Follow these tips to improve your chances of having a productive grouse hunt:
• Be ready for the flush with every step and when you stop.
• A little talking is okay, just don’t stop and talk.
• When it gets quiet, the birds gets nervous and will often flush before you are close enough to take a good shot.
• Push birds uphill if possible; they want to run downhill but will fly up, and some days they won’t even run at all. Hunt up the mountain and then come back down an available trail.
• On hot days, grouse don’t fly as well. Several cold days and then a warming day will get them moving.
• Don’t hesitate to backtrack through spots you’ve come through earlier. It could be a whole different ball game since the birds move around.
• When you find birds at an elevation, stick to that elevation if possible.
• Follow regulations involving orange-safety clothing; more is better in mountainous terrain. Have some orange on the dogs, also.
• It’s a good idea to identify a signal strategy with your fellow hunters in case someone gets lost or has an accident.
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