Final tally.

Well it's almost time. Grouse season opens in 8 days and chukar season in 23. Yesterday Grady was at the vets getting his clacker's removed so we're through running the mountains for a week or so to give him time to heal. Jake and I decided the best way to keep Grady calm today was to take him on a road trip and what a successful trip it was. We headed for a spot pretty familiar to all of us and as you can see there was a lot to see and Grady wanted to get out and do his thing. Jake just sat there and enjoyed the scenery knowing that we have never hunted from the truck before so why get excited.

This was our last scouting trip of the year and the video and some pictures is just a fraction of what we saw so now it's up to you as to what you think the season will be like.

Grady still hasn't had a scent point but has had several sight points on grouse and we're not going to let him run hard again until grouse season begins so we're hoping for the best. Jake, of course has been finding plenty of birds and sometimes seems to be able to find bird scent in a field covered with perfume. I'm hoping in about a month I'll be able to report that Grady's nose is like a magnet to bird scent and his point is rock solid but if not we're lucky to have such a long season to work on it.

I'm hoping you guys let me know when you're heading this way and we can swap some stories. I've got the same camper and truck and hope to be all over southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon. It's pretty obvious the chukars have done well (my preference of bird to hunt) but it seems like almost all of the upland birds did well this spring. I'm even seeing more pheasants down closer to the farm lands.
                                                                           

It looks like the huns have done as well as the chukars

and a person might be able to come up with a double limit (8 huns and 8 chukar) this year. one of the great opportunities Idaho offers.

And if you're lucky you can add a few quail to your game bag because it also looks like a super year for them.

These video's and pictures were taken on a 2 hour drive once I got into hunting country so you can imagine what I might have seen if Grady had been up to taking a hike. I can't tell you how excited I am for some cool and wet weather.

Weather permitting, I'll be out on the 30th chasing grouse and will try and get four or five trips in on them before the chukar season begins and than once again weather permitting I will be out chasing them as often as possible. Being retired and within a couple of hours of almost all of the area's I hunt makes it a lot easier to stay home on those bad days. Good luck and be safe this season.