Memories of our childhood fade with each passing year, eventually becoming a figment of our perceived reality. While I can’t recall many of the details, several dusty old albums filled to the brim with photos of my early hunting experiences with my father and grandfather paint a detailed story of my deep-rooted hunting heritage. However, there are a small handful of defining experiences in my younger years that I can still recall with clarity decades later.

My 10th birthday, which conveniently coincided with opening weekend of sage grouse season, marked the first day I could legally buy a small-game hunting license in the Cowboy State. For a young boy coming from a long lineage of hunters, I felt I had officially gone from a boy to a man, toting a shotgun of my own across the vast sagebrush flats, walking parallel to my father and grandfather.

We got into plenty of birds that day, but that was not by chance. My family’s long-standing tradition of hunting the iconic sage grouse in this region spans multiple generations. An accumulated wealth of knowledge, built over several decades, put us in a historical hotspot, and the bird numbers that year were abundant. Both my father and grandfather filled their daily limit, which was three at the time, by early afternoon. I “killed” two birds in the morning, though if I was a betting man, I would bet that those birds fell to my father or grandfather’s patterns, who kindly disguised them as my own. Regardless, I didn’t know any better and you couldn’t knock the sheepish grin off my chunky face.

Determined to fill my first limit, we carried on behind the dogs, flushing several more birds throughout the afternoon. Shots were fired, but those birds were fairly safe with me behind the trigger. Just as the sun began to set, the dogs flushed a brace of sage grouse on the edge of range. With nothing to lose and desperation seeping in, I shouldered my 20-gauge and pulled the trigger. By a small miracle, one of the fleeing birds was struck by a golden BB, folding from the sky and putting an exclamation mark on a special day. I still remember the vibrant pink and orange hues of the setting sky, and I can still recall the conversation that my dad and I had walking back to the truck that evening. For a 10-year-old boy, life was as good as it gets.

Grouse Camp, The One Constant

Fast forward 23 years and a lot has changed. Several incredible bird dogs have come and gone. My grandfather is no longer with us, though every now and again I can still hear his contagious laugh as I follow behind bird dogs of my own. My father is now a grandfather, and I have two little ones of my own. However, one remaining constant during that time is our innate pull to the wide expanses of sagebrush country that the mighty sage grouse call home every September.

Last season marked the first time that I was able to take my own son, Hudson, with us hunting sage grouse, as my father had done with me many, many years ago. As excited as I was to take my son, I imagine it was equally as special to my father to see the next generation joining in on the family tradition. My wife and 1-year-old daughter, as well as my youngest brother also joined us that day. For those that have hunted with kids, you know that they present a unique set of challenges. Luckily, and terrifying at the same time, my son wants nothing more than to be like his dad, blindly following me everywhere I go and mimicking my every move. I knew this hunt would be different simply because I would not have the ability to lace up the boots and cover country like I normally do, but the basic principles and joy of hunting these sage loving birds remained the same.

Sage Grouse Hunting Tactics and Traditions

Given the arid regions that the sage grouse call home, and the fact that most seasons take place during the heat of September, you can bet that sage grouse will be tied to a water source. During the first hour or two of daylight, it is not uncommon to catch sage grouse within a couple hundred yards of water.

Sage grouse are not typically found in high densities, so coveys are scattered, often several miles apart. Since I would be hunting with my three-year-old, our plan was to spend plenty of time behind the steering wheel, strategically bouncing from water source to water source in hopes of locating birds to pursue so I could preserve what little gas he had in his tank to follow along behind me and the dogs.

As is often the case when hunting with kids, we were running late. The morning sunrise had already given way to blue skies by the time we finally bumped down the dusty two-track to a water source that sage grouse have frequented for many years. My two Labs, Hoyt and Grizz, began pacing in the back seat as soon the tires hit dirt, and the kids were more than ready to get out of the truck after a couple hours of driving. Conveniently coinciding with Hudson insisting he needed a potty break, I spotted the first birds of the day. Four sage grouse slipped into the tall sagebrush. I drove another 200 yards down the road, let the kids get their wiggles out, and turned the dogs into the wind back towards where we had seen the birds.

Walking through waist-high, dense sagebrush is near impossible for a three-year-old so we fell behind the pack. However, the birds had not gone far, and my dad dusted the first bird of the morning with the dogs in hot pursuit. Shortly after, Hoyt and Grizz got birdy, flushing a pair of sage grouse well within range. The sheer size of these birds impedes their ability to get up and out quickly and both shots from my 20-gauge Browning Citori found their mark, filling my daily limit of two birds. Hudson, who was 40 or so yards behind me, kicked up a dust trail as he came running towards me with pure excitement as the dogs retrieved the downed birds. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I would disagree. For me, the photos that my talented wife captured of that special moment of a cherished tradition being passed on to the next generation are valuable beyond monetary value.

More Tips for Hunting Sage Grouse

With each passing year, I find myself appreciating the opportunities to hunt these special birds more and more. Unlike many other upland species, sage grouse are not tied to agriculture. For the adventurous upland hunter, this means a DIY sage grouse hunt is a doable endeavor with the vast majority of sage grouse being scattered across millions of acres of our public land. With that said, sage grouse are easily one of the most heavily regulated upland species in the West. Short seasons and limited daily bag limits are the norm, and states like Utah require prospective hunters to apply through a random draw for the small handful of permits that are given there each year. There are huntable populations of sage grouse in most states across the West, but Wyoming is King in terms of sage grouse numbers and opportunity.

Populations unquestionably eb and flow, but by and large the sage grouse numbers that we have seen in recent years have been encouraging, and hunting opportunities have been plentiful. In fact, I would argue that the last two years have produced the highest bird numbers that I have seen in the last decade.

While not impossible, these large coveys of sage grouse are notoriously difficult to get within range of. However, sage grouse do have a tendency to stagger their flush, allowing the alert hunter to quickly close the gap on the initial rise and often pick off a straggler or two. I have always hunted sage grouse with Labradors without problems, but the ability to have a pointer indicate birds ahead at distances of 50 yards or more could certainly be beneficial when hunting large coveys. Once the covey is broken into smaller groups, or singles and pairs, they become much easier to get within range of as they will often hunker down and rely on their uncanny camouflage to evade danger. Unfortunately for them, they cannot escape the nose of a good bird dog.

Scouting for Sage Grouse

If a sage grouse is on your bucket list—and it should be—start by studying distribution maps and making phone calls to local biologists. Do not ask for hotspots when making these calls, rather ask how overall bird numbers are doing and the type of terrain and vegetation that you should focus your time and attention on. Once you have identified an area that you would like to hunt, scour over maps, identify local water sources, and get to work. Exploring and finding the areas that these birds inhabit is all part of the experience.

A Word of Caution for Hunters

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous about the effect that the severe winter that blasted much of the West last year is going to have on bird numbers. Nothing has been officially released at the time of writing this article, but I am betting that bird numbers will be down compared to years past in many regions. Be cognizant of overall bird numbers. In areas where numbers are down, take one or two less grouse and take an active role in the preservation of these remarkable birds.

In another 23 years, I know that much will change. As much as it hurts to even think about, my beloved bird dogs will be gone, replaced by others that somehow will fill the empty void and bring the joy and satisfaction that only a well-trained bird dog can do. But most importantly, God willing, I will have instilled a love for hunting and the outdoors in my children. And, with a little luck, I will get to witness them passing on the revered tradition of hunting these iconic birds onto children of their own.