View Full Version : Friggin grouse...
halibut15
10-06-2008, 00:26
Anyone else have to change their pants every time they flush a grouse? I must have run up on a million of them, but it gets me every time...
Guess you don't fill your game bag if you're busy filling your pants.:rolleyes:
Wise Old Owl
10-06-2008, 00:40
Sure makes for a good "game" face - Sad we don't have a u-tube of that one.....
Click on ruffed grouse (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=161241) to view information provided by Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Wise Old Owl
10-06-2008, 01:17
Ok I stopped laughing only because it's happened to me - and I agree it's like getting hit by a softball at the back of your head, nobody is going to get used to it.
Cool AT Breeze
10-06-2008, 01:56
Grouse are quiet compared to turkeys. Five of them got up and scared the crap out of me this spring in GA. I sat down and took a hit off of the Wild Turkey in my flask to calm my nerves after that one. Plus I thought it was fitting.
_terrapin_
10-06-2008, 05:21
Anyone else have to change their pants every time they flush a grouse? I must have run up on a million of them, but it gets me every time...
Grouse, no. But one of the spookiest moments I had on the AT was flushing a wild turkey, in southern Virginia.
ONE time, on the little river trail in the Smokies. About 25 minutes after seeing a bear paw print still filling with water. AND, I had stood at the spot for a good 2 minutes before "she" flew off across the river.
I jumped, turned & started to run mid air. I imagine that from a distace, I looked quite funny, and indeed afterwards even laughed myself. :D
The grouse is one being that no matter how much I got use to seeing wildlife out there on the trail it would scare the living daylights right out of me everytime I encountered one. I men it is just a burst of instant energy laid right out in front of you!
Only thing worse is a Woodcock, they wait till you almost step on it before exploding.
Did flush a Partridge yesterday, but it was that porcupine 8' off the trail that spooked me more, luckily the dog was leashed.
Homer&Marje
10-06-2008, 08:06
I don't know what I flushed, whether it was grouse or some other ground feeder...but we walked up to where they all were, and stood there for a few minutes taking some pictures of other stuff....all of a sudden, turned around and two popped right up by my face....shook me up.... took another step and 2 more did the same thing....really suprised this time, my father turned and took a step and 4 more popped out at once. He changed.:D
I don't know whats so disturbing about flushing a grouse. They are a bit annoying when they have their chicks and are trying to protect them and I have to throw things at them to get them to move out of my way.
A couple of years back and had a grouse that I would flush and it would fly out into the draw and come back to the trail ahead of me. It did that about half a dozen times before it flew somewhere else.
Had to laugh once when I flushed one and it took off - right into a nearby tree trunk. BAM! Then it took off again, somewhat slower and in a different direction than before.
Never been groused, turkeyed once, that was a heart pounder. Worst flush by far for me was a skunk, rocky uphill trail, old big down tree parallel to trail, skunk pops out right next to me and my buddy. Wham, bam, it spins and sprays I swear literally in one motion. Gets us both, my buddy took brunt. End of hike, which was middle of 3 night loop trail. Luckily, only clothes were damaged, not equipment.
john gault
10-06-2008, 10:26
The grouse still get me, never flushed a turkey yet, but I was stalked by one - think she had chicks nearby. I did flush a big bird once, don't know what it was, but I believe it was an owl. It was on the trail and all I heard was the initail wing flap to get airborne and I could see it fly off; the foliage was too thick - whatever it was it looked like a predator-type bird.
Hiking in the AZ desert, one flushes quail and dove. A bit nerve racking but nothing compares to your first encounter with a rattling diamondback. Now there's an adrenaline rush!
taildragger
10-06-2008, 11:41
Grouse are quiet compared to turkeys. Five of them got up and scared the crap out of me this spring in GA. I sat down and took a hit off of the Wild Turkey in my flask to calm my nerves after that one. Plus I thought it was fitting.
Agreed, I've stepped over a hill and was right on top of five big toms, they went up and it got my hurt going a bit, I went for Woodford instead, didn't have wild turkey
wrongway_08
10-06-2008, 11:51
Hiked with a hiker who started taking them out with his hiking pole and cooking them up for dinner.
_terrapin_
10-06-2008, 12:02
Hiked with a hiker who started taking them out with his hiking pole and cooking them up for dinner.
I understand grouse are called "woods chickens" in some parts.
wrongway_08
10-06-2008, 12:42
Yea, taste like chicken - he cooked them with blueberries.
When I was young and working for the Ga Forestry Svs I walk up on a Pileated Woodpecker once and it screeched and flew off. I thought I would have to have my heart restarted after that. I was only about 3 feet from it. That was the loudest sound I think I have ever heard.
Old Grouse
10-06-2008, 12:51
Hey, if you have something to say, say it to my face!
Serial 07
10-06-2008, 12:57
in the doah's, i had a toad the size of a fist leap out at me with a rattler attached to one of its back legs...that was an adrenaline rush...it was the nature channel right in front of me...
oh, and the snake won...
I understand grouse are called "woods chickens" in some parts.
What parts might some include? I've never heard of "woods chickens" before.
Somebody who can spear a grouse with a hiking pole must be durned good!
I had a Spruce Grouse walk about two feet ahead of me for 20 or so feet last month in Maine. Different from the noisy and nervous Ruffed Grouse. It would have been easy enough to hit it with a rock.
I heard a thruhiker say that one of his companions had killed one to eat. Hardly necessary (or sporting).
What parts might some include? I've never heard of "woods chickens" before.
Google says:
http://www.tofinotime.com/articles/A-T710-16frm.htm
john gault
10-06-2008, 17:00
I've heard that Spruce Grouse are awful, thus no natural enemies - nothing will eat it. Any truth to that?
taildragger
10-06-2008, 17:14
I've heard that Spruce Grouse are awful, thus no natural enemies - nothing will eat it. Any truth to that?
http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/akforum/akhunting/53448.htm
Apparently some like em
Ziggy Trek
10-06-2008, 17:35
Hey, if you have something to say, say it to my face!
I just got off of the floor from lauging after I looked at your name:D
I love Whiteblaze for the entertainment value too!
Nearly Normal
10-06-2008, 18:13
Grouse are tasty.
Grouse are tasty.
Yup, taste like chicken, of course:D
canoehead
10-06-2008, 20:11
I was up in the Whites Backpacking on Ethan Pond Trail, (AT in NH) for the past 5 days, checking out all the local peaks and a bit of climbing.... We had our first snow and the peak of Mt Washinton was great. We had a Blue Sky Day Sunday but the summit was coverd in a fresh blnket of the white stuff on Saturday. sweeeet.
Oh yeah,,,,, while on the EPT A Grouse flew up to a low branch in a tree 15'/20' away, and was watching me. So I walked to it slowly and it did not move. when all of a sudden it took off, made a bunch of noise. I thought I had scared it away.
As I turned around to get back on the trail, a big bull moose was standing on the trail watching me..........................It was brosing. Sort of like he was watching a movie, and I was in it...
I stayed put and we enjoyed each others company for a few. Then he was off.
And so was I.
Great Trip
halibut15
10-06-2008, 23:28
My first grouse encounter was on the Benton MacKaye just north of the Toccoa River Bridge. It shot out of a laurel thicket at us, popped up about head level with my fiance, let out a giant squawk, and took off like a rocket. We could hear it screaming down in the valley for a while. Awesome.
sticks&stones
10-07-2008, 00:08
On a nobo nighthike out of rangely I witnessed a female thru hiker completely breakdown when a pheasent took off in front of her. I mean uncontrolled sobbing, and screaming histerically, heaped out on the side of the trail for half an hour.
I always used the adrenline surge from pheasent scares for a quick boost up the trail.
middle to middle
10-07-2008, 00:21
The Ruffled Grouse has the uncanny ability to wait for a change in the rhythm of your pace before exploding into the air. I am an old bird hunter and they would wait until you were stepping over a log or barbed wire fence and off balance before flying. They do taste like chicken.
wrongway_08
10-07-2008, 22:38
Somebody who can spear a grouse with a hiking pole must be durned good!
Naaa, too much work, he just swung at them and broke the necks.
taildragger
10-07-2008, 22:52
Naaa, too much work, he just swung at them and broke the necks.
I would just let my 5yr old off his leash and he could go kill the grouse for me, also helps him pull his weight :sun
wrongway_08
10-07-2008, 22:57
Hahhaha, i have tears in my eyes..... I can see it now.... kid running after the grouse..... kid gets to the end of the leash ...... busted up kid and no grouse to boot!
Thats why us real hunters use shock collars on our kids. :sun
Hiking in the AZ desert, one flushes quail and dove. A bit nerve racking but nothing compares to your first encounter with a rattling diamondback. Now there's an adrenaline rush!
Yep. Tenn, @ some state campground, 1967 or so: Brother & I were walking, he stepped on a snake, didn't even notice. I about 5 steps back saw what it was (& not just a stick), just as it started to rattle. I aged from 13 to 30 in that instant :eek: