The Secret Life of the Dusky Grouse – A Project Upland Original Film

ByA.J. DeRosa August 30, 2026August 30, 2026

In the mountains of Utah, wildlife scientist and hunter Dr. Dave Dahlgren explores the deep connection between hunting and conservation while groundbreaking research reveals a surprising new understanding of how dusky grouse move across the landscape.

This film is presented by Weatherby and OnX Hunt.

For Dr. Dave Dahlgren, hunting and wildlife science have never been separate pursuits. They are part of the same legacy—and the same responsibility to understand and conserve wild birds and the landscapes they depend on.

In the mountains of Utah, the Utah State University wildlife and rangeland specialist has spent years studying dusky grouse, a bird traditionally thought of as a forest grouse. But GPS research led Dahlgren and his team to something unexpected: dusky grouse can move across surprisingly large landscapes and show strong fidelity to seasonal habitats, behaving in ways that look remarkably similar to prairie grouse.

One GPS-marked hen traveled roughly 35 to 40 miles during her annual cycle. Other birds returned year after year to the same wintering areas and nested within just a few hundred yards of previous nest sites. The research is beginning to reshape how we think about the landscapes dusky grouse need—and what it takes to understand and manage their populations.

But this film is about more than dusky grouse.

Dahlgren grew up hunting and later came to understand the deep historical connection between hunting, scientific wildlife management, and conservation in North America. Today, that relationship shapes both his research and the way he introduces the next generation of wildlife professionals to hunting.

“We can’t separate hunting from wildlife conservation. It’ll be to our detriment because our history here in North America is inextricably linked.”

From bird dogs and grouse hunting to GPS transmitters, autonomous recording units, harvest rates, and population monitoring, this film follows Dahlgren into the Utah mountains to explore the intersection of hunting and science—and what one remarkable grouse is teaching us about the landscape.

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A.J. DeRosa

A.J. DeRosa, founder of Project Upland, is a New England native with over 35 years of hunting experience across three continents. His passion for upland birds and side-by-side shotguns has taken him around the world, uncovering the stories of people and places connected to the uplands. First published in 2004, he wrote The Urban Deer Complex in 2014 and soon discovered a love for filmmaking, which led to the award-winning Project Upland film series. A.J.'s dedication to wildlife drives his advocacy for conservation policy and habitat funding at both federal and state levels. He serves as Chairman of the New Hampshire Fish & Game Commission, giving back to his community. You can often find A.J. and his Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Grim, hunting in the mountains of New England—or wherever the birds lead them.