Ahhhhhh yes, I also find it much easier to putt along the nice Forest Service roads in Eastern WA and blast the Blues right off of the road. Seriously, the Westside grouse (predominatly Ruffed) take more work. If you are not seeing ANY in the area you're hunting, go find a new area. I would recommend finding gated or blocked roads and walking them....you will fare much better than driving.

I hunted the Sultan basin area on Saturday with a buddy and our two Spaniels. We flushed five and only one found its way to our vests. It's more like hunting the East Coast for grouse and woodcock. It's very thick and shots are limited. Your other option is to drive the roads all morning and hope you see one picking up gravel.

See if you can find your way from the Duvall/Carnation area (Stossell Creek) over the top of Haystack mountain and find the area on the other side of the hill, otherwise accessed by the Cedar Ponds Rd in between Monroe and Sultan; I know there are grouse on that side. The roads are there but there are gates. Good luck!


Ike