Agressive Male Spruce Grouse up near Middle Carter

[peakbagger]

While hiking today we encountered a very territorial male spruce grouse (it had very prominent red patches of feathers above the eyes). It initially acted pretty passively as we passed and then started running parallel to the trail in the woods and started aggressively coming out in flurry and attacking my boots as I was along. I tried to push it away with my poles but it would repeatedly attack. We had to travel quite a distance before if backed off. First time I had seen that behavior.

 

[KV]

While hiking today we encountered a very territorial male spruce grouse (it had very prominent red patches of feathers above the eyes). It initially acted pretty passively as we passed and then started running parallel to the trail in the woods and started aggressively coming out in flurry and attacking my boots as I was along. I tried to push it away with my poles but it would repeatedly attack. We had to travel quite a distance before if backed off. First time I had seen that behavior.

Yeah. A buddy of mine hiked there several weeks back and had the same experience. The grouse attacked his legs and flew at them repeatedly as he walked away. I suspect it is an adolescent male based on this finding:

"When about 16 to 18 weeks old, the young grouse passes out of its period of adolescence and breaks away to find a home range of its own. This is the second and last time that Ruffed Grouse are highly mobile. The young males are the first to depart, when they range out seeking a vacant drumming territory, or activity center, where they can claim a drumming log. Most young males find a suitable site within 1.8 mi. of the brood range where they grew up, although some may go as far as 4.5 mi. seeking a vacant territory. Many young cocks claim a drumming log by the time they are 20 weeks old; and once they have done so, most will spend the remainder of their lives within a 200 to 300 yard radius of that log."

 

[RollingRock]

I've been attacked by grouse a couple of times...in all cases the female was protecting her chicks. They become unrelenting with the attacks and in both cases flew up to my chest. One time, I decided to walk off the trail to get around and she still attacked me so I had to take a stick to bat her away...did not harm her but that gives you an idea as to how aggressive they can be!

 

[Snowflea]

Met this feller back in March and mentioned it in on NETC, as have one or two others:

"Between South and Middle Carter I came upon a very territorial male (w/red "eyebrow") spruce grouse making strange guttural churring sounds. I stopped to pull out my phone in order to get a video, and he began circling me. As I attempted to start walking away, he began "attacking" my feet and lower legs, pecking and fluttering about. I gently pushed him away with poles and boots, but he kept coming at me, "attacking" me for 5-10 minutes and about 200 yards. All through this encounter, I was laughing so hard and trying to thwart this crazy bird that it was hard to walk. He kept getting underfoot as well. I finally escaped by RUNNING down the trail swinging a pole behind my legs... laughing hysterically all the while. Note that I absolutely did NOT hurt him, and I would hope that others will treat him kindly. He is just doing what is instinctual. I did mention to him that there would be a lot of folks coming thru here in a couple of months, so he might want to find a better neighborhood. So... beware the territorial male spruce grouse between South and Middle Carter!!"

When we passed thru that section THIS month, my friend's dog joined us. The grouse didn't come out at us that day, so the dog must have scared him-- he did "attack" a hiker behind us that day.

I do worry about his fate being on such a busy (in a couple of months anyway) trail, the AT.

 

[talktapes]

Ran into a different spruce grouse between Bicknell Ridge Trail and Eagle Crag in Evans Notch yesterday. First one I've seen in the wild, and it didn't seem aggressive (flew onto a branch when we were right on it and just chilled there). Still I suggested we keep moving when my gf wanted to take a pic of it

 

[Stan]

Well, hunting season for grouse is Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 but I bet the grouse knows that. Besides, I believe the minimum distance from the trail is 150 yards by which time the grouse will have succeeded in getting most interlopers lost. Somewhere there is a grouse tailgate where they proudly drum up tales like these ... except for one psychological bruised cock commiserating about the woman who laughed at him.

 

[sierra]

I'll be doing the Carter's this summer with my Aussie Buddyboy. My recommendation to this Aggressive bird, is to hide when we come by, Buddy will not be intimidated by no bird and will treat any such aggression accordingly.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I'd never heard of grouse attacks this early in the season. I did experience one on Garfield Ridge one June and heard about other June attacks. My assumption has always been that it was a male with a female sitting on a nest in the vecinity.

 

[Tim Seaver]

How odd. All my encounters with males have been pretty mellow, as if they were courting me.
This guy was the best model, somewhere between the Baldfaces:

 

[peakbagger]

My recommendation to this Aggressive bird, is to hide when we come by, Buddy will not be intimidated by no bird and will treat any such aggression accordingly I hope that Buddy's aggression will be limited to vocal harassment rather than physical. NHF&G looks poorly on domestic animals inuring or killing wild game. I expect if Buddy is stereotypical Aussie, he will use his vocal skills to herd the bird up into a tree.

 

[sierra]

My recommendation to this Aggressive bird, is to hide when we come by, Buddy will not be intimidated by no bird and will treat any such aggression accordingly I hope that Buddy's aggression will be limited to vocal harassment rather than physical. NHF&G looks poorly on domestic animals inuring or killing wild game. I expect if Buddy is stereotypical Aussie, he will use his vocal skills to herd the bird up into a tree.

It was a joke.

 

[Chip]

We encountered a very aggressive one, protecting "his" section of trail in the Tetons, doing an out and back of Disappointment.
We finally got past him okay by blocking his advance with our poles, like a fence. Then we knew we'd need to defend ourselves again on the way back down.Which we did.
It was fun on the way up. A little extra adrenaline. We saw many animals that day.

 

[RickB.]

Well, hunting season for grouse is Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 but I bet the grouse knows that. Besides, I believe the minimum distance from the trail is 150 yards by which time the grouse will have succeeded in getting most interlopers lost. Somewhere there is a grouse tailgate where they proudly drum up tales like these ... except for one psychological bruised cock commiserating about the woman who laughed at him.

There is no open season for spruce grouse which is a different species from ruffed grouse.