The Day Of The Grouse

[slowp]

I was heading back in when I shooed this guy? out of the road. I think he's a guy because it looks like there's those puffy things hidden by his neck. He's now a Sooty Grouse which is a new name for a Westside Blue grouse.

I have shot them before and never saw those head things. Maybe they go away in the Fall or the hens don't have them?

If I hadn't already been eating a lot of chicken.......

Oooops. Back to the story. I shooed him off the road and continued on down. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw him chasing my pickup, and in full flight. If a grouse can actually do full flight. I stopped and he ran up and began doing the circling thing.

Turn your volume up high and you might hear the noises he made.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kM5QfUol58I&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kM5QfUol58I&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

[BlackOakTreeServ]

Very cool video!!! rep sent!!!

We have the "sooty" blue grouse here in nor cal, you find them at 5000' to 8000 + elevation. And yes thats a male with the orange eye brows, hens dont have them.

Thats pretty rare getting that close, I've seen them while driving on dirt roads in high elevation, get the 12er out and stalk....they fly like a rocket, havent got one yet.

 

[MNTAINGAL23]

I think he liked you Patty!
Those are pretty cool.
A few years ago we got video of a male grouse strutting and blowing his chest out with the little blow up things. Pretty funny seeing them strut.

 

[GASoline71]

Grouse are tasty... I like the Blues better than Ruffed because they are bigger... more meat.

Gary