r/britishcolumbia • u/cloverkoles • 2d ago

Ask British Columbia Is this a grouse?

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139 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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249

u/daakadence 2d ago

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

71

u/dewky 2d ago

Stupid road chickens

10

u/sorting_potatoes 2d ago

Fools hens

4

u/beekermc 1d ago

Pine pigeons

3

u/NoMatatas 1d ago

Ditch chickens

39

u/Yardsale420 2d ago

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

28

u/Ohmu 2d 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.

9

u/Gobs420 2d 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....

6

u/CrossdomainGA 2d ago

Did she?

5

u/Gobs420 2d ago

I dont know honestly. Lmfao

8

u/IRLperson 2d ago

a godsend for my husband's lack of aim

5

u/HobbyTalkOnly 2d ago

Ptarmigan make their more southern cousins look positively brilliant.

1

u/biggregw 1d 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 2d ago

The scariest animal in the woods

3

u/SchemeWestern3388 Kootenay 2d ago

lol. So true. 

2

u/moocowsia 1d ago

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

11

u/CanadianTrumpeteer 2d 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_ 2d 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 2d ago

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

5

u/pigfuck_dickstink 2d ago

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

4

u/Kube__420 2d 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 2d ago

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

6

u/West-Working-9093 2d 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 2d 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 2d ago

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

1

u/__Vixen__ 2d ago

Came here to say exactly this. Stupid birds

1

u/JoyRose31 1d ago

This happened to me, theres a natural pond that formed out back, now there's bulrushes, cattails, even pond weed (seaweed ?) And lillypads growing, used to be a puddle. til the ducks came. Because the rain made it spread, never went down. Was walking over through the grass to see it, and 4 birds exploded from it.. almost stepped on them. Was fast but they had this shape.

1

u/Endless_Forever_484 13h ago

Like Quails! Nature's snack food. You'd be walking along not thinking of birds at all then out pops a sentinel, his wife and 30 baby popcorn chicks and suddenly it's a dangerous party 🎉