boulder:

We have no blues right here, some a ways away.

Our bird populations, like elsewhere, are highly cyclical, and go up and down over the years. This year and last, they are good.

For the ruffed grouse we shoot, a dog always seems to get in the way. We have used one in the past, but the birds flush unseen if a dog is used.

Some guys use dogs here, but that is when they are shooting them the "traditional" Idaho way...driving the roads with a dog in the back of the pickup or on a board on the 4-wheeler. Birds appear on the edges of logging roads at dawn and dusk!

I literally do not know anyone in my county that specifically hunts grouse on foot except for us, and we get ribbed about it all the time. I've always been a "walker" as it is good exercise and it just seems "righter" and I feel alot better about myself when I come home. Cheaper, too, now that fuel has escalated so high.

Cover is very thick and terrain rugged, and shots this time of year very close and thus the riot/slug barrel and or open choke on Sonny's gun. We also use pistols and "pop-gun" loads in the deer/elk rifles and of course during elk season when we are worn out and tired from not seeing elk the odd grouse gets his head removed by a full power load, too.

I still need a combo gun, but with kids lining up for university I doubt that is going to happen for a while...