Ruffed Grouse

The most prized game bird of upland game hunters in the northern belt of states is the ruffed grouse, one of a large family of birds that inhabit North America.

In the same family is the pinnated grouse commonly known as the prairie chicken.

Other members of the family include the dusky grouse of the west, Franklin's grouse of the Pacific states, the Hudsonian grouse of northern Canada, sharp-tailed grouse of the western plains states and their numerous subspecies. In the Northeast they are found in company with the blue and spruce grouse. Ruffs weigh from one to two pounds average and are about sixteen inches in length.

The reason for singling out this particular one for study is the extreme esteem that hunters and naturalists hold for this most canny bird of the north woods. Books have been written about the craftiness of this bird and the ways and means of finding and outwitting him.

The grouse vies for the honors with the Chinese pheasant as to which is the number one sport bird. To be sure there are more who hunt pheasants simply because they are more plentiful and easier to shoot, because they are largely farm birds.

The grouse, on the other hand, is a creature of the wild forests and finds his home in deserted farms and open areas where the loggers have left brush growth in the forests.

The grouse is almost impossible to raise in captivity, so its restocking is much more difficult than with other birds. Mother Nature, then, is the grouse's only guide, with man its best friend and protector. Nature takes care of the grouse by constantly varying the cycle of abundance. When the birds become too crowded in a certain area, she steps in with a disease which...

From: A Sportman's Guide to Game Birds
by: Ray Ovington - Enjoy - Don Trosper.

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