S2-E04: Maine - Private Ground and Public Woodcok and Grouse

Fair Chase or Taboo: Is it OK to Ground Swat Grouse?

This is part two in Pat Durkin’s series looking at differing cultural perceptions of fair chase. In part one, he discussed shooting turkeys in flight. Unlike those who fuss or waffle about ground-swatting ruffed grouse, Randy Newberg knows where moral uncertainty ends and sober practicality begins: 65 miles south of his boyhood home in Big Falls, Minn. That’s where U.S. Highway 2 cuts northwesterly from Duluth to East Grand Forks, separating wing...

The Demise of Ruffed Grouse Hunting

The image of a hunter swinging an old side-by-side shotgun towards a ruffed grouse flushing over a bird dog is synonymous with American hunting history. Ruffed grouse were once a very popular, plentiful upland game bird throughout much of the country. Not too long ago, in a lot of places, you were more likely to hear a male grouse drumming than a wild turkey gobbling during the spring breeding season. These days, it’s a different story for both...

Stoning Grouse: A Traditional, Legal Conundrum

Out West, one of the oldest traditions of big game hunting is harvesting the occasional grouse when hunting for antlered game is slow. You could say that grouse are an elk hunter’s consolation prize. Previously, I never thought much about how I went about killing those birds; I just used whatever weapon was at hand—often just a rock or stick. So, imagine my surprise when I learned I had been breaking the law ever since I moved to Montana decades...