Blues or Ruffed? What's your pleasure?

[Dave Workman]

Here in the Evergreen State we are blessed with ruffed (forest) grouse and blue grouse (hooters), and some guys like to hunt the lowlands while others go after their birds waaaaaay up in that high country.

I lean toward blue grouse in the high lonesome and look for them back in the timber where most people never seem to go for the single reason that some of these birds have never seen a human, or are rather complacent because no human ever did anything but freak when the bird blew cover in a flurry.

I have found loads of grouse in high places, like the top of Teanaway Ridge or up around Walupt Lake, Pinto Rock, Takhlakh Lake, along Sawtooth Ridge between Lake Chelan and the Methow River valley, up around Black Pine Lake out of Winthrop; all kinds of places.

But others really dig those ruffed grouse and I've killed a fair number of them with my Beretta S/S double in 12-gauge and an old H&R 16-gauge single shot back when I was a kid.

So....which do you prefer and why?

[walt]

I like blues because they are bigger and I like the high country but I typically shoot more ruffies because they live closer to me.

[rasbo]

I like both,get mixed bags around 2500 to 3000 hancock..mostly ruffed

[509er]

I like them all. Grouse is my favorite bird to shoot.

[ecnclan]

I like blues because they are bigger and I like the high country but I typically shoot more ruffies because they live closer to me

Same for me but either will do.  Grouse is about my favorite table fare!

[ICEMAN]

I love to shoot the blue grouse the best. Bigger is better! 

Besides, I can get into large groups of blues and get several at a time, whereas the ruffed do not seem to group up as much IMHO. (at least where I hunt them...)

[ing]

I'm a blue grouse fan only because thats what we get into the most, plus I like hunting high elevations.  Grouse are my fav because they open first and I can hunt them while scouting for deer and elk.

[teal101]

Blues.  Nothing like those big birds flushing and breaking through the cover.

[mossback91]

I shoot both but like to go for the blue bigguns........got some ridges that are covered with blues!

[popeshawnpaul]

Um, I like spruce grouse...     The country is in-between that of the blue and ruffed grouse. 

[mossback91]

Um, I like spruce grouse...     The country is in-between that of the blue and ruffed grouse. 

 



Well actually I love hunting sharptail grouse. Such easy targets always roostin in those trees and the game department always puts up those signs showing you where there might be some sharptails at 

[alanger]

I like spotted owls                    

[Dave Workman]

Just for laughs, how large do you think an adult blue grouse can get?
How many pounds?
How tall?

[bobcat]

Blue grouse are  by far my favorite. They're in more open country and easier to hunt with a dog. Plus as others have said they are bigger and obviously that means there's more to eat. It's going to be nice having a daily limit of 4 this year.

[Skyvalhunter]

Have to like those high mtn Blues. Now you talk about a tough bird!! I work to get my limits every year, but its worth it. Now that it 4 to a limit I am all over that.