GUNTHER THE GROUSE

            It all began three years ago in early October when I parked my quad in preparation to go into my tree stand and noticed a grouse about fifty yards away.  Instead of doing a fast exit, flying through the trees, he was sitting looking at me as I started up the trail.  A little strange I thought.  Little did I know that a little strange, is an understatement to describe this normally flighty, extremely nervous, game bird.

            A couple weeks later, parking the quad, in the same place, I noticed the grouse actually walking toward me.  He came to within twenty-five yards, sat and stared. A little strange, I again thought.

              As that archery season continued, the grouse would come and sit by the quad, without flying, as I walked within two or three feet of him.   Then one sunny, Sunday, I noticed, that as I drove the quad in an area near where the grouse lived, the grouse actually walked along the edge of the hill to keep up with me as I putted down the trail.

              The rest of that archery season, and continuing into winter, the grouse would actually run along side the quad on the logging road with me. And I noticed from time to time, he would deliberately fly into the wheels of the quad. A little strange I thought. 

            The following spring and summer, almost every time I was on that particular road, with the quad, here would come the grouse, which I named Gertrude.  If not for any other reason than the grouse looked like a Gertrude.  I found out later, after doing some research, and talking to some folks from the Ruff Grouse Society, that the black markings around the neck of the grouse, indicated it to be a male and its name was then changed to Gunther.

            It's been three seasons that Gunther and I have communicated with each other on that particular logging trail and I've now caught Gunther, in my hands on four occasions.  I remember the first time we actually got into a fighting match; I'd grab at him and he'd attack my hand. I soon found out that the grouse was not looking at me as a friend, but actually as someone who was invading his territory.  In talking to biologists from the Ohio Division of Wildlife, as well as the Ruff Grouse Society, it appears that the sound of the quad emulates a threatening, drumming sound to the grouse. We know that most animals are territorial, but I guarantee you that none more then the ruff grouse.

            I've caught the grouse on four different occasions, as he and I attacked each other in kind of a playful mood. I'm sure that he was more serious then I.  We are now to the point that if I drive the quad by, too fast, he will actually fly, and as of a couple weeks ago, landed on my shoulder. I've actually spent seasons with the grouse, watching him molt, watching him loose all his tail feathers, sure is a weird looking bird without tail feathers, kind of reminds you of a plucked chicken in the store before you purchase it. I watched him grow those tail feathers back, in, what was the most amazing short period of time.  It took approximately two to three weeks, from bald butt, to fully feathered.  I found out what happens when he has a lady friend over, and at that point in time, he'll actually come down to the road and hiss and run up and down the road trying to chase me away.

            I've turkey hunted, in the area, and actually called and worked turkeys while the grouse walked circles around me and purred.  Once I was making some leaf sounds, with my feet to try to get a gobbler to come closer when Gunther actually attacked my feet, thinking they were threatening him, somehow.  I have noticed, before turkey season, that when turkeys were feeding in the area, and the grouse was messing around me, the turkeys paid him absolutely no mind, Obviously, a sound that they are used to, in the woods, and something that don't affect them at all.

            Unfortunately, I know that based on what all the biologists say about a grouse, their life expectancy, is only four to five years, and that eventually, going into one of my favorite areas to hunt, the grouse will no longer be there. You know, I've thought that one of these times when I've caught him, I take him home. But I know that with his strong territorial instincts Gunther will be happy in no other place.

One interesting thing about his territory is that you literally could almost mark a line across the trail, which Gunther will not cross.  I've actually come up the trail and seen two grouse, Gunther on one side of this imaginary line, and another grouse on the other side with neither making any effort to cross.

I only hope that when it comes time for Gunther to go to that big wood lot in the sky, that some of his offspring will pick up the habit of guarding their territory by being aggressive toward my quad, and feet, etc.

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