Yesterday was a splendid day to spend in the Uplands of Colorado! Matt Ortiz from An Upland Odyssey and I headed up into the high country to chase ptarmigan and late September blue grouse! Matt has awesome bird dogs . . . Mia and Abby are both FB English Springer Spaniels. They are very biddable bird dogs and intensely work the cover in search of birds! We had a riot watching four English bird dogs (Springers, Setter, and Cocker) search high and low for a hint of game bird! Matt is definitely a DOGMAN first and a hunter second!!!! He’s more concerned with the welfare of his canine partners than with any other aspect of the upland experience! I admire Matt for this attribute, and I look forward to another day afield with him and his biddable bird dogs!
As My good friend and hunting partner Mark Kastler says, “Some days chicken, some days feathers!” It was feathers for us yesterday, but I had one heck of a good time . . . good weather, good exercise, and good companionship (both human and canine)!
Walter…if you think there were no “Oh’s” in blue grouse country…the only “Oh’s” in ptarmigan country is me gasping for air and saying “Oh my Gosh!”
Upland Ways 
Shawn, I was wondering when you were going to post on Upland Equations (as opposed to treating it like your red-headed step child). Those ptarmigan sound like a touch and go proposition. Sorry you all did not find the birds, but I think that all will agree that a “bad” day of bird hunting is still better than the best day at work. Andy
Ptarmigan and I have a love-hate relationship! They’re kind of like “Boy Scout Snipe Hunting” with a burlap sack and a flash light! They are very migratory and can move from peak to peak…there today and gone tomorrow! Amen about work vs hunting!Shawn
You won’t ever see me up there unless it’s in a helicopter as an observer of nut cases loose in the high Rockies!Funny isn’t it? Some days in the field, birds or not, just seem right. Some of the best hunting days I ever had really didn’t put many birds in the freezer. But I stored up a whole treasure chest of memories.Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus!Walter
It was great time indeed. I can’t to figure out these late season Blue Grouse. Matt