Grouse! Let’s See Them

[shrapnel]

There is a “Let’s See Them” in most of the game specific forums, how about grouse? My favorite fall collected meal is either elk tenderloins or mountain grouse.

This is to honor the grouse…

 

[jpc01101]

Today with my bow. His head is barely hanging on, they are not as hearty as a pheasant as a quick tug on the neck was a quick way to dispatch a pheasant in my younger years, but I pretty much pulled his head off.

 

[PawPawWPG]

First grouse for my youngest dog this past weekend in Michigan. Shotgun is a 1934 Fox Sterlingworth.

 

[Stocker]

Sons first grouse a few weeks ago. (We call grouse and prairie chickens both grouse. This is technically a chicken)

 

[Hem]

Haven't been out but a couple times.
Need to fit in a few more days before snow flies.

 

[shrapnel]

 

[nastynate]

 

[pnwsculler]

All great pictures! Thank you all for sharing your passion for bird hunting, especially the grouse species. There is something special about being in the woods in September with an old timey gun hunting for those feathered blue and ruffed dwellers of the forest.

 

[TheGreek]

First grouse for my youngest dog this past weekend in Michigan. Shotgun is a 1934 Fox Sterlingworth.

View attachment 240638

Let’s see some more pics of the sterlingworth. I hunt with a 20 bore sterlingworth as well. A mid teens Philadelphia gun as best as I can tell. A beater as my uncle calls it, but I do love that gun. Here she is, with my first ever grouse, taken sans dog in the Northwoods of WI a few years back.

 

[MTLabrador]

It’s been a good grouse year for me. Today I figured turkeys were close enough to grouse, at least I shot it while it was flying.

 

[tormenter]

Always love blue grouse. Hunting has been strong in NW Colorado this season. Hope the pics aren't to gruesome, but I use my 12g with #8's and typically can dispatch them without a pellet in the body. Flying birds are a little more difficult to do the head shots. It is hard for some of my buddies to be trained to be head shooters, but really it is mindset that will make you a better hunter. No more wounded birds and most of the time if you shoot over them they will give you a second chance. Again no lost or wounded birds.
Good luck All!

 

[shrapnel]

 

[Wild Bill]

Sons first grouse a few weeks ago. (We call grouse and prairie chickens both grouse. This is technically a chicken) View attachment 240640

Hate to break it to you, but that is a sharpie. Chevrons on chest is a sharpie. Prairie chickens are barred. Feet are also a dead give away.

Good for the kiddo though! He looks awful proud, as he should be!

Check out the link for comparison.

Identification Keys and Tips - Sharp-tailed Grouse vs. Prairie Chicken

Keys and Tips for Identifying Sharp-tailed Grouse, Lesser Prairie Chicken, and Greater Prairie Chicken - Tympanuchus phasianellus, Tympanuchus cupido, Tympanuchus pallidicinctus - South Dakota Birds and Birding

www.sdakotabirds.com

 

[coleslaw]

Chief, my 10 month old Brittany got his first Ruffed Grouse yesterday afternoon. Solid point and hold on a juvenile grouse. Yeah, I ground-swatted it but so what... I held the barrel on it for a good 10 seconds while it started to run into cover instead of fly. Chief continued to hold his point the whole time so I fired. Dog did his job even though the bird never flew and I was extremely proud of him and he knew it! Looking forward to some Woodcock flights soon. It only gets better from here.

 

[shrapnel]

A nice reward for a couple days of hard hunting…

 

[Knight.54]

I doubled!

Sage Grouse in Montana.
28 gauge CZ Bobwhite.

 

[wtrfwlhunter]

Last night.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Driving down the Alcan next week to MT for the winter.
I have not shot a blue grouse in 22 years, hope to hunt the high country soon after arriving.
These are from our backyard up here in Alaska.

 

[MNHunter67]

I can’t seem to find any grouse when I’m actually out hunting them, but I got this nice dusky while elk hunting this past weekend.

 

[shrapnel]