Friggin grouse...
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.
Sure makes for a good "game" face - Sad we don't have a u-tube of that one.....
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Pennsylvania's state bird
Click on ruffed grouse to view information provided by Pennsylvania Game Commission.
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.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
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.
The trail is ever winding and the party moves every night.
Grouse, no. But one of the spookiest moments I had on the AT was flushing a wild turkey, in southern Virginia.Originally Posted by halibut15
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.
Curse you Perry the Platypus!
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.
WALK ON
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
Yea, taste like chicken - he cooked them with blueberries.
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