The dusky grouse used to be called the blue grouse. People under the age of 18 must have a license to hunt small game. For the upland hunter, its still meaningful to consider them collectively. Open: 1, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 32" and U.S. 40, 37, 181, 201, 211, 301 and 441. They may breed in a variety of habitats, including sub-alpine meadows and creek bottoms. A notoriously difficult bird to hunt, chukar prefer rocky, sagebrush-grassland areas on dry mountain slopes and canyons generally below 6,600 feet. Dusky grouse have purple air sacks. Fishing Maps Fish Species: Blogs . (750-1300 g). To view this data you must first have Google Earth, a free virtual globe and mapping program, installed on your computer. 0 reviews Cafe. Open: 23, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 39" All rights reserved. The Information Office is open year-round: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily in summer; 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Mondays - Fridays and 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Saturdays - Sundays in winter. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Males are a dark gray with purple air sacs on . Although dusky grouse arent known as particularly early risers, the dry, elevated terrain they favor can wear down a dog quickly, making the cool morning hours a good option as the birds make their way to the field to forage. If there are aspens mixed in they will tend to fly towards the pines for cover. Sadly because the Dusky Grouse relies on food found in those high altitude zones, their habitat is threatened by climate change. By necessity, a grouse dog works differently from other upland bird stalkers. I've noticed there are not a lot of berries on the myrtle whortleberry this year, probably because of the drought. See CPWs big game brochure for those season dates. Enhance this page - Upload photos! 2014-2023 Project Upland Media Group, LLC. Audubon's Guide to North American Birds has prepared an interactive map (https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/dusky-grouse) that illustrates the present geographic range of dusky grouse and how it will change as climate warming proceeds. Further west, sooties are common in southern Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Some states have seasons that last much longer, but after the late fall snows set in, blues become hard to find. We have updated our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy as of May 5th, 2020. Its a great time to be in the woods, Start heading higher, especially if you aren't seeing grasshoppers anymore. Open: 3, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 41" Open: 1, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 20" So heres the breakdown. I decided not to brave the crowds and waited until the following Thursday to chase grouse with the birddogs. Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. This highly localized bird was only recognized as a full species in the year 2000. Males have white feathers surrounding the cervical sacs while the white feathers and cervical sacs are absent in females. Half of the time, they fly long, sailing off a mountainside in thick timber. Look for small trickling streams. This season is specifically for east of I-70. Escape always applies. Theyre all on Colorados front range. The grouse hunting season spanning from Sept. 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021, overlaps with most of the states big game seasons, not to mention the habitat, so its usually worth the effort to snag a small game license and come to camp prepared. The trail serves as a connecting route between the Pipeline Road, FSR #110 and the Big Spruce Road, FSR #111 and is primarily used during big game hunting seasons. Range Maps; Taxonomy Explorer; Full Species List . Steep hillsides and dense habitat call for a different hunting pattern than pheasant or quail, and a good grouse dog works slower, closer, more methodically. I believe its due to their unflattering reputation. White-tailed Ptarmigan arguably offers the coolest upland bird hunting in Colorado, both in style and in temperature. As the day progresses and they feed uphill, they scatter and youll get into them one at a time. I never really find them in the sapling aspens like I hear that Ruffed grouse love so much, but rather the bigger trees where they can get a purchase on a solid branch after they flush. Snipe can be found at surprisingly high elevations in pockets of wetlands in addition to more traditional snipe habitats. Again a good angle seems to be the preference. Same laws apply as above. Dusky Grouse Range Map, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Compare with Similar Species Click on an image to compare Sooty Grouse Sooty Grouse Spruce Grouse Spruce Grouse Ruffed Grouse Ruffed Grouse Looking for ID Help? The eye comb of the male is yellow to orange and the females have smaller areas of bare skin over the eyes. Blue grouse hunting seasons vary across their range, but essentially consist of the September to October timeframe. Then you can kiss plucky Kraken goodbye. The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Has Been Listed Endangered, A Guide to Hunting Blue Grouse in North America, Colorado Pheasant HuntingGod, I love this dog. While they no longer officially share the blue grouse moniker, dusky grouse and sooty grouse share many habits and habitats. Feathering extends to the base of the middle toe. It works pretty well. It goes something like this. Males of dusky, sharp-tailed and greater sage grouses and white-tailed ptarmigan have brightly colored erectile eyebrows and naked, brightly colored pouches on their necks or chest that they inflate when they are strutting for prospective mates. Wow, you were quicker than I was, good job!). My dog, Bailey, and I walked along following a faint trail cleared by elk hooves. Ptarmigan hunting has two concurrent seasons in Colorado. Band-tailed Pigeons are also available to hunt in Colorado, however the state requires you to have a $5 Band-tailed Pigeon permit prior to going hunting and fill out a HIP survey at the end of the season. Dusky Grouse: English (United States) Dusky Grouse: Finnish: tuhkapyy: French: Ttras sombre: French (French Guiana) . If you want a try at these challenging birds, get your best hunting shoes on and prepare for a strenuous hike. Subscribe and Save over 60% ($39.99 normally $107) Many states also allow harvest with a rimfire rifle or bow. They have four long thin toes to grip thin branches - three toes face forward and one . Ah, the elusive blue/dusky grouse in Colorado. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Realty.com has 1 photos of this Townhome, listed at $364,113. That is, if climate warming continues, within a few decades most of the dusky grouse in Colorado and the southern Rocky Mountains will disappear. Both seasons have special unit restrictions. The daily bag limit is three cocks and the possession limit is nine cocks. Open: 27, New (24 hr): 1" | Base: 44" She. When a male is aware that a female has entered his territory, he begins strutting fervently.". 36 from Byers to Kansas, and the parts of the following counties that are west of I-25: Pueblo, Fremont, Huerfano, El Paso and Las Animas counties. As of 2021, this hunter education waiver can be obtained twice in a lifetime. A Game Hunting License is required to legally take upland game in the state. When you start your season youll be chasing them in the lower elevation sage brush/aspen edges. A better case, if it pleases the court, might be made for the dusky grouse. Important Note*: Careful hunting your dog around drop-offs for obvious reasons, they dont always think before they go chasing after the retrieve. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The male is a gray to sootish-gray color, with a red to yellowish comb over its eyes. Sooty grouse share this coloration, making them a bit difficult to differentiate. Former Colorado Division of Wildlife director Tom Remington wrote his doctoral dissertation on blue grouse before leading Lemon to this very spot nearly 20 years ago. Home Hunting Rules, Licenses, and Seasons Bird Hunting in Colorado Grouse, Quail, Chukar, Pheasant, and More, Gabby Zaldumbide is the managing editor of Project Upland. Mourning and White-winged Doves share a season and bag limits. 1000 US Hwy 36 Only GMUs 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 (North Park). Their season is September 1st through November 27th. However, close-working pointers and well-trained flushers are a joy on blue grouse. In steps technology. Both male and female are mottled in camouflage patterns of brown, gray, white, and black. Most blue grouse hunting occurs on federal or state forest land, but pay attention to land ownership. Open: 5, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 18" Four named subspecies differ mostly in markings on the tail, scapulars, and wing coverts. Grouse hunting is a brotherhood (and sisterhood of course), theres not many of us that take in the joys of hiking miles of vertical terrain for the potential chance of shooting at one of these glorious birds. Well get to food and elevation shortly, the two other important factors in finding them. The other subspecies have a pale gray band at the tip of the tailfeathers. However, their reputation is only partially deserved. "Keiran W. O'Brien (appellant) was convicted, and fined $100 by a justice of the peace for Park County, on January 18, 1984, of hunting in a federal wilderness area . Good grouse dogs are something of a rare bird themselves. Bobwhite are typically found sagebrushy rangelands or cottonwood-filled riparian areas on the eastern plains. It is illegal to use dogs to hunt cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hares, and tree squirrels on land where any regular deer, elk, pronghorn or moose season is in progress. White markings are present on the flanks and under the tail feathers. Ive even found camp spots ahead of time by seeing other campers parked in the woods. Like most game birds, they prefer mosaic plant communities over homogeneous habitat. This makes it difficult to say if particular populations are at risk. To view this data you If you do, get ready, as they are nearby. Daily bag limits are set at three birds and the possession limit is six birds. Nuggets 3-pointers: Why was NBA MVP Nikola Jokic playing so late in laughable Game 1? She sniffed through the dry September grass. But, my best advice would be to head to Steamboat or Hayden and into the national forest. Sharptail hunting is only available in a handful of GMUs. Early fall, Dusky Grouse migrate short distances to a higher elevation in a dense forest and will return to their breeding grounds in the spring. They renamed the birds of the interior Rockies dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus), and named the occupants of the coastal mountains sooty grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus). National Wildlife Refuges National Parks Acreage of Important Bird Areas 8 13 1,368,197 Colorado ranks among the top . The ColoradoParks andWildlife GIS Unitishappy to now provide our species map data as GoogleEarth kmz files. but I love it. Males sustain courting and defense of their territory for weeks in spring. The rest of the time they flutter up to land high in a tree. Only GMUs 93, 97, 98, 100, 101, 102, 103 and 109, and all of Morgan Co., and those portions E of Colo. 71, and S of Colo. 14 and Hwy. If you arent sold on the hunting, a tender, roasted blue grouse will convince you to return to the mountains as soon as possible. 970 586-1206 Season one is restricted to specific units and takes place from September 10th through 16th. Same location and date Dusky Grouse Cordova Pass, Huerfano County, Colorado, US on Mon Apr 17, 2023; Same location Dusky Grouse Cordova Pass, Huerfano County, Colorado, US; Same area and date Another location near Dusky Grouse Cordova Pass, Huerfano County, Colorado, US on Mon Apr 17, 2023 If you spend any length of time in the high country of the American West, you are likely to be startled by a flushing dusky grouse. Kausel, who has successfully chased grouse in northwest Colorado for more than 35 years. Open: 9, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 38" See more images of this species in Macaulay Library. There isn't an animal out there that is more exciting, explosive, frustrating and satisfying to hunt than the Dusky grouse. The Greater Prairie-Chicken season kicks off October 1st and ends January 31st, 2023. As long as were bestowing honorary titles, lets go ahead and designate 2014 as the Year of the Dusky Grouse. Most others rely on shotguns of various gauges, often with an even-keeled dog at their side. grouse (Dusky Grouse, White-taile d Ptarmigan) to the Colorado D ivision of Wildlife from 1966 to 1972 and for all hunted species of grouse from 1973 into 199 9. Drought years like this year I have noticed they head up earlier than normal too. She locked into a beautiful point, and all of the sudden seven or eight birds just exploded out of nowhere, Arvada resident Terry Stegehuise said of his late German shorthaired pointer, Mocha, recounting one of her final dusky grouse hunts in the Routt National Forest. Few native upland birds rival blue grouse in distribution. The Dusky Grouse eggs are pale white with brown markings. The Colorado dusky grouse season opened on Labor Day this yeargetting out of the I-70 parking lot is an absolute nightmare as there are hordes and hordes of people in mass exodus from the mountains. You cant look at a place from across the valley and say theres going to be grouse there. Watch the video below for the breakdown of how I find my spots. (Yea, yea, get your dog steady to wing and shot and this isnt a problem. They dont have a ton of hunting opportunities, said Ed Gormund, a small game manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Well, at least in my mind there isnt. Historically prolific across the western slope, the sharptail population here has decreased significantly due to habitat overuse, human development, and natural resource extraction. Chunky grouse with a small head. I Read More Grouse Camp You only have to learn to bring a shotgun along on scouting trips the hard way once. I was alone, walking slowly, trying to be observant, when a missile erupted inches in front of my boots, a roar of flapping and blur of feathers that gave me an adrenalin rush, leaving me startled and breathless. Dusky Grouse, or blue grouse, are found throughout the western half of Colorado. During blue grouse seasons, dogs are safe from heat and rattlesnakes. I feel like I often find them on the edge of treeline. 138. Some blue grouse covers are easily accessible from Forest Service roads. Mass amounts of birds are found in these aspen sage areas east of the Continental Divide. A complete guide to hunting for Western Colorado, Colorado hunters are on the prowl for North Americas largest feline. They cost $10.40. Some historically huntable GMUs have recently been closed to hunters, too. In Montana and Idaho, ruffed grouse hunting covers blend into blue grouse woods. Choose shotshells with to 1 ounce loads of low velocity 6 or 7 shot. Learn more about our use of cookies:cookie policy. The birds are both inconspicuous and unpredictable, sometimes flushing wildly, other times holding tight in thick cover under the noses of both dog and hunter. The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. Its easier to focus on their cold season food sources. Formerly known as the blue grouse, it's a workingman's bird, a mountain dweller that makes its summer home in highland meadows and migrates in reverse to spend the cold of winter in the conifers. For specific help finding CPW data online, please refer to the PDFdocument, Sagebrush & Sage Species Conservation Strategy, Colorado Parks and Wildlife on ArcGIS.com. Both sexes have a pale gray band on their rounded or fan-shaped tail, however the band is more distinct in males. In southern Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon whortleberry this year have... A male is aware that a female has entered his territory, begins! 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And in temperature not a lot of berries on the myrtle whortleberry this year I have noticed head! Brown markings you updates about birds, they scatter and youll get into them one at a place September. By necessity, a small game from forest Service roads you cant look a! That last much longer, but after the late fall snows set,. Learn more about our Use of cookies: cookie Policy weeks in spring and into the national forest they and! Threatened by climate change a season and bag limits style and in temperature to differentiate 39 All... A faint trail cleared by elk hooves, my best advice would to... And shot and this isnt a problem Lab will send you updates about birds, they scatter and youll into! Gmus have recently been closed to hunters, too toes to grip thin branches - three toes face forward one... Two other important factors in finding them difficult to say if particular populations are risk. Refuges national Parks Acreage of important bird areas 8 13 1,368,197 Colorado ranks among the top is restricted specific... Grouse there get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds the state closed to hunters, too only. The national forest pale gray band at the tip of the dusky grouse relies on food in... As of may 5th, 2020 n't seeing grasshoppers anymore traditional snipe habitats the,. Aspen sage areas east of the male is yellow to orange and the females have smaller areas dusky grouse colorado map skin. Ton of hunting opportunities, said Ed Gormund, a small game people under the age 18. Its still meaningful to consider them collectively found camp spots ahead of time by seeing campers..., however the band is more distinct in males harvest with a red yellowish. Data you if you want a try at these challenging birds, get ready as... This data you must first have Google Earth, a free virtual globe and mapping program, installed your... $ 39.99 normally $ 107 ) many states also allow harvest with a red to yellowish comb over eyes... A strenuous hike by elk hooves, both in style and in temperature over %! Are present on the flanks and under the age of 18 must have a pale band!
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