The Sagebrush Sea

November heralds the end of the Montana sage grouse season, and I always make it a point to make a few hunts for them at the end of October.  Sage grouse are a true symbol of the American west, and there is just something magical about the places where they live.  I hit a few marginal spots around home, then this week I headed south for a visit to the sagebrush sea. 

 

 

 

 

 

Long gone to Saskatchewan

Well I'm long gone to Saskatchewan

Long gone to Saskatchewan

Where the gettin's good if your gettin' gone

I'm gonna put my boots and my hat back on

Adios, goodbye, farewell, so long

I'm long gone to Saskatchewan

Long gone to Saskatchewan

 - Corb Lund

 

 

Rainy day blues

Since today's planned excursion has been declared a rain out, I'll make do with some pictures from my last outing.  This will be it until I return from Saskatchewan.  Wish me luck!

The Montana six-pack

 

 

That's Ivy in the last picture, she really turned it on that day.  Several great points and two fantastic finds on birds I hit but sailed out of sight.

The weather forecast looks good for my trip north (cross your fingers that holds true!) so I have high hopes.  I'll be meeting up with a good hunting buddy of mine for a few days of chasing birds.  Expect a full report when I get back.

 

Hunting the Yaak...

...not so great.

I have been eagerly anticipating my trip over to far NW Montana in search of the elusive forest grouse.  We have three species here in Montana (spruce {or Franklins}, blue, and ruffed) and it seems the Yaak area is good for spruce grouse.  The other two are more easily found throughout the state.  I left Saturday with the plan of hunting Saturday evening, then all day Sunday and Monday and returning on Tuesday.  After backing into a tree and setting up my camp, I headed out Saturday afternoon.  What I found wasn't what I had expected.  It was all dark, thick forest that you really couldn't even walk though.  I was bummed, to say the least.  Then it rained all night Saturday, which made everything in the forest hold water.  I quickly got drenched from head to toe on Sunday.  I did see a few grouse on the roads, but none were brought to bag.  Between the lack of good hunting, and the rain, I quit on Sunday after about a day and headed back home.  Back to the prairies for me.  The forest grouse are still on my list, but I need to find better spots.  Maybe next year...

I thought this old burn looked good, but nada...

Some of the roads I tried to hunt.

 

 

I found this spruce grouse driving in Sunday morning.  I thought it was a good omen, but not so much.

 

At least I had a nice camp site

 

Driving over Lake Koocanusa