WaCoyote Posted September 24, 2006 Report Share Posted September 24, 2006 I got some grouse yesterday and was wondering why some Ruffed Grouse have a brown bar through the tail while others are black. Is this relative to sex, age...or what? [/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted September 24, 2006 Report Share Posted September 24, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Not an expert, but I'd say age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted September 24, 2006 Report Share Posted September 24, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Actually the color band is just a form of color phase..... Here's a great link if you would like to more about A Basic Guide for Aging and Sexing the Bird in Your Hand.... http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/upland/ruffgrse.htm Hope that helps,,,, and you have some very premier eating there.....CONGRATS... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaCoyote Posted September 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Thanks that was very imformative. The ratio for the brown vs. black is about 1 for every 5 and they are almost always bigger. This is why I always thought that the brown ones were just mature birds. With yesterdays birds however there were two black and one brown and they were pretty much equal in size so this kind of messed up my theory. Anyways...mystery solved! I really appreciate it. As far as good eating goes... You aint kidding!!! I love grouse. It's grouse fajitas tomorrow night!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M00N Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Nice grouse! My father shot one a few years ago and I mounted the tail fan of it like a turkey. Turned out pretty neat. You are right about them being great eating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Nice grouse! I've only killed 1 grouse in my hunting career. Three in one day is very good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Nice grouse! That's just a colour phase, here in Ontario we run across mostly grey coloured ones, but we do see some brown ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaCoyote Posted September 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Thanks everyone but I'm afraid it's not to hard around here to limit on grouse. Theres tons of them up in the hills, I must have seen 20 that day. Given that theres a decent hatch which we have had 2 years in a row, All you have to do is find clover, shade, and water all in the the same area and get ready because it's dinner time. The tougher ones to find are the big Blue Grouse. I wish we had more of them but they are a little scarecer. I like them as they're just so big. Probably twice the size uf ruffles almost maybe a tad bigger than a pheasant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyohunter Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question ruffs are great table fare, i am mounting a blue grouse tail fan, will look sweet next to my turkey fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question I'm a big time Grouse hunter ..but I think I can honestly say I've never heard of a Blue Grouse .... Sad to say but I think our Grouse population here in Vermont isn't what it use to be.... I just don't see the numbers I use to which is very sad indeed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaCoyote Posted September 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Well VermontHunter...here's a Blue for you. They are HUGE! [/url] Blues are usually at 5000+ ft or so. I'm not sure theres a lot of those hills in Vermont. I sure love that state, I used to spend a lot of time in Burlington chasing college girls when I was stationed at Ft. Devens back in the 80's. Do you actually "hunt" them or just road hunt them. Mainly it's just road hunting around here as the woods are too thick to shoot them on the fly. I do have a few good spots though to hunt them "properly". Little turds sure scare you when they flush don't they? I'm gonna go back up this weekend and see if I can't get some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question That Blue sure is a pretty bird.... NOPE no BIG hills like that around here.... I mainly run the logging roads on the farm, but there's a few good open wooded area's I have had luck with... And YES, when those babies flush, it's enough to make the heart jump in the throat big time.... And the girls in Burlington at UVM are still worth chasing... ,,,,, pssssst !! don't tell the wife I said that....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exturkinator Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Those are beautiful birds yote... Great hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 Re: Ruffed Grouse question Yep, Luke's got it. Sure wish we had those numbers here. Hardly ever see them anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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