Ptarmigan

Does the white-tailed ptarmigan taste similar to spruce grouse or more like a ruffed grouse?
I've never eaten ptarmigan, might be that I'm missing out and the season is opened here 'til Feb 15.
 
I know willow ptarmigan taste very very similar to spruce grouse. Not sure about white tailed, they are not very widespread.
 
Was going to go out in the morning but it is -34c now and one truck is frozen up at the airport and the other doesn't have a working heater.
 
G P said:
Look like spruce grouse, not ptarmigan.
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I made exact same mistake last year. I was gawking away what I thought were 'just' spruce grouse. Then when it flew away it just did not seem quite right!?

Discussion with Saskatchewan upland bird hunters confirmed I had just passed up on willow ptarmigan in thier 'summer' plummage. Exactly like these taken by ljones.
 
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Brutus said:
I made exact same mistake last year. I was gawking away what I thought were 'just' spruce grouse. Then when it flew away it just did not seem quite right!?

Discussion with Saskatchewan upland bird hunters confirmed I had just passed up on willow ptarmigan in thier 'summer' plummage. Exactly like these taken by ljones.
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And why pass up on spruce grouse, all chickens is good eats...
 
ljones said:
And why pass up on spruce grouse, all chickens is good eats...
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Either way, once I had some doubt about it species, I decided not to pull the trigger on it.
It was only latter that I confirmed it's species. There could very well have been a closed season on it as ptarmigan are only recently added to the hunting regulations, and in only a few certain WMUs in Alberta.

Willow ptarmigan are also not every single year regular visitors down here. Nor is there a wide open provincial popular season on them, such as ruffies or spruce grouse.
 
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Awesome pics guys... I sure miss hunting Partridge... I'm living in MB now but raised in Labrador.. I spent most of my afterschools growing up on the ski doo with a 12ga on my back. Man we used to shoot lots of those things.

Around here its just Grouse and they're a little tougher to come by.

Ahh, memories.
 
Brutus said:
Either way, once I had some doubt about it species, I decided not to pull the trigger on it.
It was only latter that I confirmed it's species. There could very well have been a closed season on it as ptarmigan are only recently added to the hunting regulations, and in only a few certain WMUs in Alberta.

Willow ptarmigan are also not every single year regular visitors down here. Nor is there a wide open provincial popular season on them, such as ruffies or spruce grouse.
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Yes of course, if the seasons don't coincide it is wise to pass up rather than shoot out of season. Sorry I read it as you had something against spruce grouse for some reason. Here in Northern BC all grouse and ptarmigan are open at the same time so unless you have reached your limit of a particular species if you see one you shoot, you don't have to worry. But yes ethics state that if in doubt don't shoot. Well done...
 
Saw a load of ptarmigan in town today and within the no firearms discharge area on the Ingraham Trial today. Got three of them where they where legal to shoot at, think I need an air pistol or bow for the ones in the no shooting areas.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Not in the slightest. Starting to turn white and the red slash over the eye. Snowdrift Chickens.
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ceriksson said:
Here are a couple pictures of Ptarmigan I took back in October while their plumage was still changing, they look just like the pics above. The other identifying feature for the male in both my pics and the above pics is the red above the eyes.


Rock Ptarmigan-1 by ceriksson, on Flickr


Rock Ptarmigan-2 by ceriksson, on Flickr
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You are both wrong. I know plumage can vary by location, but this is what a willow ptarmigan looks like in summer. Pics taken in September. Male spruce grouse also have a red patch over the eye, and some white feathers. Ptarmigan are the only birds with feathers covering the feet. The genus name lagopus means feather foot.

1ym8.jpg
 
Your right, my bad. I didn't look close enough at the feet and had never hunted spruce grouse before. We got these really high up and I assumed they were ptarmigan. No problem though the season was open for all, with liberal bag limits, but will know better for next time. Thanks for the correction.
 
Got three this afternoon. For as seemingly dumb as they are (Ie..not flying when you're shooting at them), they sure know how to stay right inside that city limit sign! Nevertheless, I enjoyed a fine supper tonight for the cost of a little fuel and three shotshells.
 
Got my limit of 5 for the first time today. Four with the 410 and one with the air pistol. Total so far I've got 10 with the 410 and 3 with the air pistol this season. Tasty little beggars they are. The air pistol for for the ones in the no firearms discharge area.
 
I just traded the 410 I've been using on them for a CZ 452 17 HMR. So tomorrow I will attempt some head shots. And you're right about them being tasty! I took some cubed ptarmigan breast to a fondue party last Friday and it was a hit!
 
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