Alberta "upland" bird game

Pheasant
Gray Partridge ("fungarians" we call em)
Sharptail Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
Spruce Grouse
Blue Grouse
Ptarmigan
Merriam's Turkey
(Sage Grouse can no longer be hunted in Alberta)

These are our upland bird game. I have never drawn a turkey permit and I have never hunted an area with Blue grouse. The others I have shot.

Robin

I'm missing the sage grouse. Wish I would have hunted them when the opportunity was there as I doubt we'll see a season in Alberta again.

Everything but the Merriams and the Sage......and I'm heading to BC for my turkey and Montana for my Sage....

I haven't had the pleasure of turkey, ptarmigan nor sage. I've come across sage grouse a few times in 102 while hunting mulies. They sound like helicopters taking off.

Dont forget the small population of chkar south of coaldale on the mil river ridge and by waterton.

Trev where are you heading in Montana for your age? I am heading there next year (doing my chukar/California Quail hunt in BC this year).

I've got a few spots in Montana that I've been told are very good, and got a few maps to some good private land from guys that I know down there that have Sage on their place. I've seen a few in 102 when I was working down there....they are super cool birds...

RyanGSP

No mention of Chuka in the Alberta Guide to the hunting regs, so I figured the "small population" was too small to consider.

As the pheasant and "gray partridge" are exotics not native to Alberta I almost left them out here and went with "native" game birds. Now to think of it maybe on the Big Game list I should have included "wild boar" in the wild (not behind a hunt farm fence).

Robin

in a day or two we will do the waterfowl list.

Duffy it is small but they are there you just gotta know where to look and be inshape. Lots of up and down coullees and mountains.

All but sage and turkey
I haven't hunted blues in Alberta but grew up hunting them on Vancouver island along with willow grouse. turkey this spring in B.C

cohod

Pheasant
Gray Partridge
Sharptail Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
Spruce Grouse

My answer to this one is as lackluster as my answer to the big game version of this thread.

Ruffed Grouse

Yup, thats it. And I'd tell ya how many of those I've actually gotten but that would be even more embarassing.

(Sage Grouse can no longer be hunted in Alberta)

So, what can people do about this ?

Offer to help raise them for release ? (something I'm going to work on)

I think like many species in this province, it has more to do with habitat loss than anything else but it would be interesting to see what the government boys say.

Habitat loss is the hugest part of the Sage grouse population....main causes I think are fence to fence farming.....needs to be more buffer zones and areas for cover....

Same as GoonBag Ruff. and Spruce.

Everything except the turkeys and sage grouse.
Shoulda popped a sage grouse when they were legal - doubt I'll ever get the chance now.

Andrew

My excuse for my lack of success is that I've only been hunting for maybe 3 years now. That and the fact that I'm not very good at it. So I guess thats 2 excuses.

Missing ptarmigan, sage grouse and turkey here. I keep saying I'll put in for turkey but never do, definitely on my wish list though.

By the way - blue grouse are no longer called "blue" grouse. They've been split it into two species: dusky and sooty grouse. One on the coast and one here (I just can't remember which is which).

Remi

Where'd you get that info Remi? Never heard blues called that before.

I had thought that "Franklin's grouse" was another name for Blue grouse, but I now see Franklin's is a sus sp. of Spruce grouse.

And I googled this:


Blue Grouse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Blue Grouse"


Male Sooty Grouse displaying
Conservation status

Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Galliformes

Family: Tetraonidae

Genus: Dendragapus
Elliot, 1823

Synonyms
Palaeotetrix

"Blue Grouse" is an archaic name for the union of Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and Sooty Grouse (D. fuliginosus) as one species.


Robin (learning something new each day)

Robin (learning something new each day)

Ya, I'll second that.

sheep hunter,

I read it in the November 2006 issue (#32) of Grouse News..............and no I'm not making that up. I have a pdf copy if anyone wants a read. I just checked it and the dusky grouse is what we have east of the Rocks.

Remi

Never once suggested that you were making it up Remi....just wondered where you'd read it. It was something I didn't know and was curious...that's all.

I'd be most interested in reading it.

sheephunter at shaw.ca

..... I wasn't trying to imply you suggested anything, it's just such a funny name - Grouse News (I would have called bullsh*t). I guess my joking tone was lost in the typing. Anyway pdf sent. Enjoy.

Remi

Thanks man...appreciate it. Never know what you can learn on a messageboard.

Cool read. The pictures are awesome too. I've photographed lots of blue grouse in Jasper and they definitely look like the dusky variety.

Also explains why the cervical apteria colour on a bird I saw north of Smithers last year ws yellow. Never could figure that out. Now I know...thanks!

Remi....PM sent for the Grouse news

Thanks !

Sheep, I noticed the same thing about the color. I'm more often than not a lumper but in this case I'm all for splitting them into two species. And you're right about those pics.

Reeves, I just fired it off to you as well.

Does anyone know if there's a way I can post a pdf here so others can see it if they want?

Remi

Try this Remi www.box.net/

Here are some "wild prairie chickens" I saw downunder.


Not sure what size shot one would use on them or what kind of bird dog would retrieve one.

Robin