What is it? Spruce Grouse? Roughed Grouse? Partridge?

Butcherbill said:
Correct me if I'm wrong Hoyt, from left to right it looks to me like two spruce a ruffie and I think a third spruce but it's hard to see the tail. Guessing it's a spruce from the pattern of the chest feathers.

Good looking bunch of birds you guys got!
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You got it... two spruce cocks, a ruffed and then a spruce hen... in short order, they won't look alike at all to you.
 
I dont mind a spruce wrapped in homemade bacon and cooked on a fire. All the ones i have shot (only during moose season) have tasted fine. Better than a grilled diver.
 
trebor2880 said:
It seems that most people wait till they've got an impressive bunch of birds to take home and show off, before cleaning them. Am I the only one that cleans them on the spot, immediately after the kill?
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When it's warm out I throw them in a cooler, when it's cool out I put them in the bed of the truck and dress them out on my way home before I leave the bush.

hoytcanon said:
You got it... two spruce cocks, a ruffed and then a spruce hen... in short order, they won't look alike at all to you.
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Haha, sweet. Once you know what to look for it's not as deceiving. Thanks for the ID tips lol.
 
emerson said:
We are supposed to leave a feathered wing attached until home or where it's getting eaten.
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Not hard to completely clean a partridge like bird, while leaving both feathered wings on.
Game sits around for 8 or 10 hrs., before cleaning, and people wonder why game has such a gamey taste to it.
I find duck/geese hunters are particularly bad at this. Had a duck hunter come into our shop one day after work to give us a few ducks he got that morning.(obviously his fun was done)
Sat in the back of his truck all day, uncleaned, and he expected a thank-you from us. Luckily my neighbour was working a trapline at the time, and they weren't wasted.
 
There are now 5 or more grouse coming to the feeder. One has become very tame.
Yesterday, I went out to replenish the supply of sunflower seeds. Called them, and one came running right over to me, started feeding on the seeds right at my feet.
 
trebor2880 said:
Not hard to completely clean a partridge like bird, while leaving both feathered wings on.
Game sits around for 8 or 10 hrs., before cleaning, and people wonder why game has such a gamey taste to it.
I find duck/geese hunters are particularly bad at this. Had a duck hunter come into our shop one day after work to give us a few ducks he got that morning.(obviously his fun was done)
Sat in the back of his truck all day, uncleaned, and he expected a thank-you from us. Luckily my neighbour was working a trapline at the time, and they weren't wasted.
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Agree completely. My usual grouse hunting partner keeps all his whole until we're done for the day to take a pic, and his always have a funny smell/taste to them, which he thinks is normal and puts bacon around them to cover it up. I breast mine out and chill them immediately, and they are much cleaner tasting, to the point that when we were camping and cooked one each for dinner, I knew right away which one was mine, or more importantly which one WASN'T mine.
 
We have ruffled grouse eating the leaf buds on our apple tree right by the deck. We have sharptail on the island, locals call them prarie chicken. We have very few spruce grouse, but lots north of Hwy. 17. I have still never succeeded in sneaking up to see a drumming ruffled grouse ####. Maybe this spring.
 
I agree about cleaning Grouse as soon as possible. I walk trails for my Grouse and When I shoot one, the first thing I do before I start walking down the trail for more grouse is clean the one I just shot and put in my cooler bag.

All warm blooded game should be cleaned and opened up as soon as possible to cool down.
 
I always clean them right away too.

I haven't been out grouse hunting for a couple years. This thread makes me want to get out again. My favourite kind of hunting and best eating food in the woods!
 
bushwhacker said:
We have ruffled grouse eating the leaf buds on our apple tree right by the deck. We have sharptail on the island, locals call them prarie chicken. We have very few spruce grouse, but lots north of Hwy. 17. I have still never succeeded in sneaking up to see a drumming ruffled grouse ####. Maybe this spring.
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hey bushwhacker,

I used to live on Manitoulin. Meldrum bay to be exact, and the grouse hunting is one of the things I miss the most! The population was awesome and still to this day, my favorite kind of hunting! Also miss the sheer size of deer in Ontario.
 
Oate5 said:
hey bushwhacker,

I used to live on Manitoulin. Meldrum bay to be exact, and the grouse hunting is one of the things I miss the most! The population was awesome and still to this day, my favorite kind of hunting! Also miss the sheer size of deer in Ontario.[
I’m over on Lake Manitou. The grouse run up and down my grape vines,never enough grapes left for jelly. The population is on the downward slope of the cycle , lucky to see a bird now. The deer too, COYOTES and Wolves. Friends in your old stomping grounds are seeing more wolves and bears than ever on their trail cams
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45CAT said:
Oate5 said:
hey bushwhacker,

I used to live on Manitoulin. Meldrum bay to be exact, and the grouse hunting is one of the things I miss the most! The population was awesome and still to this day, my favorite kind of hunting! Also miss the sheer size of deer in Ontario.[
I’m over on Lake Manitou. The grouse run up and down my grape vines,never enough grapes left for jelly. The population is on the downward slope of the cycle , lucky to see a bird now. The deer too, COYOTES and Wolves. Friends in your old stomping grounds are seeing more wolves and bears than ever on their trail cams
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I can believe it. Its the same out here where I live. The species we love to hunt and eat are on the decline because of the top predators not having anything hunting them!
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yah there wasn't a ton of them when I lived there, but that is one more predator for those little bush chickens haha.

lake Manitou eh, beautiful lake. how is the fishing these days?
 
Oate5 said:
yah there wasn't a ton of them when I lived there, but that is one more predator for those little bush chickens haha.

lake Manitou eh, beautiful lake. how is the fishing these days?
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Sucks. My dad says where are the bass. I could count on getting 5 and 6 pounders every year( catch and release) haven’t seen one in the last 5 years. The big schools of minnows I see every July almost nil. Cormorants have moved in on the little islands around the narrows. The only good thing happening is the Walleye have a decent hold on the lake. Neighbour picked up a 10 pounder(verified) but they only bite at night. The shoals start to look like a freeway at night on the long weekends
 
45CAT said:
Sucks. My dad says where are the bass. I could count on getting 5 and 6 pounders every year( catch and release) haven’t seen one in the last 5 years. The big schools of minnows I see every July almost nil. Cormorants have moved in on the little islands around the narrows. The only good thing happening is the Walleye have a decent hold on the lake. Neighbour picked up a 10 pounder(verified) but they only bite at night. The shoals start to look like a freeway at night on the long weekends
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I don't doubt it. The cormorants were causing havoc back in 2007 when i was there. I can only imagine the stress on the fishing stocks that has caused since then. They come in flocks by the hundreds at times.

We actually had an organized cull (attempt) out in meldrum one year. A ton of activists got in the way, but also those birds are fast even for a boat doing 27 knots.

Good to hear about the walleye!

I really enjoyed the smelt run in kagawong. Have you been?
 
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