Up Close and Personal with Ruffed Grouse

[JustinHoffman]

Hello All,

 

The last two days have been fun ones in the woods. Came across not one, but two, ruffed grouse that allowed me to sit and interact with them - all from less than ten feet away! In fact, both came within arms reach multiple times. Spent a good 25 minutes with each.

 

Here are some shots from Day 1.

 

 

 

 

 

I also came across five deer, six turkey, one porky, one snowshoe hare, and two red tailed hawks. If that wasn't enough to make a day, I FINALLY found my very first deer shed!! It was sitting in an open area of grass. Only a few small nibbles on one tine. A big four point! I'm guessing it was recently shed, as I walked this area last week, and found a very fresh rub on a tree not too far away. Try as I did, I couldn't locate the other.

 

 

Spent this morning hiking the same area with my Dad. We had one grouse flush a distance before we got to it, but then came across an extremely friendly bird. This girl (I'm assuming it was a she) hung around with us for 20 minutes, then came along for a 25 minute hike!!! If she fell behind she'd race forward to catch up! It was an incredible sight to see. I did worry about her, as we crossed some open fields - easy pickings if a hawk or owl had been watching.

 

Here she is with my Dad when we took a short rest. She had been walking with us for about 10 minutes at this point:

 

 

And here are some closeups. Most of the time my 75 - 300mm telephoto was far too powerful. Don't hear that often in nature photography! haha!

 

 

 

 

We also came across six deer, a nesting pair of blue herons and a porky today.

 

Might have to head back in the morning - would love to catch a male in full strut with the camera!

 

Cheers,

 

Justin

Edited April 5, 2012 by JustinHoffman

[workwear]

awwwwsome pics....thanks for sharing!!

[i2cool2fool]

Wow. Awesome post!

[Joeytier]

Tasty photos...thanks for sharing

[bigugli]

Amazing how nature can just up and reveal itself up close like that.

[NAW]

Success!!

 

Nice pics as usual Justin!

[davey buoy]

Their colors sure blend into the background.Well done sir:thumbsup_anim:.

[Twocoda]

yummy

 

Nice shooting...i miss the sound of the drumming and the excitement they give when they jump

[COUNTRYBOY]

very nice indeed to be with nature.

 

 

[Rustic-Fisher]

GREAT pics of the grouse!!!!

[JustinHoffman]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Definitely a fun two days. Even better that this spot is a seven minute car ride from my home - and borders the busiest highway in Ottawa.

 

See what tomorrow brings...

 

Cheers,

Justin

[farsider]

Delicious pics of the grouse! I only hope they are that docile for me come fall.

 

Now that you have found one, I would bet that you wont be able to go for a walk again without thinking about the next one.

 

It sure hooked me. One year I found around 20. The following year only three. This year zip. But do not think they are all gone. I was stunned to find a huge massed 4 point the first week of July. It was only lightly mouse chewed.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[JustinHoffman]

Hey Mark - It has been a goal of mine for many years now, and I am always searching on my weekly hikes for them. I know the areas I hike hold a good population of deer, but I just never seem to find any sheds.

I know the matching one to this is somewhere in that area - but, it is a huge area. I will be back again tomorrow (for more grouse shots and searching for sheds.)

 

I will say, when I spotted this one lying in the grass some 50 yards away, I sure was excited!!

 

Any thoughts - do they generally lose both sides in the same general area, or could a buck theoretically lose one - and not the other - some weeks distance apart. I am fairly certain the fresh rub on the small tree I found close by was probably from this buck. Perhaps he lost the other side weeks ago...

 

Definitely a fun hobby - I am certainly hooked.

 

Cheers,

 

Justin

[farsider]

Hey Justin,

 

I have found two matching sets laying right next to each other( I assumed a pitiful sparring match). I have also seen a buck running around with only one antler.

I personally assume that the other half is nearby(within a 100 yard circle). I have been rewarded a few times with this assumption.

 

Although I have heard various theories about the best places to find them, (around fence crossings, lone evergreen trees, etc.) I have found them there and about anywhere else(like the middle of a field/opening like yourself). I have also heard that the dominant Buck in the area loses his antlers first but, I have seen it unfold in reverse order as well.

 

One practice that I employ is to try and pattern them in late winter from their bedding areas to where they are eating or drinking and concentrating my efforts there.

 

Cheers, and good luck.

 

Mark

Edited April 5, 2012 by farsider

[cynmar]

:clapping:I enjoy nature photograhy myself and have never, never been so lucky as to experience what you did. I am envious. Count yourself very lucky.

 

Bill

[JustinHoffman]

Good advice, Mark - thanks!

 

Did a bit of reading today and the common thought is that the pair should be within a 100 yard span of each other. Gives me a good starting point to do a grid search tomorrow.

 

Here is a shot of the fresh rub that was fairly close to the shed. Between this, the great condition of the shed, and having walked this same area last week, I am wagering that it dropped within the last 6 days.

 

 

And here is the most heavily used deer trail in the area, some 200 yards from the shed, leading to a corn field just past the treeline on the left.

 

 

I'll be sure to report back on what tomorrow brings..

 

Cheers,

 

Justin

[JustinHoffman]

Thanks, Bill. Definitely cool to have it happen twice. Will see if tomorrow is a third time lucky. If the friendly grouse is around again, I'll try to shoot some video..

 

Cheers,

 

Justin

[Dabluz]

Good places to look for fallen antlers is where the deer bed down for the night. This means real heavy cover where the deer spends a lot of his time.

[waterwolf]

all that goin on 7 minutes from your house, amazing. finding sheds is always a blast.great to see sheds of deer you have alredy met and now you know they've survived the hunt ,but also cool to see new antlers on your land. birds are very skiddish where i deer hunt. those great pic's you've taken are fantastic,forget it on my tract. 50 yards , thunder, they,re gone. i took 2 deer with my bow last year but ive been busted more times in my tree stand by grouse, buggers are sharp! great to spend a couple of wonderful days like that with your dad. thanks for sharing and good luck on day 3. look forward to more.

Edited April 5, 2012 by waterwolf

[rob v]

great stuff ...Thanks. !!

[Lake Ranger]

Wow! I too am envious! Amazing photos, makes me want to put down the paintbrush and head up to my land in French River and try my luck with the camera! Thanks for sharing Justin, really great stuff!

[Victor]

Great pics Justin! I have been hoping to come across a deer shed one day as well with all the bushwacking that I do for steelheading haha.

[Musky or Specks]

I fish a little lake up near Wawa and its a 20k hike to get into it. We fish it for brookies shortly after ice out and one year we found a great moose shed on our way in on the old overgrown logging road we use. We found the other one on the way out about 3 k away from where we found the first one. They are awesome but pretty heavy to carry all that way out of the bush. Good luck with finding your match.

[JustinHoffman]

Note - I did start a new thread about my latest "find", but wanted to post here also for those that might miss it.

 

Hello All,

 

For those that read yesterday's report, I ventured out once again this morning in search of grouse to photograph...and hoping for another deer shed.

 

Headed back to the area that I found the previous shed. Begin doing a grid search in a 100 yard radius, but came up empty handed. Did see three "live" deer, though...as well as a few turkey.

 

On a hunch, and after doing some research and taking some advice from those that posted on my thread yesterday, I headed to an area approximately 600 yards due east. This spot is a thick (up top at least) area of evergreens, and if I had to guess, would be the ideal bedding area for deer. I began searching the perimeter, then the middle, and finally the outside edge. Then, as I walked along the edge....I saw it! Another beauty shed, glistening in the sun, right at the edge of the evergreens and adjacent to a marsh. (And less than 200 yards from Highway 416!)

 

 

This shed is much darker than the first, and, although I am no expert when it comes to scoring, would appear to be six points. One tine is broken, and there is a drop tine coming off of that. Amazingly, their is not a single nibble or gnaw on this shed!

 

Here is where it was found - it is in the lower right hand corner:

 

 

And here are the two - side by side for comparison. The latest is much stockier than the first, has more points, is more aged, and the "ball" at the end is larger. Leading me to believe these came from two different deer. Any expert opinions out there??

 

 

Hiked a total of 26.4 km's the past three days. Had some incredible interactions with grouse...and found my first two deer sheds! I'm pretty much on cloud nine

 

Cheers,

 

Justin