Ruffed Grouse normally have a short life span. From a brood of 10 or 12 hatched in late May or early June, usually 5 or 6 will have died by mid-August. Among those living to disperse during the fall shuffle, about 45% will have been lost by late fall and early winter. Another 10% die over winter and during early spring, so that only about 45% of the young Grouse alive in mid-September live to their 1st breeding season. In subsequent years a given cohort (a season's crop of young birds) continues to shrink by about 55 to 60% per year. So from 1000 chicks hatched in late spring, about 400 normally survive to early autumn, 180 survive to the following nesting season, 80 are alive a year later, 36 live to breed a 3rd time, 16 may breed a 4th time. One out of 2200 chicks hatched may live as long as 8 years.

My earliest memories relating to firearms are of my father toting me along on grassy forest trails near conifer covered river beds and through open fields. Every afternoon during the season was ours well up into my teens. I hunt alone now, except for "Hunter" my faithful buddy pictured below, but I still walk the same trails, patrol the same routes, and pass on what I learned to a youngster from time to time.

[img]www.ar15.com/members/albums/WhiskeyBravo%2FDrum%2Ejpg[/img]

[img]www.ar15.com/members/albums/WhiskeyBravo%2FDrum2%2Ejpg[/img]

[img]www.ar15.com/members/albums/WhiskeyBravo%2FBeaut%2Ejpg[/img]

[img]www.ar15.com/members/albums/WhiskeyBravo%2FRem1100%2Ejpg[/img]
Remington 1100 12ga. 3in magnum

[img]www.ar15.com/members/albums/WhiskeyBravo%2FHunter%2Ejpg[/img]
Hunter

Me and my school buddies used to hunt these things in JH and HS with our .22s.Back then you didn't need a license.

You ever have a Hen "attack"you protecting a nest?I had a couple charge me with that snake like hissing noise a coulpea times when I wasn't hunting.One time damn near knocked me off my bicycle I was so suprised[shock] and Terrified,with my 13 year old immagination.

Quality post, WB.

Are grouse good to eat?

Nothing else tastes like them. Dipped in flower and fried in butter, they're like candy, [b]hard earned[/b] candy!

Brings back a lot of memories.
But for my teen years it was the stubble fields of western Kansas, walking with dad and my brother for miles tring to scare up pheasant.
Same gun though!

The Remington 1100 is A Mighty Fine Firearm[:D]

I haven't been bird hunting for several years.
I've got a 5 year old girl and a 3 year old boy..
I pray that they will join me in the field some day.
As a kid (10 years old - 1972) I used to jump on my bike, .410  Topper Jr. model single shot strapped to my back and head to the field.
Man how times have changed. That type of behavior will get your parents thrown in the can these days.

Man, how things have changed in such a short period of time.

Oh, that field I used to hunt on when I was a kid...it's now the Dallas Cowboys training facility. Go figure.

Great shot of the pooch!
[img]http://www.ar15.com/members/albums/WhiskeyBravo%2FHunter%2Ejpg[/img]

OH the Ruffed Grouse!

What fond memories they bring back from my days as a youth. Walking old logging roads in the Pacific Northwest. Gooooood eatin too! I must say all upland game bird hunting is good on the soul!

If I had to give up all but one type of hunting I would hunt upland birds. Ring Neck Pheasants are my first choice followed closely by the Ruffed Grouse. A day limiting out in  squirrel woods is bliss. Taking a nice buck during archery season, shooting that big green head and watching your favorite retriever splashing through the water to get him for you, a big long beard strutting in front of your decoys, that lonely coyote loping into your cross hairs at 300 yards. These are the things that make life worth living. If I couldn't hunt I would die.

So come to Texas and pass-shoot doves with us Opening Day September first.

Wisconsin to Texas is quite a drive for a dove. We have them here but there's no meat on them.

Course it's been about 6 years since I've been to San Antonio. 10 years since Fort Worth. It would be nice to visit some old friends.

I grew up in South Dakota and Minnesota, and also lived in Saskatchewan until I got out of High School.

Out of all the big game, waterfowl, and upland game bird hunting that I have done, my most enjoyable memories were hunting ruffed grouse. Nothing compares to walking the edge of a wheat stubble field in the fall that is adjacent to a treeline early in the morning or in the late evening. And also walking them up through the woods with the black lab. My biggest pain in the ass when walking up ruffies with the dog was trying to keep my one lab from tearing into porcupines. After 6 different engagements, that lab still never got it through his thick head to leave the porcupines alone.

I even use to spend a lot of time in the woods just to try to watch a ruffy drumming its wings. That is a challenge in itself. It is so cool to actually watch them do this.

As already stated, there is no other meat like the ruffed grouse, especially if they have some wheat in their diet. A light coat of flour and sauteed in butter or margarine. I miss eating ruffies the most.

Grouse are tough little bastards, I hit one almost point blank witha 12 guage and it flew off, I chased it for about a half a mile , but the little bastard got away!

Hunt them every fall, and am watching them fatten each day now. They are the king of bird hunting here. I've shot quail and dove in the south, but you really have to work to get grouse here. I use a Browning Citori Upland 12 g for them. Straight stock and short pull. A really fast gun to get on the birds. My bird hunting buddy is an English Springer Spaniel, she is 12.

Just another month and a half til grouse season opens and I can't wait!  Time to dust off the old side by side 20 gauge and start practicing.


"These are the things that make life worth living. If I couldn't hunt I would die."
---Well said Sukebe


-Fireguy