Ruffed Grouse – Bonasa umbellus
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December 20, 2014
December 4, 2008
Cold duck… er, Grouse!
The temperature was 18 degrees this morning when I started up the Jeep but in the snow on the shady side of the Coeur d’Alenes and at 3,000 feet higher elevation where this little guy was standing it was in single digits. It’s truly amazing how they can live there!
August 15, 2007
Ruffed grouse
Yesterday while chasing the Chippy Creek fire I ran into this guy who was nice enough to pose for me. The Ruffed grouse is much smaller than the Blue and usually lives at lower elevations, usually in the thick brush of small canyons which earns them another common name around here (Brush Pheasant). He’s about the size of a medium to small chicken.
Once I was within 10 feet he decided to retreat. Even though I am 100 times bigger than he is, his retreat was accompanied by a strut and a swagger as he moved into the thick brush. If you don’t love a critter like that, you just don’t know what’s up in the outdoors!
