The Arrival of Fall: Elk and Blue Grouse

With the shimmering orange of an eastern Oregon sunrise over the Wallowa Mountains, this morning marks the official opening of the archery season. It has taken a little over 11 months to get here but the time has come to go out in search of elk and ultimately, success. And, with hours put in next to my trailer, the lone arrow I have left is flying true and any worries about missing my mark are past. But there is something else driving me today, something besides chasing elk that has me up at night. It’s September 1^st, the Saturday that is but a week away, and the day that marks the beginning of yet another season. It the opener for forest grouse and blue grouse in particular, are most definitely on my mind.

For most people scanning the woods this September their sole focus will be on elk. They will search high and low for those flecks of brown breaching the timber lines and listen for the thunderous crack of a branch breaking in the distance. It will heighten their senses and drive them deeper and deeper into the darkness of the forest. But while most will put all their energy towards this task, I will be walking in the back, scanning the trees with equal vigor. I will be searching for a bird that few see and every fewer bring home. A bird that is not only elusive but quick to disappear once discovered. Not just any bird, but a grouse.

Instead of looking for shades of brown I will search for hues of dark blue and black, lurking in the shadows of firs and pines; waiting for the slight movement that will give them away right before the crash of needles and the thrust of their bodies downhill. It is their moment of vulnerability and a window that is hard to take advantage of. It is a moment when the birds and their secretive homes will be exposed.

For many, including myself, the archery season provides its own unique challenges while seeking out grouse. There will surely be a point during the next month that I leave my bow behind and head out with my 870 to spend an afternoon pushing along ridgelines however, for the most part I will be confronting these birds with only my bow and that means an extra level of care must be taken to bring them down. I have now heard too many stories over the past two years that would suggest if you’re going to take down a grouse you’d better hit it in the head or shoulder, otherwise you can kiss the grouse, and your arrow, goodbye; flying and fluttering a thousand feet below you in a matter of seconds. It will take precise and accurate shots, knowing that your second chance will not come. Oh how I welcome the challenge.

I think I revel in the task not simply because it will test my skill with the bow but moreover, it is because I have such immense respect for the birds, that the challenge is that much more inviting. They are fast, cunning, solid, and live high up in surrounding mountains. A task that seems better suited for mountain goats and well aged bull elk. But they make their living on the rocks and under the trees, the chukar of the forest if you will. And it is because of their hearty nature that I am driven to chase them and seek out success. It is because they pose such a formidable front and can fly past you in the blink of an eye that I feel myself almost drawn to them. It’s a little crazy, but a lot of fun.

So, while today marks a day for elk, it is now under a week until blue grouse will be fair game as well. It will undoubtedly make the trips into the woods twice as exciting and with every flicker of a branch, every brush of a leaf, I will look around for those shades of brown, blue, and black. I will lock onto them with ever vigilant eyes and pull my bow back. Elk or blue grouse, either way, it will be my first. What more could anyone ask for?