http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:2tFHfDecQ4LosM:http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/education/colorgrouse.jpg (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/education/colorgrouse.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp%3Fa%3D461%26q%3D153065%26pp%3D12%26n%3D1&h=525&w=475&sz=39&hl=en&start=44&tbnid=2tFHfDecQ4LosM:&tbnh=132&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Druffed%2Bgrouse%26start%3D36%26gbv%3D 2%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dacti ve%26sa%3DN)How many of us go out looking for the elusive grouse. What a hard bird to find at times, and if you do by some odd chance flush one up, chances are that it will fly off before you even get a shot off.

Well Saturday morning I drove to an area for a deer hunt. To my surprise upon existing my truck and getting my gear ready, a shadow was seen walking slowly up and old logging road. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, since, it was just beginning to get light.

There were times in the past that I hunted grouse in this area, so I thought that had to be a bird picking gravel off the dirt road. At first it was about seventy yards away headed straight for me. As I stood behind my open door, this bird got closer and closer.

Having packed my bow and a 357 magnum rifle for a later in day coyote hunt, I thought what the heck, I'll try and take the grouse with the rifle. By the time the rifle was loaded the grouse was no more than thirty yards in front of me. My scope set for 3x, the rifle pointed to the bird, trigger pulled and it was all over, the bird lay dead.

Several years ago I had a similar experience some ten miles from this area. While out looking for coyotes, I was walking along a power line when directly in front about fifty yards a grouse came out of the tickets. This time I was using a 7.62 x 39 cartridge in a Interarms rifle.My first shot was high, so I fired a second and this time a perfect hit.

What's strange about this story is the fact that often I hunted for grouse with shotguns, but rarely had any luck. I've come to a conclusion that these two birds wanted to committ suicide, that's the only thing it could be! Three rifle shots and two grouse, not bad. Maybe not very sporting since, the birds never flushed, but if turkeys can be taken off ground why not grouse?

While out archery hunting for Elk here in Colorado I took two Dusky Grouse with a .22 pistol. I took several shots each to get the two grouse, but they just walked around in circles until I got them. A couple others flew off in the mean time though.

I am by admittance, a better small gamer than I am a deer hunter. Now don't get me wrong, but at times I do not have the patience for a deer hunt, and would rather enjoy the woods with my dog and a 16 gauge instead.
Grouse are all but elusive here in NJ, few birds last year, and fewer this year. I am thinking to try NY state, but have heard reports that they are few there too. Penn. had a stellar year last, but this year is looking sparse too.
In a story very similar to yours, about 5 years ago I had a hen pheaseant do exactly the same thing to me while out pheasant hunting. I ran at the bird, chased the bird, threw stones at the bird [dog was home this trip...ugh] and finally was only able to get this bird aloft by firing one shot into a thicket. She fell soon after that shot, and was delicious.

Here you can shoot mountain and ruffed grouse with a rifle, but if you shoot a hen pheasant at all the state will take your right eye.

Grouse are suicidal though... I've had them run right up to my feet while hiking in the mountains, they were out of season though.

This is a GREAT year for grouse, in five weekends I've brought home 13 and limited on ruff's three times!
The single blue I got was as big as a chicken! (a small one!)
My girl friend likes it because she doesn't have to do any thing but lay back on the couch after dinner an groan about eating TOO much!!!
MMMMMMMMMMM!!!! Grouse, mushroom gravy and a big ol scoop of mashed taters!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

And two big mountain quail too!
Haven't seen ANY antlers at all, and most of our seasons are over now!

If the deer would only act the same as some of these birds, I'd be a very happy hunter! Have been hunting for deer since September 28th, have seen maybe 8 deer total, gutshot a nice running buck the third day of rifle,with a 45-70 at 90 yards, not proud, but lost it's trail in a deep laurel swamp, didn't stop looking yet. Know it was a gutshot because the deer humped it's back and troted off with stiff legs, looked like a camel.

I commend you for your continued search.

Many hunters just give up and go home.

The ruff grouse in PA are hard to hit. When I lived in Alaska I could hunt them with my 17 HMR. They would just sit off the roads and look at ya. These were ruffs, sharps, and spruce grouse. I don't know if the cold made them stupid or what. I just wish the P-tarmagine sat that still!

Spruce grouse are dumb. I shot one w/ 30-06 at about 15 yds. I held about where the neck hooked to the body and touched her off. I saw a movement out of my rt eye and told my friend to 'get him' and he said 'get what'? It seems that at that distance the bullet hits 3" low and not in the head. No pot meat..

During Colorado's muzzleloader deer season, I shot 2 Dusky Grouse with 1 shot with my muzzleloader. They were standing facing each other with their necks crossed - decapitated both.

I usually don't take neck shots on deer, but these grouse gave me the confidence 2 days later to take a nice 4x4 buck with a neck shot when I could only see his upper neck an head at 100 yards . Both shots were standing using "Shooting Sticks".

Today is the second to the last day of our rifle season, it snowed all day, got about 2". Went back to where I shot the buck and continued with the search. It makes me sick to lose an animal that way. Three yards from where the buck was shot sat a hunter this morning, I asked him if he would mind spending a little time helpimg me in my search, to my surprise he said "NO", wishing him a good hunt I was on the move again within seconds. No sooner did I enter the laurel swamp, some 150 yards away I flushed two grouse, almost stepped on them. Don't usually see grouse when it's snowing, but I did take notice to some red berries, a gravel road near by and water. Guess they had everthing they needed.

Spending the morning hunting and searching wore me out, so back to the truck to warm up. On my way back to the truck, the hunter who refused to help came walking out of the woods. I asked him if he had any luck, he said "NO", that was the only word this guy knew. Something seemed strange about this fellow, he sat on the trail where my deer was shot, facing directly into the swamp where I lost the trail, and unlike other hunters, he didn't want to give me the time of day.

I only wish I knew for sure if someone found the buck, hate to waste the resource. One more day left to hunt, so I am going back to the area where the suicidal grouse greeted me. Maybe my luck will change for the better. If not, at least I still have the memories.

Here's wishing all of you GOOD HUNTING & and a Happy Holiday Season.

Watch for crows/ravens in the vicinity. They will find a kill if you dont. Coyote tracks??

If the "NO" guy had the deer he would not still be sitting there.

Checked the sky everyday since, no coyote tracks, but did find big bear tracks in close proximity, didn't find any scattered bones or anything. As far as the "NO guy" just sitting there, he would had plenty time to see me coming his way. Know most of the tricks of the trade in finding dead animals, but my problem is limited mobility due to surgery and plates, along with pins and screws in my ankel. Starting Monday I'll be back close to that area, hunting coyotes and will check the sky again. Thanks

I usualy carry a .22 pistol when hunting to use for grouse ,when hunting strictly for grouse with a dog a 20 ga
My best grouse story is the third bounce off a bedroom window with a bed sheet ,about 10 years ago I had a parttime job doing maintenance for some town homes & condos in Steamboat ,got a call to come to the front desk,
they told me there was a bird in one of the units & to get it out.
I grabed a sheet ,went to that unit & looked around, there was a blue grouse sitting on the bed, I got em on the third bounce off the bedroom window

My 22 slugs would not bounce but go right thru a window pane.

The only grouse we got this year was off of the deck of the trailer while on our way out for deer.