Northwest Sportsman – August 2019

160 Northwest Sportsman AUGUST 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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COLUMN

They are short-distance fliers. I’ve

shot grouse out of tree limbs after they

explode out of cover and go maybe 15 to

25 yards and just sit there to determine

whether they’re being followed. This

is where a good .22-caliber rifle with a

scope comes in handy.

They don’t wander far. Last season,

I’m pretty certain I encountered the

same grouse at least three times, on

three different days, in almost the same

spot in an old clearcut. Never did get

the bugger, and by the third visit, it was

getting personal!

For the bigger blues I like a 2¾-inch

high-base shell in 12- or 20-gauge with

a payload of No. 6, while the smaller

ruffed (forest) grouse can be conked

rather decidedly with 7½ shot. If using

a 28-gauge or .410 (and don’t forget the

sweet 16), stick with the same formula

and go with 3-inch shells for the .410.

They have a bit more distance and more

shot in each payload.

If you hunt with a single barrel gun,

opt for a modified choke. I hunt with a

double barrel, with an improved cylinder

choke for the first shot and modified in

case of a necessary follow-up. That is,

unless I’m using my .410, in which case

I’ve got a pair of fixed full-choke barrels.

Ruffed grouse also like seeds, berries,

insects and crabapples, as well as all kinds

of stuff that includes buds later in the

season. You’ll find them in mixed stands

of alder, maple, hemlock and fir.

Grouse are cyclic, with population

highs and lows, and so far this year,

people I’ve heard from are spotting good

numbers of birds. The hatch appears to

have come off well with warmer weather

mixed with good moisture, so there was

ample food available, including good

bug hatches.

It’s legal to shoot grouse with rifle or

pistol. A few years ago I acquired a Ruger

MK IV semiauto in .22 Long Rifle. Even

when I don’t have a shotgun handy, that

pistol is on my belt and it’s got a bull

barrel with adjustable sights. I practice

with it faithfully during the preseason,

shooting at small targets, including

empty shotgun shell hulls, golf balls,

Workman is pretty handy with

a pistol, and he uses this Ruger

MK IV for an occasional head shot

when the opportunity presents

itself. (DAVE WORKMAN)

WASHINGTON GUN LAW UPDATE

For those of you in Washington who slept through the past couple of months, your

Ruger 10/22, Marlin Model 60, Remington Nylon 66 and other popular semiautos are

now “semiautomatic assault rifles.”

That’s because they all fall within the definition of this otherwise nonexistent

firearm, courtesy the language of Initiative 1639, the onerous gun control measure

passed by nearly 60 percent of the people who voted last November.

You can’t buy any of these smallbore rifles if you are under age 21. There’s a 10-

day waiting period. You pay a paperwork fee. Go through an “enhanced” background

check, which includes a waiver to allow law enforcement to look at your health records.

You can’t buy one of these rifles unless you can prove you’ve taken a safety course

within the past five years. If you hunt with someone who voted for that measure, you

might want to find a different hunting partner. –DW

Take a good look. Under Washington law, this Ruger 10/22

is now a “semiautomatic assault rifle.” (DAVE WORKMAN)