks get it listed as endangered and the hunt will be no more...but is has been great while it lasts...
