Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: chrissmith002 on December 01, 2018, 08:05:39 PM

Title: Grouse...?
Post by: chrissmith002 on December 01, 2018, 08:05:39 PM: 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.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi68.tinypic.com%2F2jchcw4.jpg&hash=d9e169f54f2b36ef216851b6e8f8a4696fe835e2)
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: hawks33 on December 01, 2018, 08:58:49 PM: Looks like a rough grouse
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: bobcat on December 01, 2018, 09:02:12 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: bornhunter on December 01, 2018, 09:20:07 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: chrissmith002 on December 01, 2018, 10:31:04 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: chrissmith002 on December 01, 2018, 10:35:48 PM: Quote from: bobcat on December 01, 2018, 09:02:12 PM
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

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi67.tinypic.com%2F28a6jbs.jpg&hash=20028b254d7ac905dd519246e45bef593d174820)
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: Backstrap on December 02, 2018, 04:25:32 PM: Looks too small to be a grouse IMO. Maybe a quail?
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: Bigshooter on December 02, 2018, 04:58:21 PM: 100% Ruffed Grouse
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 02, 2018, 05:03:21 PM: Look like a bob white quail to me. :dunno:
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: Westside88 on December 02, 2018, 06:29:00 PM: 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
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: The Marquis on December 03, 2018, 09:28:48 AM: Quote from: Bigshooter on December 02, 2018, 04:58:21 PM
100% Ruffed Grouse

Yeah, that's a ruffed. Small one, but a ruffed grouse.
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: chiwawadan on December 03, 2018, 01:54:08 PM: Quote from: chrissmith002 on December 01, 2018, 10:31:04 PM
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.
Title: Re: Grouse...?
Post by: The Marquis on December 03, 2018, 02:37:41 PM: Quote from: Boss .300 winmag on December 02, 2018, 05:03:21 PM
Look like a bob white quail to me. :dunno:

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.