Early season Grouse

[birdawg]

Rocky Mountain Ruff and 20 ga C grade from this afternoon

[fox-admin]

Very nice!!! Thanks for posting. Craig

[Jim Cloninger]

Great photo, Jess.

[birdawg]

Thanks guys, I will send more and details asap.

[Sam Ogle]

Lovely picture.
My thanks to who ever is in charge for having another fall season.
A grouse and a 20 C. Life is good.
Sam Ogle, Lincoln, NE

[bbman3]

Jess,what a picture! Bobby

[Silvers]

Very nice Jess, this seems to be the first ruffie hunting pic here of the season. Looks like that CE 20 has a Kautzky/rear position; a great setup!

Yep, a Fox Gets the Game... Silvers

[Stan Hillis]

Beautiful, Jess. The late afternoon sun glow is captured perfectly. What a blessed gift photography can be when well executed, such as this. BTW, how do you tell a hen ruffed grouse from a rooster, or can you? I've never known how to do so with doves, but bobs are easily distinguishable, sometimes even in flight.

Stan

[Laxcoach]

Stan, This is not foolproof, but on mature eastern birds, the black band on the tail is solid, the black ruff on the neck is prominant, and the topknot is larger on male birds.

[birdawg]

Thanks everyone,
Stan it is the same here in the Rockies as Laxcoach says. This year our young birds are truly young after the late snow and heavy spring rains. I think the birds I am finding are from very late nesting so I am going to hold off on my mountain grouse hunting as maybe I will get a chance at the birds after they have developed a little more.

[Stan Hillis]

Interesting. Thanks to both of you for replying.

There are some very young bobs here in my part of Georgia, too. I was combining corn right behind my home last week and saw quail chicks within 150 yards of my house that couldn't even fly yet, and another brood on the other side of the 28 acre field that was a little older, could fly just a little ways. That seems like a mighty late hatching to me but, given the hot dry summer we have had, I am thankful to see wild birds raising at any time of the summer.

Stan

[MARSHFELLOW]

Boys, I find your comments very fascinating....It's definately a very different year for wildlife. I have taken note of some anomolies this past week. I saw two broods of very young turkeys in cut fields a few days ago. Then I was "up North" in the lower Adirondacks and I saw 2 whitetail fawns still in spots within the past few days. Definately WAY late. I felt badly as I know these little ones are going to be facing a rough time in a few weeks as we may very well have snow flying in October and sometime lots in November.... Perhaps we will have a mild winter but I'm not betting on it based on the severe winds/tornadoes/floods we've had in our neck of the woods this past summer. Mother Nature & God. wow.

tjw

[TOOL MAN]

Roger that TJ....not to mention that big bullseye on their cute little arrsss, that says......VEAL !!!!

Here's hoping they make it to next season.----TOOL