This was a interesting hunt. We went to the old chicken coop and tried our luck. We camped at over 9000 feet, and we drove in on a road so bad that every time I drive it I say it is my last time. We hunted Thursday, Friday, and half a day on Saturday. I got sick on Friday night. I think I am coming down with pneumonia. I am so glad I left when I did. I felt so crappy I never took a shot on saturday.
The first thing I noticed was all the birds we were seeing were big old males. Jacob and I both got our limit on the first two days and the guys we were with also got a bunch of birds. In total for the three days we got 28 blue grouse. Two of them were female the rest were OLD males. We never saw a single young bird. I was told by a miner that the birds are late this year. He see's the males about the middle of August. This year they are now just getting there. So far on scouting trips I have only seen two young birds. I might be wrong but I think they are late because of renesting due to the rain we had this spring. Anybody else been out? Ron
This is a picture of Jacob.

I would not expect the blues to be up that high yet, at least not the broods. The guys on the farm in Challis are still shooting them down in the creek bottoms 'till about mid October.

Had a good opener myself, got our new male working ruffed grouse for the first time. He's going to be a great dog. My girl got her first ruffed of the season, too, and wants to go again today..... What a problem to have.

Are blues any "wilder" than sprucies?? They must be, seeing as how it appears you're using a shotgun on them.

I've killed a few sprucies and they've all been with rocks.