MONTANA GROUSE HUNTING REPORT 10-22-2024

The 2024 upland season has basically wrapped up.  Without doubt it was one of the best we've had in many years.  Populations of ruffed and spruce grouse were very good and we even found a few duskies as well.  Technically the season is still very much open but our programs runs from the middle of September to middle of October.

I faced some challenges this year and ran low on dog power.  Five year old Lucy came up lame early in the season.  She was good for a couple innings but beyond that I had to be very careful with her.  Additionally, she developed severe blockage in her gut and mid-season had surgery which meant she was done for the rest of the season. Down to one dog and scrambling to figure out how to get another immediately was stressful to say the least.  Fortunately, several guests were bringing dogs that helped a great deal.  Regardless, it was time for young Poppy to pick up the slack.  And boy did she ever.

Poppy is 1 1/2 years old and she ended up running essentially all day, every day.  She had contact with hundreds of grouse during the season and it was a joy and wonder to see her learning and hunting with more confidence as the season went on.  Sure, she still bumped a few ruffed by getting too close, sure she missed a bird a two, but she also nailed birds, held them tight, backed other dogs, covered ground nicely, learned to pace herself, and started repositioning to pin birds if they started to move.

I've kept a running average of flushes over the years and this year was right in that sweet spot of approximately 3 flushes per hour.  Keep in mind that's a season average.  Some days that would mean twenty and other days it might mean eight.  Either way it was a solid year for grouse numbers.

Additionally, and most importantly, all guests were first and foremost safe.  Obviously gun safety is the most critical part of any hunting experience and fortunately every single guest this year was extraordinarily conscientious about gun safety.

Please give a call anytime if you have questions about our upland hunting program or any of our fly fishing or big game adventures.  406-295-4872.