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Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) #7009465
10/05/20 02:23 PM
10/05/20 02:23 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
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Gulo Online content OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Online Content OP
"On The Other Hand"
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
Managed to sneak out above the place yesterday afternoon and go for a walk with my dog and shotgun. Fall colors incredible. Nice evening...

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]


Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009470
10/05/20 02:34 PM
10/05/20 02:34 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
Nice Bro !!!

I went out towards the rock quarry a couple days ago and scored on this guy. The first half color I have killed

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]


Mean As Nails
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009472
10/05/20 02:36 PM
10/05/20 02:36 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
"American Honey"
Sharon  Offline
"American Honey"

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Lovely birdies ! And good eating.

Blues and Ruffed are all over in this area too. Blues are up higher so I never see them unless I go up in elevation.

Yes, the colours are beginning to glow !

Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009475
10/05/20 02:46 PM
10/05/20 02:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
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Gulo Online content OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Online Content OP
"On The Other Hand"
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
White -
Great photos, man! Did you also get into the stupid-chickens out the road? Love those snow-shoed feet!!

Sharon -
Very few ruffed in this country this year. And yes, the blues are at elevation. Last evening's catch was mostly about 8000+ feet near the Divide.


Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009476
10/05/20 02:46 PM
10/05/20 02:46 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
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Boco Offline
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james bay frontierOnt.
That first pic looks identical to our female spruce grouse.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009483
10/05/20 03:05 PM
10/05/20 03:05 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
Originally Posted by Gulo
White -
Great photos, man! Did you also get into the stupid-chickens out the road? Love those snow-shoed feet!!

Sharon -
Very few ruffed in this country this year. And yes, the blues are at elevation. Last evening's catch was mostly about 8000+ feet near the Divide.



There aren't many this year Jack. Hardly any berries either. I did manage to whack a couple of ruffies also. They had crow berries in their crop rather than cranberries I usually see this time of year


Mean As Nails
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009484
10/05/20 03:07 PM
10/05/20 03:07 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
G
Gulo Online content OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Online Content OP
"On The Other Hand"
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
Boco -

Awful close to spruce grouse (aka stupid-chicken, fool's-hen) but blues are quite a bit bigger overall.


Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009487
10/05/20 03:09 PM
10/05/20 03:09 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
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Boco Offline
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james bay frontierOnt.
Hard to tell size in comparison,but yea the spruce grouse are our smallest grouse here too.
How big is the blue compared to a sharptail(our biggest here)


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009489
10/05/20 03:11 PM
10/05/20 03:11 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
G
Gulo Online content OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Online Content OP
"On The Other Hand"
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Idaho, Lemhi County
White17 -

According to my not-so-particular palate, those ruffies are about the finest eating bird on the planet, although nothing wrong with ptarmigan (any of the three species), blue grouse, or even spruce grouse, as long as they're still eating berries. Once they convert over to spruce needles, I wouldn't eat them with your mouth.

Jack


Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009490
10/05/20 03:14 PM
10/05/20 03:14 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
LOL !!!!!!!!!!

I agree. Ruffies are the best food in the woods !!

YOY spruce grouse are much better than the adults IMO


Mean As Nails
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009491
10/05/20 03:15 PM
10/05/20 03:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
Blue grouse imo are the best eating of the grouse, those thick white breasts are fantastic. I was a little disappointed when I found that the first spruce grouse I shot had dark breast meat; I had assumed it would be white like blue grouse.
p.s. I guess us guys on the west coast are now suppose to call them dusky grouse; they're still blues to me.


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009493
10/05/20 03:18 PM
10/05/20 03:18 PM
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,560
Va
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bandy Offline
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Va
I would love to have one or two to mount.


No matter where you go there you are.
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009497
10/05/20 03:21 PM
10/05/20 03:21 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
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Gulo Online content OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Online Content OP
"On The Other Hand"
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
waggler -

Seein' how you bounce back and forth, have you tried the Sooty Grouse from SE Alaska? When they were "blue grouse" I thought they tasted pretty darned good. Now that they're converted to "Sooty Grouse", I wonder if they changed the flavor along with the name?

I'm generally pretty good about keeping up with all the name changes from the AOU, but in this case, I think they'll always be blue grouse to me.

Jack


Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009525
10/05/20 04:02 PM
10/05/20 04:02 PM
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,897
American In the Pyrenees; Fran...
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swift4me Offline
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American In the Pyrenees; Fran...
The blue grouse we used to shoot in northern CA or in Montana were always a stronger tasting bird than the ruffies. Funny though, I always heard native Albertans and folks from Alaska talk poorly about spruce grouse but I've never eaten a bad one. Maybe I've been lucky to twig the young ones with my bow.

Pete

Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009527
10/05/20 04:04 PM
10/05/20 04:04 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
I usually always soak them 24 hours in salt water. Seems to tone down the spruce taste


Mean As Nails
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009542
10/05/20 04:44 PM
10/05/20 04:44 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline
trapper
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Alaska and Washington State
Originally Posted by Gulo
waggler -

Seein' how you bounce back and forth, have you tried the Sooty Grouse from SE Alaska? When they were "blue grouse" I thought they tasted pretty darned good. Now that they're converted to "Sooty Grouse", I wonder if they changed the flavor along with the name?

I'm generally pretty good about keeping up with all the name changes from the AOU, but in this case, I think they'll always be blue grouse to me.

Jack

No, I haven't tried the ones from SE, but I would imagine they eat the same stuff as the blues in Washington.
I have heard that they can become a little strong tasting in the winter when they have been feeding exclusively on conifer needles, however the ones I shoot are in the fall when they have been eating mostly on berries and thing like that.


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009719
10/05/20 07:55 PM
10/05/20 07:55 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
G
Gulo Online content OP
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Online Content OP
"On The Other Hand"
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
Boco -

I weighed each of the last few birds taken. Only 2 were adults and they were at 2 lbs, 1 oz; and 2.0 lbs 0 oz. The YOY birds were 1 lb, 13.5 oz; 1 lb, 14.0 oz; 2 lb, 3.0 oz; 2 lb, 1 oz.
(Adults at 836 and 907 grams; YOY at 836, 850, 992, and 935 grams). Our spruce grouse are barely a pound down here, so the blues are nearly twice the mass.

Jack


Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009723
10/05/20 08:00 PM
10/05/20 08:00 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
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white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
Originally Posted by Gulo
Boco -

I weighed each of the last few birds taken. Only 2 were adults and they were at 2 lbs, 1 oz; and 2.0 lbs 0 oz. The YOY birds were 1 lb, 13.5 oz; 1 lb, 14.0 oz; 2 lb, 3.0 oz; 2 lb, 1 oz.
(Adults at 836 and 907 grams; YOY at 836, 850, 992, and 935 grams). Our spruce grouse are barely a pound down here, so the blues are nearly twice the mass.

Jack



So the Blues are Catholic ?


Mean As Nails
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009734
10/05/20 08:15 PM
10/05/20 08:15 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
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Boco Offline
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james bay frontierOnt.
Thanks Gulo.
Amen White.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Blue Grouse (aka Dusky Grouse) [Re: Gulo] #7009760
10/05/20 08:36 PM
10/05/20 08:36 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
"American Honey"
Sharon  Offline
"American Honey"

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
grin

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