Sharp-tailed Grouse

[Rooster Booster]

I just finished reading the article by Brad Fenson in the June Alberta Outdoorsmen magazine entitled Year of the Sharptail. I don't know where he was in Alberta but he said he flushed 60 different flocks of Sharptails in the week! One flush he estimated at sixty birds! I went out in the first week of November last year South and East of Milk River with my buddy and his Springer and we only saw one in two days of hunting and that one flushed out of range. Someone told me they saw lots North of Jenner, North of the River. Anyone else see lots of Sharptails last fall? Really like to know where Brad was.

[bessiedog]

I have a few areas that i noticed a higher number of sharpies. As a rule, I tend not to shoot them cause they've been fairly rare whère I troop.

This year I took three. Got one beauty mounted cause it's one of the most awsome birds to taxidermy.

I'm not really seeing serious increase in nimbers of sharpies...

But I will tell you.. I haven't seen Hun numbers more plentiful than I did last year! It was crazy!

And Thems good eatin!


Nope.... Not telling ya where. Sorry!

[angery jonn]

My dog has found lots east of Jenner over the last 2 weeks, but no covies that big!

[wwbirds]

We used to hunt near jenner and it got so bad we quit hunting them a few years ago. while hunting antelope in a completely different area the following year we unintentionally hit the sharptail bonanza. Often seeing and flushing that years birds from the ditch driving to our hunting spot and they only ran or flew over the fence.

Regional differences in chick mortality seems dependent on available bugs for feed, rain and weather seem to have a large impact and yet 20 miles away there can be loads of birds. We have flushed 60-100 birds in a day in prime habitat and they seem to group up after being flushed in small groups so you can get 50 birds flushing in one group of birds when you find the hiding place.

[oldgutpile]

Here in the south, I have seen massive increase in the flock numbers, as well as the number of flocks themselves.
This last year we did a release hunt on pheasants, and in one particular large cattail patch, we estimated 700 sharpies to have risen. Wave after wave of them!! Havent seen numbers like this since I was a kid.
Incidently, with that much bird scent around, it drove the dogs nuts!

[albertabighorn]

Seen a flock of two around that area wouldnt say alot by any means

[oldgutpile]

Seen one flock alone, that had to be close to three hundred birds! The colder it gets, the later in the season, and the more they seem to congregate together. Never seen it this good before.

[catnthehat]

We generally see quit a few flocks when hunting down south and see the odd one up in Ft. McMurray here as well.
Some days out at the Syncrude tailings area a person will run into some large flocks but not hundreds .
Cat

[Speckler]

Only spruce.

[brcarcol]

We had our best year ever last season for sharpies. We have been hunting gophers this year in the same area and are seeing very large numbers.

[Rooster Booster]

Can someone even give me a clue as to where all the sharpies are? County or WMU? PM me if you don't want to broadcast the info?

[Mhunter51]

Very nice to hear that the numbers are way up even if it is in certain locals only in Alberta. I have spent quit a bit of time out last fall and this year in Sask but have not seen anything close to those numbers. On the NEGATIVE side of this thread, I would think it is a VERY foolish-if not illegal- to run a dog chasing up sharptails on late nests or with very young chicks. I think they have enough trouble with fox and coyote harassment. A little control of the dog ( and owner ) would be in order, and smart !!!!!!!

[Brian Bildson]

Watched them on a lek this spring. pretty impressive action

[puppyhood1]

Originally Posted by Mhunter51

Very nice to hear that the numbers are way up even if it is in certain locals only in Alberta. I have spent quit a bit of time out last fall and this year in Sask but have not seen anything close to those numbers. On the NEGATIVE side of this thread, I would think it is a VERY foolish-if not illegal- to run a dog chasing up sharptails on late nests or with very young chicks. I think they have enough trouble with fox and coyote harassment. A little control of the dog ( and owner ) would be in order, and smart !!!!!!!

I didn't see anywhere on this thread about chasing birds off their nest? Sask. has rules that run from May to July no dog training on game birds for that reason. Pointing out dog training as a major culprit is based has no validity just the usual easy to identify group of people the politicians can control and claim they are actually doing something for the birds. Start rolling up your sleeves and put back habitat control and don't allow the PFRA pastures in Sask to be privatised then start giving advise to dog trainers.........puphood1

[Bassett]

My area was a year of ruffies. Not one single sharp or spruce.