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My German Longhaired Pointer Sage had been giving me the evil eye
lately. I think he was trying to tell me there was only one more
week of grouse season to go, and we had not been out.
How could I resist those pleading brown eyes? Well, I didn't really
need much arm-twisting, and started gathering up the Ruger 20 gauge
over and under, brush pants, camera, bird knife and Sage's collar
bell.
The collar bell only goes on when there is business to be done
and he had not forgotten the sound. When he heard the collar bell,
he could barely keep his paws on the floor.
Beats of a grouse
We headed into one of my favorite grouse covers. It is a long walk,
about three kilometers, down the railroad track and up a road. I
like this particular piece of ground because the ATV's have a hard
time accessing the area. On the way in, across the track, I heard
the first couple of beats of a grouse. No, it can't be, it is too
late in the season, but then came the rest of the drum song. This
bird was either teasing me, still looking for a female from spring,
or getting an early start on next spring. I marked the spot, and
thought, we will try to find that bird on the way back.
Up the road
We continued down one side of the track. In the distance, the honking
of geese, probably going back out to the river after the morning
feed. Along the river, there was a flock of mallards preening along
the far bank, but the geese were nowhere in sight. The cry of a
kingfisher upstream, and soon it came into view, looping its way
down stream. He better head south soon or one day that dive may
yield a severe headache.
We turned and headed up the road. Although Sage had not hunted for
a year, he soon settled in, and was working the figure eight in
front of me.
The road yielded zilch and we started back down the other side
of the track. I was thinking that we were pretty close to where
I had heard the grouse on the way in, when it rocketed off a treetop.
A magician
Typical of 'thunderchickens' a.k.a. ruffed grouse, I heard the
bird but never saw it. Following the sound of wings hitting branches
we tunneled into the undergrowth to try and find the bird. Any grouse
hunter who has done this knows that Mr. Ruff is a magician, and
can disappear better than Houdini. This bird was no different. Sage
had the scent, nose in the air, and both of us were trying to find
the outline of a bird in the treetops, but to no avail.
(All previous issues are stored in the ARCHIVE
for your convenience)
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On the way home, in city limits, we saw two grouse we had to chase
off the road. We also watched three, really fat, mulie does, munching
on someone's lawn.
Dreams
Sage is on his bed, dog tired and snoring. I'll also sleep well
tonight. Sage's dreams tonight may include the scent of grouse feathers
in his mouth and mine may be the taste of ruffs in mushrooms and
wild rice. In any case, it is an excuse for another trip.
We had a good day. Sometimes when we go out to hunt it is not about
hunting but the journey. I think I'll take more journeys.
Today's tips:
Grouse are a master of camouflage, just try to find one you have
dropped in thick cover. So, they can sit and let you walk by, or
scare the h--- out of you as they explode at your feet. However,
they can become unnerved if you stop. When walking up ruffs stop
often, you may get them to flush. Of course then the next problem
comes up; to get a shot as they twist and turn through the trees.
That is why many shotgunners call ruffed grouse, the king of gamebirds.
Male or female?
Want to identify your grouse as male or female? If the band on
the tail feathers is relatively undisturbed it is probably a male.
Another way, if there are two spots on the rump feather, it is probably
a male. Females usually have the two center feathers on the tail
where the band is obscured, and the rump feather usually has only
one spot.
Want to more about grouse? The definitive book on grouse is titled,
what else, "Ruffed Grouse" put out by Stackpole Books
in their Wildlife Series. About 60 different authors and photographers
had a hand in this book. Everything you wanted to know about grouse,
but were afraid to ask.
Check the crop
What habitat is best for grouse? The obvious answer is, the habitat
they prefer, but what do they prefer that day? Just like you check
the stomach contents on trout to find what they prefer to eat, you
can check the crop contents of the grouse to find what they prefer.
Although grouse eat a wide variety of foods, about 125 different
foods including insects, they will prefer certain foods at different
times of the year. If the crop shows mostly, for example clover,
then you had better look for them where there is a good supply of
clover. If the crop is mostly rose hips look along road edges with
lots of wild roses. Checking the crop will give you an idea of where
to concentrate your efforts.
Have any photos to contribute to the Photo
page ?
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