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Tips From This Hunt - Trying for a Grand Slam

• Plan, Plan, Plan…do not arrive without at least a spot on the map from a source you trust.
• Do an extensive web search; good information can be found on non-hunting pages.
• Create or purchase maps of the area and delineate likely areas from tips before you leave.
• Search the area pre-season…it’s called scouting and it doesn’t only apply to big game!
• In all your adventures; camping, hiking, fishing, or driving around the state always keep a record of where you have seen game birds, even if it is just a dot on your Idaho gazetteer. Even if you know you will never hunt that area a hunting buddy may and if you scratch their back maybe they will someday scratch yours.
• And along the lines of the previous statement, what goes around comes around good and bad. I have a couple acquaintances and friends that I will happily share any of my hunting spots with because they share theirs with me and I know they are not the type to go in and clean out an area.
• If someone tells you about an area and asks you to keep it a secret, honor their request.

Grand Slam

(By Karl DeHart)

I am starting to write this on October 6, 2005 and am now only two species away from my goal of a Grand Slam. I set this goal a month or so before the upland bird season started in Idaho. Specifically, the goal is to in one season harvest at least one of Idaho’s 10 upland game bird species and within Idaho's borders. Ok, the minor adjustments I made were to add the mourning dove and not to worry about the bobwhite quail. I added the mourning dove because it is one of my favorite birds for wing shooting. I eliminated the bobwhite because even with some research I have no clue where any birds can be found on public lands nor does anyone I have talked with, so far. I am not including the turkey as an upland game bird, maybe next year.

One of the most interesting things about this quest is I’m learning much more about hunting the whole state of Idaho and therefore seeing much more of it. I’ve hunted sharp-tailed to the east, sage-grouse to the southwest, quail and chukar around Boise, central for spruce, and will go north for wild pheasants. I’ve taken every chance I can to travel to a new spot to find that elusive spruce or sharp-tailed grouse. Alright, alright, for you elk hunters that have had spruce grouse nearly climb on your laps, the spruce grouse may not be elusive. But, when you start from scratch with a species it takes a little effort to figure any of them out…well except chukar, which only requires that you go to Brownlee Reservoir and hike! The two birds that have proven to be the most difficult this year are the pheasant and ruffed grouse. I hunted eastern Idaho for ruffs after my sharp-tail hunt on Sunday but with little success, the hunt was cut short because of rain.

So here is the run-down of species harvested so far and in order: mourning dove, blue grouse, spruce grouse, sage-grouse, California quail, Hungarian partridge, chukar, and sharp-tailed grouse. I’m off in two days to chase ruffed grouse around Garden Valley.

To some veteran Idaho hunters you may be able to pick the 10 spots you would harvest each species without much thought, I will after this year. The question the rest of us may ask is what has it taken for me to feel confident about accomplishing this goal. The first step was to put out a cry for help to all my hunting buddies and friends, you also find out who isn’t your hunting buddy. I may know 30 places to hunt and for 7-8 of the species but those places only partially overlap with the 30 places and 7-8 species each other person likes to hunt. The second step was to research the areas when I was given a tip about it.

Research included web searches about the area, reading books or articles if I could find them, asking other people if they’ve hunted the area, and perusing and creating maps. For example, my spruce grouse hunts took me to McCall and then more easterly along the Salmon River drainages. In one case a friend had taken pictures of grouse just a week or so before the season started. If you can put dots on a map, have your campsite picked out, and your hunting itinerary solid in the back of your mind (always subject to change) you’ll enjoy your hunt much more. The other way, the easier way to do it is just talk one of your hunting partners into taking you to their spots for whatever species you are hunting; have gun, have dog, will travel!

The pheasant hunt, hmmm, I think I was just talked into a trip up north, a reward/connection for helping someone out when they were down here hunting from the north. I can’t tell you where but I hope to be doing some steelhead fishing at the end of my day of hunting! I’ve really enjoyed this quest and just maybe, next year my goal can be to harvest a limit of every species and even throw in a bobwhite to boot, just one, come on, someone has to know!

I have to thank Alex, Justin, Jason, Greg and Trent, and in advance of a northbound trip Devon and Gary for their help with my quest. It has been their tips and willingness to share information that has turned into some wonderful hunts for me.

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