By Everly Eldeen
One of the treasures of the boreal forest is the meek and camouflaged ruffed grouse: a small, plump, mottled brown bird that is mostly heard instead of seen.
kAmvC@FD6 6?8286 :? 2 72D4:?2E:?8 3692G:@C <?@H? 2D 5CF>>:?8[ H96C6 2 >2=6 8C@FD6 362ED 9:D 496DE H:E9 9:D H:?8D 2E@A 2 72==6? =@8] %96 D@F?5 42? 36 962C5 7C@> 9F?5C65D @7 J2C5D 2H2J]k^Am
kAm%96D6 5:DA=2J:?8 >2=6D 9@A6 E@ 6?4@F?E6C 2 76>2=6 8C@FD6[ H9@ 7:?5 9:D A6C7@C>2?46 :>AC6DD:G6] p7E6C 2 BF:4< 6I492?86 H:E9 E96 >2=6[ E96 76>2=6 8C@FD6 49@@D6D 2 BF:6E DA@E :? E96 =62G6D 2E E96 32D6 @7 2 EC66[ 2?5 =2JD 2 4=FE49 @7 D>2==[ DA64<=65 688D]k^Am
kAmp7E6C ac 52JD[ E96 688D 92E49 :?E@ AC64@4:2= 8C@FD6 49:4<D E92E H2?56C @FE @7 E96 ?6DE 2?5 9625 :?E@ E96 7@C6DE] pD E96J EC2:= 369:?5 96C[ E96D6 J@F?8 3:C5D =62C? 2=>@DE 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> >@> :?4=F5:?8 H92E E@ 62E[ H96C6 E@ 9:56[ 2?5 H92E E@ 5@ :7 2 AC652E@C 2AA62CD]k^Am
kAmxE’D 2E E9:D A@:?E :? 2 8C@FD6’D =:76 H96? E96 %:? |@F?E2:? r@?D6CG2E:@? r6?E6C ECF4< AF==D 5@H? 2 5:CE C@25[ :?E6CCFAE:?8 E96 72>:=J 2=@?8 E96 C@25D:56] |2>2 8C@FD6 :D DF556?=J 72465 H:E9 2 >2DD:G6 >6E2= AC652E@C[ E9C62E6?:?8 96C 2?5 96C J@F?8]k^Am
kAm$96 <?@HD :?EF:E:G6=J H92E E@ 5@[ DE:4<:?8 96C ?64< =@H E@ E96 8C@F?5 2?5 H2=<:?8 D=@H=J :?E@ E96 H@@5D] $96 4=F4<D D@7E=J E@ 96C 49:4<D[ H9:49 2C6 2 H66< @=5[ D>2== 2?5 3C@H?[ 2?5 42? 2=C625J 7=J FA :?E@ E96 =@H 3C2?496D @7 2 EC66]k^Am
kAm |J 4@H@C<6C r92?E2= 2?5 x DE@A E96 ECF4< 2?5 @3D6CG6 E96 8C@FD6 H2=< D=@H=J 2?5 H6:C5=J] x? 2== @7 >J J62CD 32?5:?8 2?5 EC2AA:?8 8C@FD6 7@C C6D62C49[ x 925 ?6G6C D66? E9:D 367@C6]k^Am
kAm“(92E :D E92E 8C@FD6 5@:?8n” x 2D<65 ?@ @?6 :? A2CE:4F=2C[ 2?5 r92?E2= =@@<65 2E >6 6BF2==J 4@?7FD65]k^Am
kAm“%96J >:89E 36 9FCE[” D96 C6>2C<65]k^Am
kAm“x’> 8@??2 86E @FE 2?5 D66 H92E :D 8@:?8 @?[” x D2:5 2?5 x @A6?65 E96 5C:G6C D:56 5@@C :?E@ 2 4=@F5 @7 >@DBF:E@6D]k^Am
kAmp A64F=:2C[ D9C:== 42== H2D 7:=E6C:?8 E9C@F89 E96 =62G6D @? E96 D:56 @7 E96 C@25] %9:D H2D 7@==@H65 3J 2 3F33=J 4=F4<[ 2?5 x :?DE2?E=J <?6H H92E H2D 92AA6?:?8] x EFC?65 H:E9 H:56 6J6D E@ =@@< 2E r92?E2=[ E@ ECJ E@ D:=6?E=J 2?5 E6=6A2E9:42==J D:8?2= E92E E9:D 8C@FD6 925 323:6D]k^Am
kAm%96 323:6D 925 7=@H? :?E@ E96 =@H 3C2?496D @7 2 32=D2> 7:C[ 2?5 H6C6 H9:DE=:?8 E@ E96:C >@E96C] tG6?EF2==J[ E96 >@E96C 4C2D965 E9C@F89 E96 F?56CDE@CJ @7 3C24<6? 76C?[ CF??:?8 2?5 AC6E6?5:?8 2D :7 96C H:?8 H2D 3C@<6? 3J 96C D:56] $96 42FE:@FD=J 4C@DD65 E96 C@25[ 2?5 4@?E:?F65 E96 492C256 7C@> E96 @E96C D:56[ ECJ:?8 E@ =FC6 >6 2H2J 7C@> 96C AC64:@FD 323:6D]k^Am
kAm~?46 x 925 AFE 2== E96 A:646D E@86E96C[ x DE@AA65 7@==@H:?8 E96 >@> H:E9 >J 6J6D[ 2?5 EFC?65 E@ H2E49 2 D>2== 8C@FD6 D9:7E E96:C H6:89E @? 2 D>2== 3C2?49[ G6CJ F?DFC6 H92E E@ 5@ ?6IE]k^Am
kAmvC@FD6 49:4<D DEC@?8=J C6D6>3=6 >:?:2EFC6 G6CD:@?D @7 323J 49:4<6?D[ H:E9 2 5:DE:?4E 7FKKJ 762E96C 4@2E 2?5 52C< DA=@E496D 2=@?8 E96 H:?8D 2?5 324<] r92?E2= 925 8@EE6? @FE @7 E96 ECF4< 2E E9:D A@:?E[ 2?5 H6 3@E9 4C@F4965 E@ H2E49 E9:D =:EE=6 323J 7=J E@H2C5D >@> 24C@DD E96 C@25]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 32?5:?8 8C@FD6 7@C 7@FC J62CD :? (:D4@?D:?[ x 925 ?6G6C 925 E96 =F4< E@ CF? :?E@ =:EE=6 @?6D] x 925 @?=J A@FC65 @G6C :>286D @7 E96 49:4<D @? E96 :?E6C?6E[ 9@A67F= 2?5 :>A2E:6?E E@ 4C@DD A2E9D H:E9 E96> :? E96 H@@5D]k^Am
kAmxC@?:42==J[ :E @?=J E@@< 2 a_\9@FC 5C:G6 E@ }6H w2>AD9:C6 2?5 D@>6 5F>3 =F4< E@ >2<6 >J 5C62>D 4@>6 ECF6] xE H2D 72:C E@ D2J x H2D @G6C E96 >@@? 23@FE E96 D:89E:?8] x? E96 :?E6C6DE @7 >:?:>:K:?8 5:DEFC32?46 E@ E96 D>2== 72>:=J[ r92?E2= 2?5 x 9@AA65 324< :?E@ E96 H@C< ECF4< 2?5 4@?E:?F65 5@H? E96 C@25]k^Am
kAm(6 @?=J >256 :E 23@FE b__ 766E 367@C6 :E 2== 92AA6?65 282:?] p 4@>A=6E6=J 5:776C6?E 8C@FD6 H:E9 96C @H? 4=FE49 @7 49:4<D A6C7@C>65 E96 D2>6 :?;FC65 H:?8 5:DA=2J[ H9:=6 49:4<D 7=6H 92A92K2C5=J :?E@ E96 3CFD9] (6 D=@H=J 5C@G6 A2DE E9:D ?6H 72>:=J[ H:E9 @FC 7246D 362>:?8[ 324< @?E@ E96 >2:? C@25 E@H2C5 %:? |@F?E2:?] x ;FDE 4@F=5?’E 36=:6G6 9@H =F4<J H6 925 366? E92E 52J]k^Am
kAmk6>mtG6C=J t=566? :D 2 C6D:56?E 3:C5 :?E6C? 2E %:? |@F?E2:? r@?D6CG2E:@? r6?E6C]k^6>mk^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.