Yes
https://thebirddogbabe.libsyn.com/episode-018-the-beauty-of-hunting-alaska-w-christine-cunningham
https://www.adn.com/outdoors-advent...r-another-bird-hunting-season-in-alaska/
I'm sure there is much more info to be found

Hungry times back then for sure. After my old buddy told me the ptarmigan poop soup story I asked if he ever ate fox. I wish I didn't. He said "yes" one time when he was a boy his brother would give him one 22 shell to go get dinner in the winter. He went out hunting and shot a fox, (was good money back then) he brought it home but his older brother wouldn't let him in the door, but instead handed him another 22 bullet and told him to get dinner and shut the door. He said he skinned out a back leg and was crying eating walking down the trail.

I Bought fur from a Huntington from Koyuk, his son I believe, he was a nice guy with a bunch well put up fur. I enjoyed chatting with him.

The tragic story of the aged frozen whitefish, in the book made me rethink my fish aging policy.

So this thread inspired me to tip one over today while shed hunting.

That's what the tail feathers look like on the ones I got the other day. One odd thing about freshly killed winter-white ptarmigan is their feathers give off a faint pinkish hue. I don't know why that is but its very consistent and then the pink disappears after a while.

Same thing under certain lighting white on a male common merganser (we call them gozzards) give off a pinkish hue on the white throat. Like the white partridges only under certain light conditions. Seen lots of white partridges, and all my life, but have not seen the pinkish hue very often.

I believe its from the cranberries they eat right before freeze up.

In the 1990's there was a fellow that travelled up to Alaska with his dogs to grouse hunt. Back the the season started 15 Aug and he travelled south to his home state of Ohio for the quail opener on 11 Nov. He was on Ohio well-fare, that was 10 oil wells paying his day. I saved old boxes of shells with stamps of low prices on the boxes, so he would not have to pay duty.

Whitetail ptarmigan. Quite a bit smaller than willow ptarmigan.

Thanks for the different species. Only one left is a Rock ptarmigan, the official game bird of Labrador and NFd

Way to go.Great eating

Are they dark meat

^^^^^^
Yes
I was accustomed to eating blue grouse (white meat), when I shot my first ptarmigan many years ago I was a little surprise -and a little disappoint- to find that they were dark meat; good tasting though.

Friendly Amendment North of 50. Official game of bird of NL was actually both willow and rock ptarmigan when declared in 1996." Lagopus sp." was how it was worded as they are both Lagopus genus as you know. Both birds are then mentioned in the declaration.

If we had to pick one then the willow is well over 95% that are shot. Only in extreme northern Labrador are rock ones a bit more common but still the minority in most cases.

I knew how to set the trap to get your response crosspatch.
I did not know there was 2 species with white tails so I guess I have to stroke one off my birder life list, since it was only seen from a chopper in the corner of NWT/BC/Alaska area
having read more there is sure some question about the DNA of the two-three species genetic mix.

Sorry to hi-jack your thread drassett
They are looking for some Hippoboscidae flies or known as keds or louse flies found on all the grouse species trying to do some Dna . Please pm me if you ever get any for sampling methods and where to ship.

Kinda losing me here North of 50. "Did not know there was 2 species with white tails". As you know 3 species ptarmigan North America. Quite familiar with willow and rock here and both have black tail feathers. Saw a couple of white tails once up in mountains of Jasper National Park in 2006 and white tails as per the name for sure.

Lots of rock ptarmigan, here. Some willows.

Willow and white tailed ptarmigan size comparison. I see the white tails are called snow quail by some but I’ve never heard them called that. Rock ptarmigan have a black stripe across the eye.

Nice use to get them on hunting trips in Co at high elevations never seen them in Wy. I think they were introduced to Co. but not sure I dont think they are native to most of lower 48 does anyone know??

Whitetail ptarmigan are native to Washington State.