Subject: Re: Spruce Grouse in Wash State?
Date: Oct 20 22:52:32 1998
From: Russell Rogers - rrogers at halcyon.com


Hello Tweeters,

There is no doubt that Spruce Grouse occur in WA, however the exact limits
to their distribution don't seem clearly understood. There are many
photos and specimens of them for WA. What there southern limits are in the
Cascades is not know (at least by me). They are likely to occur in the
Blue Mts, but I don't know of any specimens or photos of them for that
part of the state (they have been documented in near by OR). They are
reported from the Olympics every once and a while, but again, there is no
hard evidence of them from there.

Personally I have seen them on several occasions in the Okanogan
Highlands. I seem to have hit on a method of locating them with a high
degree of success. What you need to do is go camping in the area where
they are known to occur. When you heed to the call of nature and find your
self in a compromising position behind a Spruce tree, ankles firmly bound
by garments that cover your midlands, take a moment to look up. Chances
are there will be a Spruce Grouse checking you out. I have seen the
aforementioned bird no less than three times using this method. On one
occasion a male actually came over and pecked at the end of my boot. Truly
an Audubon moment. However, it was not clear whether the moment was for me
or the grouse....

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Russell Rogers
6637 Glenwood Drive SW
Olympia WA 98512
(360) 709-9870
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