Right on!

Maybe before you were born JP.
1989 in Adams county Idaho where there was Spruce Grouse too.
Grew up piling them up near abandoned strip mines in Bedford county Pa in the 70’s. Dads home turf.

I kill a few each season. The last time I killed grouse in Canada was probably twenty years ago on a moose hunt in northern Ontario. I wanted to get some for supper and grabbed the shotgun. My dad ask why I didn't just take the .22.

Being used to the explosive nature of PA grouse I thought it was a weird question. I soon found out why they are referred to as fool's hens in certain regions. The things were practically tame. I had a hard time shooting them walking by the edge of the trail, I was always taught that was not sporting. So I would try flush them first, many wouldn't. I got ruffs and spruce grouse and we had a few good meals off them.

PA grouse will run way out ahead and flush out of range or sit tight and flush at your feet with the sound of a rocket launching.

Which ones do you have JP?

I usually get a half dozen or so every fall.

Cool! That’s been a while then. I would have been 2 years old!

Oh yeah! We kill them mostly with a shotgun. Were you shooting Spruce grouse in Ontario?

We have Ruffed, Spruce, and Sharptails here. Ruffs are my favourite!

Sorry JP, I misspoke, it was Quebec. We crossed the Ottawa River on a small ferry just north of Mattawa, Ontario. Midway across the Ottawa we entered Quebec. We checked in at the ZEC office then headed north about 35 miles to Lake Restigo.

After checking my records, all grouse but two were ruffs, the other two were spruce grouse.

Shot 5 Sharptails today! First time ever having that kinda luck on them. Weird that I never saw any Ruffs or Spruce Grouse.







Check out the crop on this one! That’s the fullest I’ve ever seen!





The life!

Did you cut open the crop to see what all it had been eating. We do that pretty regularly and then try to target those food sources the next day.

Hope I can get a few more tomorrow so we can have a decent supper!

Yes I usually look at them. This one was full of wintergreen and also some sort of needly plant. They weren’t needles though, but looked like the tips of some sort of plant. I’m going to look into that plant some more.

Got a pic? The grouse here in PA like to eat the tips off of club tree moss, a small plant that resembles a miniature pine tree. Sounds similar to what you are describing.

It wasn’t that Lugnut. I should have taken a pic of it. If i shoot more and they have it I’ll snap a pic and post it. Whatever it was it wasn’t a needle. Just resembled it, and was more like a hairy leaf.

Labrador tea.

Lol no.

I would like to modify the question by adding, "that you didn't drop your gun on the ground first from the surprise of the violent flush and erratic flight pattern which perfectly places the bird behind the obstructing tree at the optimal distance for shooting said bird?
My answer is, never.

Tomorrow. I hope

Good eating and good shooting.We don't seem to have a lot of them this year,but they go in cycles around here.My wifes FAVORITE wild game.They never make it to the freezer.

LOL!! I had one fly up and stay behind a tree while it flew away. Didn’t drop the gun though lol.



Good luck!

Ours don’t make the freezer often either!