The Mighty Upland birds of Western OR!

BlueWater · 11-01-2002, 12:06 AM

I have seen More Grouse and Quail this year than in the last 5 past. Matter of fact I saw one covey of ~12 young grouse just today. Last week I managed 4 Quail out of two large coveys. To top it off I don't even hunt with a dog! Any one else notice the same or are the bird gods just with me this year.

This actually getting some birds has added whole new meaning to my "cross training with a gun" elk hunting conditioning system.

So any one have a should have been there grouse or quail storys?

Any to die for recipes?

Must have gear?

I am having fun! :grin:

Do you wish you were having fun too? :shocked:

Join in on the games.

BlueWater.

Flying Roast Beef · 11-01-2002, 12:29 AM

Bluewater, mushroom gravy and rice cooked slow, and a 20ga. over/under would be my suggestions. Oh yeah, a good labrador!

birdhunter · 11-01-2002, 10:25 AM

I'm spoiled but this season has been going okay. Been getting 1 or 2 every trip out and I always see birds. Far more ruffs this year, but that is also because I'm hunting the coast more than the cascades. See plenty of mt. quail but haven't been doing really well on those little runners. Haven't made any trips down to the southern cascades lately and I'm really itching to go. There are good populations of birds all over this year, but I really wish we'd have some weather. Doing far better in the evenings than in the mornings.

I went out on Tuesday for a little while in the evening. Only saw one ruff, but I got him. Also learned a hard lesson about porcupines. Don't run them over.

I've been baking a lot of my grouse with a recipe I came up with. Coat a pan with olive oil, preheat oven to 325. Skin the bird, baste in teriyaki and melted butter, and stuff with apple slices and pinneapple chunks. Cook for 75 minutes. Baste every 15 minutes or so to keep them from drying out. That makes for some delicious grouse.

Bounty Hunter · 11-05-2002, 06:26 AM

Got my first grouse this weekend! Saw 4 ruffs and only shot one (dry fired on another just for practice :blush: ). Odd thing was I was leap-frog hunting with another guy for a while. He would drive ahead and take the first, then I would pass and take the next. There were enough grouse that it was fun until he came up behind me on one pair and ground sluced one on my turn. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] Time to find a different road...

Jellyhead · 11-05-2002, 10:24 AM

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but you guys better watch out while road hunting grouse.

I know it's fun to cruise and pop em', but if you get caught it's gonna hurt.

Remember, gotta be off the road to shoot, and you're not supposed to shoot across any road open to public travel.

You'll still shoot alot of birds by walking the gated roads, and you'll see more of them too.

Gotta love this time of year.

Aaron

Bounty Hunter · 11-05-2002, 01:47 PM

I knew someone wouldn't be able to pass that one up... :grin:

skein · 11-05-2002, 01:54 PM

Hey, while you're out there having fun with the grouse this year, give a thought to BirdHunter's request from a couple of months back:

Quote:

I know there are a lot of you out there who pot a bird every now and then while deer hunting and even a few who go out into the hills and hunt them with dogs. However you get them ODFW does need your help in a study they are conducting for forest grouse in Western Oregon. There is a good write up on it in the regs already so I'm not going to explain it too much other than the fact that we are requesting hunters save wings and tails from the birds they kill and provide ODFW with info on when and where they got the bird. There is a tremendous amount of population data that can be determined from this information. ODFW will send you wing bags and pre-addressed, postage-paid envelopes to make it easy to send them in. There is also a good explanation on how info is gathered and what it is used for. The guy to talk to at ODFW is Eric Rickerson (the Upland Game Bird Program Manager). He's a great guy and a friend of mine. You can reach him at eric.v.rickerson@state.or.us or call at (503) 872-5260 ext 5597. If you decide to participate tell him Ben Miller told you about it. He'll take care of ya. I've volunteered in this program for the past year and will be involved again in their wing bee this winter. I'd love to have some ifishers help expand our collection. One grouse or twenty, the info is all valuable. Thanks a bunch.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Skein

Jellyhead · 11-05-2002, 10:10 PM

Bounty Hunter,

I don't care how you hunt grouse......

But, I'm speaking from experience ($175 dollars worth :depressed: ) That it pays to follow the rules regarding gamebird laws. Hopefully a young game officer will not cross your path while roadhunting grouse.

I was not so lucky. Something about rallying, chasing or driving gamebirds with a motor driven conveyence. At least that was what the judge said......I was inoccent

Just watch what you do......One day the wrong person will be watching what you do.....and it will lighten your wallet, and increase your regard for the game laws. I know it did me!

I'm not afraid to work for my birds now.......I can't afford not to.

Aaron

Bounty Hunter · 11-06-2002, 07:11 AM

Jellyhead,

Thanks for the warning. I will try to stay legal. I got my first and only game violation in this state a couple of years back hunting geese, so I know they mean business.

Skein,

Got my "grouse bags" in the mail last night. It's going to be hard to keep from using one as a lunch sack. That would really keep the PETA dorks at work guessing. :grin:

skein · 11-06-2002, 07:23 AM

BH,

Great idea on the lunch bag! I gotta try that. I work with a bunch of folks who think I'm a Neanderthal because I go around "blasting helpless forest creatures." Yeah, and I eat 'em, too.

And speaking of birds, we just got back from elk hunting out of Long Creek and we saw LOTS of birds. We didn't get many simply because we were focused on bigger game, but even though it's a long way over there, I'm tempted to go back and collect a few. Beautiful country too.

If anybody is headed that way I'll tell you where we saw the most birds.

Skein

BlueWater · 11-08-2002, 12:46 AM

Anyone ever go after Grouse with a Bow? I never have but it I am sure would be a challenge. Would you use judo points or flew flews?(ya know those arrows with the cheap wood shafts and oversized feathers :tongue: ) Seams to me a arrow would bruise the meat bad but I guess the old scatter gun can blow em' to H E double tooth pick also. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

Got my bags in the mail as well this week. Hope to be able to do more to help out with this. Grouse are an important resource and it is nice to see them get some focus at ODFW.

Happy Hunting.

BlueWater.

skein · 11-08-2002, 06:43 AM

BlueWater,

I've shot a couple of grouse with a bow using regular fletchings and rubber blunts. One was a blue grouse facing away from me and the meat wasn't damaged at all. The other was a ruffed and I hit him in the breast. It ruined him. And he was further away than the blue. Generally they're well within range of someone who's a decent shot, but that 500gr arrow really raises havoc if you make a solid hit on the meaty side.

Skein