Grouse...?

[chrissmith002]

Well... I've never got a grouse before. I think that's what this was. I almost stepped on it today elk/ deer hunting. I didn't have any blunt tips on me today or I maybe would have taken it. It was sleeping, looked very tired, could barely open it's eyes!

Is this a grouse?

I just decided to shoot it with my camera instead since I wasn't 100% sure of what it was.

[hawks33]

Looks like a rough grouse

[bobcat]

Can't tell from that picture. Where's the head? Makes me wonder if it might be an owl. The coloring looks about right for a ruffed grouse, but it's not normal for them to act like that.

[bornhunter]

Last time I found one like that it was sick from eating fertilizer that weyerhauser had air dropped on some reprod. Poor thing couldn't even walk or fly. I wacked it opened it up and its breast meat was black. FYI.

[chrissmith002]

The head was tucked in its body feathers, I literally almost stepped on it, reached down to grab my wind check and saw it 2 feet away. Its head would pop up, and its eyes looked tired, like it was sleeping. I think there was turds under it. It may have been sick? It was close to a weyerhauser property, but maybe a mile+ away on Sierra. Looked like a feather ball.

[chrissmith002]

Can't tell from that picture. Where's the head? Makes me wonder if it might be an owl. The coloring looks about right for a ruffed grouse, but it's not normal for them to act like that.

Here is the head

[Backstrap]

Looks too small to be a grouse IMO. Maybe a quail?

[Bigshooter]

100% Ruffed Grouse

[Boss .300 winmag]

Look like a bob white quail to me.

[Westside88]

Baby grouse, I saw at least 30 young ones during deer season. Spring was kind to them this year. I’ve heard of them being quite lethargic when cold. If they aren’t at least as big as a small/medium chicken I let them go

[The Marquis]

100% Ruffed Grouse

Yeah, that's a ruffed.  Small one, but a ruffed grouse. 

[chiwawadan]

The head was tucked in its body feathers, I literally almost stepped on it, reached down to grab my wind check and saw it 2 feet away. Its head would pop up, and its eyes looked tired, like it was sleeping. I think there was turds under it. It may have been sick? It was close to a weyerhauser property, but maybe a mile+ away on Sierra. Looked like a feather ball.

No idea if attributable to it, but Sierra also uses plenty of chemicals in their logging practices. It's not just a weyco thing.

[The Marquis]

Look like a bob white quail to me.

My thinking was in the color of the head.  It blended in so well in the photo.  For a bobwhite, wouldn't the head stand out a little more obviously?  Maybe I'm wrong.  I wish I could zoom in.