Blackcock hunting
8 hunting trips from 7 outfitters starting from $588
Where to hunt Blackcock
Blackcock, or black grouse, is a medium sized bird that loves the territories where forests meet clearings or open grounds; if the open grounds are used for agriculture, providing an additional source of food, so much the better (but no mineral fertilizers, please!) Black grouse range covers more or less all Europe and Asia from Scandinavia in the West to the Pacific coast in the East, and from taiga to forest steppes from North to South. For blackcock hunting, check out Russia, Belarus and Scandinavia.
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Price distribution
There are very few dedicated blackcock hunting offers. In the most cases, the bird is included in a package deal with capercaillie, other birds (like hazel grouse), and even bear and other predators. The price of such packages starts at $500-$1,000, and may grow in price depending on the species, number of hunters, and number of days included in the hunt.
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Learn more from our blog story
Blackcock hunting is often viewed as a side-runner to the bigger and more attractive capercaillie, and you will often see Blackcock and capercaillie hunting offered as one package deal. Learn how the two birds differ, and what makes Blackcock hunting an interesting and exciting pursuit in its own right.
4 Jan 2018 The Quiet Call of the Biggest GrouseWhen to hunt Blackcock?
The autumn season for blackcock hunting starts in late August and may continue to December. Early season typically works better for hunting over bird dogs, late season is perfect for stalking with a rifle Scandinavian style. The spring hunting season is often open only for ten days or so in Russia, longer in Belarus. The birds’ activity at leks is highly influenced by weather (i.e., how fast spring is coming), and the best times for hunting may vary from year to year.
Hunting methods All hunting methods (7)
Like its bigger and more famous cousin the capercaillie, black grouse can be hunted over bird dogs in early autumn, by stalking or with special local breed treeing dogs in late autumn in early winter, and at the leks in spring. Unlike capercaillie, though, the spring lek hunt is in most cases done from a blind. This gives a hunter an opportunity not only to harvest a blackock in his prime mating feather, but also to observe the amazing picture of the black grouse lek, and other intimate scenes of spring nature.
Why hunt Blackcock?
A black grouse lek is quite a sight to see. The hens remain in their camouflage brown feather, but the cocks are in their best dress. All black, with long lyre-shaped tail feathers that used to remind people of tail-coat evening dress, lily white behind and burning red eyebrows, a black grouse cock is one of the most beautiful game birds ever. Blackcock tend to be more numerous than capercaillies, and their mating ritual is less about the song and more about the fight. Most Russian writers describe it as a big medieval tournament, with numerous knights challenging each other in the name of their belles. It makes an exciting sight from a distance, and tenfold more emotional when you’re in a blind located in the thick of the action.
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