Being Thanksgiving and the boys were home today I decided we would go looking for some fresh air. The boys suggested chicken hunting which around me means Ruffies. Drove a mile west and 1 1/2 north, parked the truck and took off walking. Bob being older and Knowing more took off by himself and Don and I headed west. Some really ignorant person forgot the camera in the truck :doh2:. Following my boy who never seems to pay any attention to whats happening at the time I got surprised many times. First he finds a path in thick stuff[for here] and said "I could catch a coyote here". we saw a mule deer doe and many tracks. All of a sudden the little guy stops and cocks his head to the side and then says "I hear one over there". He goes in some taller poplars and a Ruffie flys from branch to branch above and in front of us. One shot later I had one happy boy on my hands.
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(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh145/pitw75/Kids%20and%20critters/KidsCritters324.jpg)
Then comes the part I think is as important for young people to learn as much or more than any other in outdoor pursuits.
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh145/pitw75/Kids%20and%20critters/KidsCritters326.jpg)
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh145/pitw75/Kids%20and%20critters/KidsCritters327.jpg)
Tell him congratulations for the good shot and cleaning job. Do you make him cook it as well? :wink:
Jerry
Tell the young man congrats on a job well done! :congrats: :highclap: :congrats:
Now tell me about these Ruffies please :shrug: Never heard of them before tonight :confused:
Jerry he can cook but I'll be watching that too :wink:
GunDog I have always known them as Ruffled Grouse [Ruffies for short] and you may know them by a different name. :shrug: In my humble opinion they are the best eating of all the birds in the wild[That I've eaten]. They can be as stupid as a politician or smarter than a fox. I know no man/woman who has ever walked the woods and had one fly up at there feet who didn't immediately have a heart rate increase[possibly stopped]. They also are the birds that make the drumming noise in the bush that I think is as cool a sound in nature as there is.
Nice job Barry, fine eating tonight.
John
:doh2: OHHHH - I have heard of the Ruffled Grouse. I should have put it together, Thanks
Nice pics. Your boys are very lucky, Barry. :wink: Not every kid has/had a dad like you.
:iroll: I wish you wouldnt let Bob wonder off like that Barry. You know what they.... :laf:
Give Donny a thumbs up for us :thumb2:
Cool post Barry!! Congratulations to Don for finding that coyote spot AND bustin the Grouse!!! :yoyo:
BTW-- If the white stripes on that tail fan were brown & it was 30" across the bottom you would know real close what the fan on an Eastern Tom turkey looks like. :biggrin:
Nice post Barry. Congratulations to you and the boys. :congrats: :congrats:
Pat
Looks like a Happy Thanksgiving Day was had by all! Way to go Donny!
Guys I don't know how to say what I need to say so I'm saying Thank You for now. :yoyo: :yoyo: Donny read this thread[unbelievable how this forum has helped with the boys reading as they want to know what was said] before heading off to school this morning and he had to get his brother to open the door to let him out of the house as he couldn't reach past his suddenly swolen chest to the door knob.
Semp I know exactly what you mean as I learned most of my outdoor pursuits on my own.
Thats cool Barry. My boys in the same age range and were having some fun this year. The smile on that boys face will be etched in your memory for life. :wink:
When ya gona show hime the easy way to clean them? :innocentwhistle:
Nice shootin Donny ! :yoyo: :highclap: Glad to see you're finishing the job too. :wink: :congrats:
Sounds like a good day ! Thanks for sharin it with us.
Scott
good job. the season opens for pa this weekend. nothing better then fresh grouse frying in a pan. mmmmmm
One of my most favorite type of hunting. Ruffed Grouse! :eyebrow:
WTG Donny! :thumb2:
BTW Barry that's Ruffed not Ruffle.
Ruffles have ridges. :laf:
Barry thats my fav bird to eat :yoyo: Ruffies bisquits and gravy...MMMMMMMMMMM
Congrats !!!
During those brief pauses after working a covert, I am never without a sense of awe for the tranquility and beauty found in the silence and colors of the fall foliage. During these brief respites I think about dog work, the flushes and the occasional well-placed (or, as the case may be, lucky) shot. If I was fortunate to have made a true shot, I often take that chance to hold in hand the bird and admire it for the wild and beautiful thing it is. Dr. Micheal Zagata
We calls em "patridge" where I am from....it has a "r" but we dont pronounce the "ahssss" here.
Same Grouse we got here....... :eyebrownod: Ours does not open for a few days yet.....and I will probably pass on them as they are getting to be few.....Time will tell.....I passed five of them last year so I hope the fared well.
Quote from: alscalls on October 14, 2009, 07:38:57 AM
Same Grouse we got here....... :eyebrownod: Ours does not open for a few days yet.....and I will probably pass on them as they are getting to be few.....Time will tell.....I passed five of them last year so I hope the fared well.
Al we have only a small number of them too. I allow the boys to shoot a few each year cause I believe we have earned the right by removing the numbers of coyotes we do. I'm always finding spots where a coyote and ruffie sat down to supper together so I hope I'm saving more than I'm taking.
Quote from: pitw on October 14, 2009, 08:16:25 AM
I believe we have earned the right by removing the numbers of coyotes we do. I'm always finding spots where a coyote and ruffie sat down to supper together so I hope I'm saving more than I'm taking.
God Bless ya Barry! :biggrin: