Do any of you know if spruce and ruffed grouse can crossbreed? I have shot three grouse this year that have characteristics of bothe types. More spruce here this year then normal.

There are lots of both here,and I have killed probably thousands,never seen a crossbreed.

I doubt it.
Are you sure you aren't shooting blue grouse?
Is the breast meat white or dark?

At the beginning of the season young spruce grouse will have fairly light colored meat.Just a little more pink tinge to it than a ruffed.

Positive not blues. We have plenty of them here. The ones today were much smaller two with dark breast meat two with lighter colored breasts. All looked like spruce grouse tails but two had ruffed characteristics in breast/neck area.

Yes, different species of grouse can crossbreed.

In "Grouse of the World" by Paul Johnsgard, Johnsgard lists the following confirmed hybrids, in order of rarity.

1. Sharp-tailed x prairie chicken

2. Cappercaillie x Black Grouse

3. Ptarmigan x Black Grouse

4. Ptarmigan x Hazel Grouse

5. Ptarmigan x Cappercaille

6. Black Grouse x Hazel Grouse

7. Ruffed Grouse x Spruce Grouse

8. Ptarmigan x Spruce Grouse

9. Sage-grouse x Sharp-tailed grouse

10. Blue Grouse x Spruce Grouse (only 2 specimens)

11. Blue Grouse x Sharp-tailed Grouse (only 1 specimen)

11. Blue Grouse x Sage-Grouse (only 1 specimen)

Keith

Thanks Kieth
We don't have a lot of spruce grouse around here. I usually shoot a couple every two or three years but this year there seems to be a bumper crop.

Boco
They were definitely young birds so they could have been spruce grouse for sure. I thank everyone for your replies.