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NY16ga
PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 12:57 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 10 Aug 2009
Posts: 178
Location: New York

Well, I've decided to head out to Montana in September to hunt sage grouse for the first time. I have a big birthday coming up in the Fall and I've worked every weekend in recent memory so I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not looking for a limit or anything, I'll be ecstatic if I can get one or two and then switch to hunting sharptails.

While I've done my share of research and reading, I've never hunted sage grouse before or hunted central Montana so I'm hoping you all have some advice to share. The area I'm looking at has more than enough BLM and other public land with big sage flats but I'm not sure how this year's weather will impact bird numbers.

Thanks everyone, I'll take whatever tips I can get...
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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 3:38 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

I have never hunted them in Montana, so I can't "X" any maps for you, but I have spent a life hunting them here in Wyoming and will tell you what I know about the birds.

When it's dry, they will go to water at first light and wander away afterward; they are often gone by sunrise. They can be a mile away an hour later.

Montana still has a later season closer than us if I'm not mistaken, but one general rule of thumb in mid September is to find the grasshoppers. Those areas will have most of the grouse. Early in the morning the hoppers are cold, wet, and don't move much which makes for easy picking. However, that works against scouting. Scouting for hoppers is easy in the heat of the day when they leap and fly everywhere. Alfalfa fields will draw in birds sometimes too (hoppers). Find hoppers, find grouse.

Later, the the September rains hit and birds begin migrating toward their wintering grounds they can be tough to pin down but there are some universal constants here as well. No matter what part of autumn your hunt occurs in, sage grouse feed in very short cover. The sage is often ankle high and birds can be quite jumpy. After feeding they will ease into taller sage to rest and dust. Find the edges of these zones and your luck will be vastly better than if you wade into the middle of a huge expanse of tall sage. Sometimes these transition zones are pretty obvious. Other times they are a little more subtle. Learn to spot these though, and you will find birds.

Wet areas may continue to draw bird during rainy periods since they do like tender green shoots of grass that grow up in these locations...and any remaining grasshoppers.

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Researcher
PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 5:26 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 13 Jun 2009
Posts: 695
Location: WA/AK

Forty-eight years ago, an article in Outdoor Life said that the best Sage Grouse hunting in the country was around Craig, Colorado. I was going to school at Lowry Air Force Base at the time but couldn't go opening weekend. When we got out of class at noon on the next Friday, I was on the road to Craig. Just walking around alone, without a dog, I got my three-bird limit. First one was a big old boomer.

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Riflemeister
PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:34 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 27 Jun 2012
Posts: 1111

The previous posters pretty much covered it, but as an out of state hunter, your best bet is talking to locals to see where the sage grouse have been seen recently. Sage grouse quite often are found on BLM sage brush country, but I've also had success on alfalfa fields on privately owned land.

Check the state game laws concerning how you must field dress your birds, there are often requirements to allow species identification and requirements concerned with wasting of game meat. Either issue can result in fines and loss of hunting privileges.

After you clean your birds, you'll notice some of the breast meat is a pinkish color from young birds and pretty much like any game bird in taste. Some birds will have liver colored meat and those older birds will have a really strong sage taste that can be too powerful for most people. I use the liver colored meat to fry up and flavor my dog's kibble, techincally not wasting game meat.

I use Fiocci Golden Pheasnt #6's on all grouse in my 16 ga's and have been quite pleased with the performance.

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slowpokebill
PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 7:53 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Aug 2013
Posts: 163
Location: Utah

I've never hunted Montana; only here in Utah. It Utah the key is finding water. First, be ready to cover a lot of ground.

Here they will go to water early in the morning and work their way up hill during the day. Often they return to water in the afternoon. I have had 15 minute hunts walking only a few hundred yards and hunts that lasted all day and covered ,lies of the rolling sagebrush sea.

Sage Grouse hold pretty tight for a good pointing dog. When the dog gets on them they won't come up all at once even when a shot is fired. IF you miss the first be ready for the next bird and then the next and more after that. Depending on your goal, table fare or mounting will help you decide which birds to shoot. Over the years it seems the youngest birds will flush first. The big boomers flush last. If you are wanting birds to mount pay attention and maybe let the first birds go before you take that shot. If you are looking for table fair shoot the early flushes.

They don't take all that much to get them down. I like 7 1/2 shot and open chokes. Sage grouse are a pretty easy target.



my hunting buddy Dave with his dogs on one of those long days


Me on a 15 minute hunt. We parked a couple of hundred yards from a stock tank and the birds were right there. You can see the damn in this photo of my much better half watering the boys.









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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 10:56 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

slowpokeBill,

Outstanding advise, Sage Grouse in my experience in both Utha and Montana are seriously water dependent. Find the water they have been using for generations and the birds are usually in that area, especially in the morning and the evening.

Real nice pictures Bill. I believe I bumped into you one time at that exact little watering hole.

Glad to see you are still getting out and shooting a few Sage Grouse, with that beautiful double gun. Have not been able to get out your way for a few years now, had an Agent Orange Heart Attack a few years ago, had to limit my bird hunting trips pretty severely.

All the best,

Pine Creek/ Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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Hootch
PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:47 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Mar 2008
Posts: 1460
Location: Eagle, Nebraska

best thing you can do is hunt antelope. Nothing like stalking antelope only to flush dozens of grouse.
Go grouse hunting, stumble on antelopes laying down everywhere.
If I had to go again, would get my antelope permit and buy a 16ga drilling with a or combo gun with 243, 7x57 or 8x57, that should fool both of them.
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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 9:52 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

I will add a of couple points. First, clean and cool the birds within an hour if possible. Sage grouse are the only upland bird we have that has a fully developed digestive system, complete with digestive acid in their stomach. Poke 'em full of holes and they can get nasty quick, like antelope.

Second, tight holding birds. Don't count on it. I have seen all situations. Find hens and young of the year and they will hold beautifully (usually). Find a group of huge old bombers and they may routinely flush at over 100 yards. Add to this the fact some populations are notoriously hard to approach, even on the opener, while other spots will have birds that never seem to catch on. I never figured out why, but that's just the way it is.

For unruly grouse, tight chokes and #5 or #4 shot will be needed. When birds cooperate... well on those days you'd swear that a green walnut and a slingshot is all you'd ever need.

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NY16ga
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 8:18 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 10 Aug 2009
Posts: 178
Location: New York

Thanks everyone, this is all really helpful. Great pictures, hopefully I'll have a few of my own to share in a month or so. This will be a great first road trip for my new Sauer too! I don't want to count my grouse before they're shot but it would also be my sixth upland bird species over my GWP.
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putz463
PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 2:57 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 06 Oct 2007
Posts: 2343
Location: West MI

Seems like all very useful and Sage advice.

On my bucket list, great pics, thanks for sharing!

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last dollar
PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 5:08 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Jul 2008
Posts: 765
Location: Great State of Kansas

Specific to the topic, I have consistently killed lots of Sage grouse in the area West and North of Glendive between 2005 and 200, East of Circle and Richey. Lots of public land enrolled in the Block Management program. Plenty of other species as well....BIG WT bucks as well. Go where the habitat dictates for the species you are looking for..Great people hunter friendly motel (cant remember name) in downtown Glendive.....Pheasants and Ducks along the river out tward Wibaux...GREAT steakhouse in Wibaux...looks like a rough dive but aint...Stop in Miles and GO to the Block management office...Those ladies know whats going on...PS: If your dogs like porcupines,they'll be happy...Carry the tools
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