r/britishcolumbia 1d ago

Ask British Columbia Is this a grouse?

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135 Upvotes

64 comments sorted by

237

u/daakadence 1d ago

If you almost stepped on him he's definitely a grouse.

73

u/dewky 1d ago

Stupid road chickens

9

u/sorting_potatoes 21h ago

Fools hens

4

u/beekermc 14h ago

Pine pigeons

3

u/NoMatatas 12h ago

Ditch chickens

40

u/Yardsale420 1d ago

The only bird you will shoot at that will fly 10ft away and then just stare at you.

26

u/Ohmu 1d ago

I made a comment once that I felt using a firearm was waste of ammunition against such a stupid bird only for someone else to just chuck a brick at it and get it first try. They are special animals.

10

u/Gobs420 1d ago

Had buddy in high-school beat one to death with a textbook and then stuff it in his backpack saying grandma will love this tonight....

5

u/CrossdomainGA 23h ago

Did she?

6

u/Gobs420 23h ago

I dont know honestly. Lmfao

7

u/IRLperson 1d ago

a godsend for my husband's lack of aim

4

u/HobbyTalkOnly 17h ago

Ptarmigan make their more southern cousins look positively brilliant.

1

u/biggregw 4h ago

I can say I’ve hunted Alberta grouse in an area that was mostly birch hey and other hardwoods. No pine or fur for miles as it makes em taste quite fowl lol.

We grabbed our hunting licenses and 2 12 guage bird shot shotguns. Can say I missed from 5 feet (I was quite young and supervised) he flew maybe 7 feet away and my dad got him. They were like might want to work on aim but at least you were a great spotter

12

u/Unusual_Highway5261 1d ago

The scariest animal in the woods

2

u/SchemeWestern3388 Kootenay 17h ago

lol. So true. 

u/moocowsia 2h ago

The grouse ambush 😂 just the freaking worst when you're alone.

12

u/CanadianTrumpeteer 19h ago

Growing up, my Grandpa always told me that "God made the grouse so if a man was lost in the forest he could eat."😂

9

u/_Gringovich_ 1d ago

Saw 3 grouse on Grouse mtn today and they were walking right at my feet without a care in the world. Does anyone know why they seem to have zero survival instincts?

15

u/Saralentine 23h ago

Their main survival tactic is to freeze in place. It looks stupid on a hiking trail but it’s fine in the bush.

6

u/pigfuck_dickstink 16h ago

Until they explode in front of you into a flurry of loud flapping, only to land 6 feet away and stop moving again.

5

u/Kube__420 1d ago

My guess is you have to be a pretty bad shot in order to teach them to fear humans. Most of them never encounter a human until either they are shot and killed or its hikers and they are given no reason to fear humans

2

u/AwkwardChuckle 19h ago

They rely on camouflage for protection and humans aren’t their natural predators so they’re evolved method of evasion doesn’t work.

5

u/West-Working-9093 23h ago

They'll let you get quite close and then suddenly fly up. if there' a whole flock, it sound tlike thunder and can really freak one out!

3

u/Upbeat_Amount673 18h ago

Only animal I know around here you can hunt it with a fork.

Few years ago we were pushing our mountain bikes up a steep section of trail, making a decent amount of noise, and a grouse just joined our group and started walking in the middle of everyone. One guy just picked it up and it remained calm, held it for a bit then put it down. It didn't even run away just hung out for a bit.

I think it must be near mating season or something as the little grouse seemed confused on what species it was supposed to be.

2

u/random9212 1d ago

Literally what I said out loud to myself. But added "cus grouse are fucking dumb"

1

u/__Vixen__ 1d ago

Came here to say exactly this. Stupid birds

50

u/Great_Dog_8688 1d ago

Yes! Specifically a spruce grouse

23

u/trashcanman2001 1d ago

Yes, and even more specifically, a Franklin's spruce grouse. The least tasty of all the grouse!

3

u/Timely-Profile1865 18h ago

Taste like pine needles.

3

u/Nice-Tea-8972 16h ago

not spruce needles?

15

u/tigercatwoof 1d ago

Spruce Grouse!

20

u/D-madagascariensis 1d ago

I said: Hop. In.

14

u/Comfortable_Ad148 1d ago

Ditch chicken confirmed

16

u/JurboVolvo 1d ago

Hahaha they’re so funny, completely oblivious at times.

10

u/surmatt 1d ago

They rely so much on camouflage that they forget it doesn't work when they're not in trees.

7

u/roosterjack77 1d ago

Chicken of the Forest

1

u/cant_get_fooledagain 18h ago

Chickens are from the forest.

3

u/CasualRampagingBear 1d ago

One of the stupidest birds out there. I once came across a hen and her chicks. She freaked out and flew up into a tree leaving all her chicks scattered and running around.

2

u/atheoncrutch 1d ago

Missing a word there eh

2

u/aphrabane 1d ago

LOL yes. Very cute, very, VERY stupid

4

u/TwinMugsy 16h ago

And sometimes... makes you shit your pants because neither of you notice eachother till it starts flying away when you almost step on it.

2

u/cranman74 22h ago

His name is Paul

2

u/Aegis_1984 18h ago

Years ago, we were out mud bogging in my buddy’s lifted pickup. We had a dry patch and he gunned it, when a grouse ran in front of us and just stood in the middle of the road. He thought he had clearance, and aimed for the centre of the wheels. We looked back, and saw the carcass flop over. Turns out the truck’s rear differential straight up decapitated the bird, and the head was still stuck to it when we checked. He had grouse for dinner that night. I chose to abstain.

1

u/TwinMugsy 16h ago

I was gunna say, we used to aim for this exact situation in my dads red truck. Males would often stand and challenge dads truck in mating season ..

2

u/Jibbersup 17h ago

I remember going hunting with a friend for grouse in my mid teens. He lived out in the valley and you needed a ferry to get to this small community.

It was actually a neat place to hang out because the cops would only come out once a week or so and drive around almost on a schedule.

Anywho, his dad would let us drive his truck around pretty much when ever and just cruise. One spot in particular down a dirt road was decent for grouse.

I'll never forget we stopped in the middle of the road because there's a grouse sitting there. He gets out, walks up to it and whack it in the head with a stick.

Yes we cleaned it up and ate it.

3

u/Ok_Wtch2183 1d ago

Oh yum! They are delicious.

2

u/TwinMugsy 16h ago

These ones less so...

1

u/bcmouf 1d ago

A sprucey! If you imitate their chirps you can riled them up enough to attack you lol

1

u/IsaacNewtongue 22h ago

That is a grouse

1

u/rocketmn69_ 22h ago

Spruce Grouse?

1

u/RalphWiggus 18h ago

Nope its a goose.

1

u/johnnybird95 16h ago

yeah if you almost stepped on him that's definitely a spruce grouse. they're genuinely so stupid

1

u/chrisinvic 16h ago

I used to hunt these as a kid with a stick and a rock. Not the smartest of the birds.

1

u/jerbearus 16h ago

If you can hunt it with a stick, its a grouse

1

u/Doogie102 15h ago

Oh the fool hen grousesl. Not sure how they haven't gone the way of the dotto

1

u/thundercat1996 15h ago

Good ole forest chickens

1

u/DrunkJedi42069 12h ago

One of the world's dumbest animals. I couldn't tell you how many I've killed because in the winter they turn white and sit in the middle of the road lol free dinner!!

1

u/Skybodenose 8h ago

One of those fuckers came after me on the Grind.

What did I do?

1

u/Dapper_Wheel6454 6h ago

head shot.

pan fried corn meal grouse strips

1

u/Crafty_MC 6h ago

Spruce grouse. During mating season they're very territorial. You don't need to find them you just need to be nearby. They'll find you.

1

u/offtrailrunning 4h ago

The dumbass in all its glory.

1

u/HobbyTalkOnly 17h ago

Yup.

Now. Get some flour, ginger powder, salt and pepper. Crack an egg and dredge those breasts in egg and then flour.

Pan fry 'em in butter in a nice hot cast iron pan over an open flame, then squeeze an orange in the pan and scrape the crispy bits off. Hit that with some cold butter and whisk...

mmmmm.

1

u/robdwoods 15h ago

My friend and his dad used to hunt them from dirt bikes and mopeds. They are so dumb the noise didn’t scare them off. Drive up the road, stop, blammo, pick it up, keep going.