Grouse Numbers this year?
 

Just had an old timer drop by to say hi who is an avid upland bird hunter.

He is saying that there are very few grouse in the Lodgepole - Drayton area.

I spent last Sunday with North West Dave in the Thorhild country and we did not see any grouse either.

Scott's theory is that the chicks got flooded in all the rain this June and there was a die off because of the rain when the chicks were vulnerable.

Has anyone else noticed a lack of young grouse in the bush?

Drewski

grouse numbers
 

almost non existent in 314; hopefully with this snow some tracks will appear.

Same here 314, neighbouring farm took out 7 foxes this year alone(1/2 section).

I have been out twice in the Hinton area this fall and I have not seen one yet.

Blues are doing fine this year up high
Seen very little for ruffles anywhere

Haven’t seen any around Camrose or smoky lake areas.

See lots of huns though.

I have only eaten 1 grouse so far this year

Any word on how the sharpies faired?

Seen a fair amount around my area Round Valley View

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lots in my area. have 5 ruffies and one spruce that I'm cooking up tonight for the family. All taken this wknd and there were a few more that escaped the path of my 22.

Low Numbers out West
 

Put on close to 200 Km on gravel last week and only saw 2 spruce hens and 1 ruffie.

Numbers were average to a bit above average north of Slave last weekend.

For the first time this year, a covey of sharps (i think) showed up just outside of my neighborhood in NE Calgary. Kind of interesting as I have never seen them there before. They are in the same spot everyday now.

As for the sharps that I usually see out east and south of Hanna, I’m seeing less birds than usual. Then again, just as an observation: they seem to show up in larger coveys around mid October. Is this usual behaviour for sharptail?

402 north of Dutch creek was 1 ruffie in 12 k of hiking.

Seems low to me.

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I don't know about Alberta, but that is what they did in Manitoba. Grouped up more once it got colder

Was out in 337 last Sunday, seen 2 ruffies. Wife missed the first and the second spooked before she could get a shot.

A friend was hunting West of Whitecourt a couple weekends ago and said numbers were good there.

Was out for a day last weekend in 338 ,to all the usually productive spots ,didn't see a bird.

I've been on the lookout for them in 318 since midsummer... didn't see any, which is below normal. Went out during the snowfall last weekend, and saw two separate single grouse. Hard to tell really... until the leaves are gone

Last time I was out it was decent action; being a wet year, I think it affected recruitment, plus the bush foliage is pretty thick, making them very hard to spot.

Once the leaves drop and the snow knocks some of the grass down, people will be seeing more of them.

In 406 we have only come across single mature ruffies or spruce grouse. Never more than one at a time. 1 or 2 flushed over an entire day, sometimes none. The crazy high grass everywhere makes them harder to spot.


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I fear the wet Spring didn’t help the hatch as others have said, but the next 2 weeks will tell all once the leaves and grass are down.

Haven't seen the numbers I usually do in 346 and 338 bit hard to say

Have seen one in 506, very odd to not come across at least a couple a day in the areas I go.

Cruddy weather means less bird action. How much crud weather have we had this fall?

Weird...not seeing anything 40 minutes west of you.

to reply to a previous post , yes I see the sharpies flocking up mid October . We've seen 4 covies of partridge and heard of one ruff takin in foothills amongst our group . Huns were in prairies , none taken

I have gone on 4 trips so far to areas southwest, northwest and north of Edmonton and I have yet to see a single ruffed grouse. Has felt strange.

heading out to rocky this weekend will update Monday