Originally Posted by
rogerb
you're correct in thinking that local to Rossland/Trail area grouse are the main item on the menu for hunting over a dog. numbers vary from year to year but some areas always seem to produce, you'll soon figure which ones - your dog will soon tell you! access is not really an issue for grouse as most are to be found on crown land.
provided you can make a living, Rossland/Trail is a good central point in many ways. if you go west an hour or so there is a wider range of upland birds beginning in Grand Forks/Christina Lake area & extending all the way to the Okanogan - a lot of the low elevation grasslands are private land though so there is that.
go an hour or so east & you'll be in Creston where the waterfowling can be very good on both public & private land. some pheasants there too but nowadays almost all on private land. the creston wildlife management area is open to bird hunting from Oct 1 on & the best bits are accessible only by boat, foot or bike so you'll often find yourself all alone in there. your dog will be in heaven in that extensive maze of dikes, channels, sloughs, fields & ribbons of forest. some nasty burs though so bring a brush...
lots of predators all through the kootenays - bears particularly numerous & especially common in Rossland as it happens, nice to have a fairly close working dog you can keep half an eye on. not sure but I think there is a Brittany breeder in Genelle or China Creek so I'm sure they would be able to help you with specifics.