In this episode we show you some Utah native and often overlooked upland game species: Dusky and Ruffed Grouse. The outfitter has over 100 square miles of hunting area permitted by the Kootenai National Forest. Mountain grouse season—which includes blue, spruce, and ruffed grouse—begins September 1 and ends January 1. The Native Bird: Chasing Sharptails on BLM Land in Montana. But coming from back East, I'm not sure I understand why ruffed grouse would be a primary objective for a Montana hunt? At Sharptail Lodge, we are proud to offer an authentic taste of Montana. But it never hurts to have bear spay handy. Montana Bird Hunting Seasons Span September 1 – January 1, 2021 Resident License Fees: $17.50 (base + upland) Non-Resident License Fees: $125 (base + upland) Even when conditions are brutally hot and flushes are sparse, a sharptail hunt on public land is a total rush Big, explosive and oftentimes erratic, these birds have hands down become my favorite game animals to chase. Mountain grouse in Montana are far less likely to offer wingshooters a sporting shot by flushing and then flying fast and far, but it happens enough to keep me happy. Whether it’s a chance encounter while archery hunting for elk, or toting a shotgun and bird dog for long jaunts along the Continental Divide, hunting Montana’s trio of mountain grouse Blue or dusky grouse, the largest of the mountain species, are slate in color mixed with brown and white-tipped feathers. Grouse Guidelines. Here is my story from my 2015 trip to Montana about sage grouse hunting: We had been planning this trip for over a year. Males have yellow combs over their eyes, according to the Montana Field Guide. If you’re a fan of serious upland bird hunting, this is an experience you should consider! This northwest corner of Montana consistently has good populations of what are referred to in the west as mountain grouse: ruffed, blue and spruce. This is an action packed upland hunt and is great for the hunter who only has a day or two to spend in the field or would like to add on a day of waterfowl hunting or fly fishing on the river … Taking your gun for a hike, as many experienced grouse hunters call it, is one of the great pleasures of a Montana fall—whether you see a bird or not, you still had a great hike through the autumn woods. On the eastern edge of ruffed grouse range (Crazy, Snowy, Little Belt, Highwood mountains) there aren't grizzlies to worry about, and few if any wolves. Hunt over our experienced English Setters and retrievers or bring your own dogs. Montana Daily Upland Bird Hunts In addition to our High Mountain Grouse Camp, we also offer daily Montana upland bird hunts on a private 18,000 acre ranch for Wild Hungarian partridge and grouse. A guide to finding and hunting the Dusky Grouse. 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