HUNTING - UPLAND MONTANA

CHASING THE SHARPTAIL
By Jim Foster

It sounded like an entire henhouse had been launched into the air. The cackling left no doubt that the rapidly departing birds was a covey of Sharptail grouse. Shotguns spoke and a bird tumbled back to earth.

Alan Tarvid and I had traveled into Russell Country and settled at the MX Motel in Chester, Montana. Our hostess was Gayle Fisher, executive director of the Russell Country travel in Montana. Our guides in the field throughout the walking hunt in the “big” country were Stan Huhtala and Clarence Christian who live in and near Chester.

The sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) are one of the larger grouse sub-species. They have sharp pointed tails, which stick straight up when the birds are displaying during the mating season. They are often mistaken for their cousin, the prairie chicken.

Native Americans called the sharp-tailed grouse the "fire bird" because their habitat was kept open by fires killing trees and shrubs and allowing the grass to grow.

We would be hunting both broken sagebrush cover and grassy rolling hills bordering draws offering deeper cover. Finding this type of cover – many times CRP – adjoining grain fields is a great place to begin your hunt. We would also be hunting with a young pointing dog that became excited when he found fresh scent left by the sharpies.

The area also supports pheasant and Hungarian partridge that just add to the excitement of the hunt. It is also not uncommon to be hunting upland game and see a pronghorn antelope on a distant hill. We had a great hunt and met some great people. If your planning a western upland hunt give the area around Chester, Montana a whirl.

For more information you can contact the Russell Country Visitors office at 800-527-5348 or find them on the internet at http://russell.visitmt.com/

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com