What is it? Spruce Grouse? Roughed Grouse? Partridge?
- Thread starter tiriaq
- Start date
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I'm curious about this, I've never shot a blue grouse yet. My experience with ruffles and the colour of the breast meat makes me believe the young ones have pale meat and the older and bigger the bird the darker the meat. I had a big ruffie this season, twice the size of the other two I got that day and the young ones were lighter in color. The older was darker, I have a pic of it somewhere.
^^Look at the size of the legs compared to the other two lol, Grousezilla! We played hide and seek behind a bunch of small trees, back and foreth a few times till I got a good opertunity to shoot.
At first glance I would say it's a ruffed grouse Cam but looking at pics of all the ones I shot this year, none of them had the darker tail feathers yours does. Could very well be a blue/dusky grouse, the ruffs I got this year all had grey tails with the small black band at the tip of the feather. Not a full dark tail like on the sides in your shot.
Oh and the lack of bluing on your 870 is cool looking, like it's seen some serious use over it's life.
The tail feathers in your picture give it away.
It is also where you find them.. Blues love steep slopes and are seldom found anywhere else..
Also, they are noticeably larger than Ruffed or Franklin's grouse
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I'm curious about this, I've never shot a blue grouse yet. My experience with ruffles and the colour of the breast meat makes me believe the young ones have pale meat and the older and bigger the bird the darker the meat. I had a big ruffie this season, twice the size of the other two I got that day and the young ones were lighter in color. The older was darker, I have a pic of it somewhere.
^^Look at the size of the legs compared to the other two lol, Grousezilla! We played hide and seek behind a bunch of small trees, back and foreth a few times till I got a good opertunity to shoot.
At first glance I would say it's a ruffed grouse Cam but looking at pics of all the ones I shot this year, none of them had the darker tail feathers yours does. Could very well be a blue/dusky grouse, the ruffs I got this year all had grey tails with the small black band at the tip of the feather. Not a full dark tail like on the sides in your shot.
Oh and the lack of bluing on your 870 is cool looking, like it's seen some serious use over it's life.
Judging by the black tail feathers, grousezilla is a spruce grouse. The other two are Ruffies.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I don't think so, I was just looking at other pics of it, he's way to brown/grey to be a spruce. No red over the eye as well, maybe I have shot a blue/dusky grouse after all, it sure looked like a ruffie when I was breasting it out. Oh well, tasted excellent that much I'm sure of.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
VanIsleCam
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Right on right on. I reckon we all need more samples to be provided so this debate can truly develop
. I also think a black SG grouse thread is in order.....
What is a partridge in New Brunswick?
I would think a grouse unless Hungarian (gray) partridges were introduced there.
My bird Book does not show them in NB but some further south in the USA, Ontario and the Prairies.
I would think a grouse unless Hungarian (gray) partridges were introduced there.
My bird Book does not show them in NB but some further south in the USA, Ontario and the Prairies.
colonel3006
Regular
- Location
- Ayton,ontario
That pretty much excludes him being a spruce grouse.
Lol. Your quote definitely hit the nail right on the head. The first time I went moose hunting up at Geraldton all the guys passed up every spruce grouse they seen saying they were terrible eating. Eating ruffed grouse ever since I could remember and always being my favorite meal, I thought they can't be that bad so I shot a few throughout the week. Boy was I wrong about not being that bad. Ever since I passed them up as well.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Yeah they are really good looking birds, ironically we have a chicken that is almost identical in color and pattern to a ruffed grouse. She is the runt of the hatch so she's the size of a med grouse as well.
90% of the time partridge means ruffed grouse and spruce grouse. There are a few hunting preserves that have pheasants, chukar and quail so it wouldn't shock me if there was the occasional Hungarian partridge in some areas.
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
He he.... Awesome comment!
canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
Which breed of chicken? Would love to add a couple to our flock in the spring.
