doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Idaho Sage Grouse Hunt

Great pictures and story!

Thanks so much for sharing!

Good to see my old chum "Long Range" out and about. Looks like the hip is doing well.

I took a nostalgia hike in the Miller Peak area of the Teanaways in Washington State last week looking for Grouse. Skitso and I moved at least six Ruffed Grouse. Forty-nine years ago I shot my one and only Deer just past the 3-mile marker on the Miller Peak trail, and always contended I'd have rather had the two Grouse I saw that morning than that damn Mule Deer. The country is still as beautiful, but that trail is a lot steeper and rockier forty nine years and 50 pounds later!!! Unlike "Long Range" I didn't take any pictures!!

Howe, Idaho. I've been there!

When the Navy, 1979-82, had me stationed in Idaho, at the nuclear power plant prototypes at INEL, we used to drive up to Howe and shoot jack rabbits. Jack rabbits were at a population peak and whole communites were showing up to drive the pests into fencing to be killed.

We humble sailors did our part with Jeeps (windshield down), a spotter standing on the back seat (hanging on to the roll bar) and yep a shotgunner in the passenger seat. We took turns and rotated postions every 5 rabbits. We called it "Rabbit Patrol".

I later learned you could spot-light rabbits with a permit. We went to Fish and Game, not knowing what to expect. They asked what were were going to spot-light. We said jack rabbits. We showed our hunting licenses and the permits were free. You just had to ask.

We don't have anything like that kind of fun here in NC.

Beautiful truck, Beautiful trailer, beautiful gun (if you love Parkers), beautiful campsite. I felt like I was looking through an old National Geographic!

Man, I never realized how perfect the natural camoflauge on the sage grouse is. Probably because the only grouse I see are Ruffed Grouse. Usually I see 'em for about 3 seconds, just long enough to miss both barrels in the New England woods.

I really enjoyed looking through the documentation of your trip. Seems like you know how to enjoy life to the hilt! God bless you.

My mother grew up on a potato farm in Wendell ID, this was back around 1906 (she was in her 40's when I was born). She used to have pictures of a rabbit drive, with the dead rabbit's piled up against a fence like a brown snow drift. I used to bring home all sorts of game when I was a kid, squirrels, pheasants, ground hogs... It didn't matter as long as I cleaned it she'd cook it for dinner. Except for rabbits, she considered rabbits to be vermin and told me under no circumstances was I to ever bring one home. My hunting buddies got any rabbits I shot.
Steve

Steve, I know you harbor the soul of a writer deep inside you. Strictly my opinion, but it seems you've got ample material to mine for hidden gems. There's a story begging to be told just in those few lines of your post!

I grew up in Pocatello and spent a large percentage of my youth in the Pahsimeroi, Little lost, and Big lost drainages. That country still holds a part of my soul captive.

Researcher, you drove right by my house on the way up the Teanaway. I'm outside of Cle Elum. Feel free to drop in for a beer if you are in the neighborhood.

Rob.

[quote=Fishnfowler]I grew up in Pocatello and spent a large percentage of my youth in the Pahsimeroi, Little lost, and Big lost drainages. That country still holds a part of my soul captive.

Fishnfowler you do say it as good as I have heard it said. As I grow older I sometimes think it has become gene pool. I have never been able to explain the hold that that entire area has on me. I was headed into Carlson Lake when the weather got bad, and I got hen house. Twenty years ago My son Pat and I came home from the Pahsimeroi with a 19 Ft. carevell tr. that we had to sell do to the damage. Miss Mary (wife of 50+) is still pissed.

Answeres to questons asked.
Old car is a 1946 Ford coupe. Miss Mary learned to drive in one about 60 yrs. ago and we just keep this one around. She will drive it to town and to visit her friends. I may even take it duck hunting.

Parker gun is a 12 Ga. #2 frame choked full and full 30"barrels

No Problem with Parts for The International or the Ford.

Pal Dave. Hip is fine I went right up insanity ridge after them GXX DaXX Chukars They did win the race, and flew to the bottom when they got me to the top.

Rock Doc. Early on, I think Rabits in this area had a lot of disease, many people in this area will not eat them today.

Some things never go out of style. Thanks for posting.

Joe in Charlotte, I used to go to INEL on business for the University of ID in the early 1980s, and would occasionally get up extra early and go for a quick ramble in the desert outside of the Reservation. Popped more than a few jackrabbits and a coyote with my pump .22 WRM. Did you ever get to the National Sheep Range?

My favorite experience regarding INEL was one guy at the Polish consulate in Vancouver who was VERY interested in that part of Idaho (but never mentioned INEL); we invited him down to Moscow (ID, not that other one) for a visit--very charming guy. But one of our professors who WAS Polish had lunch with us and later told us he was no more Polish than I was. FBI got very interested in him after that..... Spies in IDAHO???? Dang.

Pal Dave, the chukar thing is the disease; worse than anything you can catch from a rabbit!

Great story and pics! THANKS!