Alabama Grouse Hunting Guides and Outfitters

Grouse: This is the common name for any of 18 species of galliform birds of the family Tetraonidae. Some grouse are upland game birds that many sportsmen plan Alabama trips and guided hunts for. Grouse resemble small domestic fowl in appearance but have thick, strong legs that enable the birds to jump quickly into flight when surprised. The plumage of Alabama grouse is thick and soft. In most species, the color of the plumage is somber, generally brown, speckled and barred with black. This coloration helps hide this game bird from hunting guides and outfitter that are out on hunts in fields, meadows, and thin forest. All species have short, thick bills with the upper portion of the bill rounded.

The nests, built in slight hollows in the ground, consist of leaves, grasses, and a few feathers of the parent birds. This method of building near the ground will help hide the young from predators on the hunt for food, as the nest is very hard to detect. The young are covered with a fine, heavy down. The diet is varied and includes snails, worms, insects, berries, seeds, and buds. Many Alabama outfitters and guides will spread out food for this game bird several days before a client’s grouse hunting trip is to start. This allows the area to be full of upland game birds that will increase the experience of the client as he is on a grouse hunt.

Some species frequent heavy woods, and a few, such as the ptarmigan, which generally inhabit northern regions, are found in open country. When in open areas this upland game bird is more easily found and many hunting outfitters and guides will use dogs to help increase the number of kills on trips or guided hunts in Alabama for their clients. All grouse, except ptarmigans, are polygamous; the males are competitive for territory, and some species gather at certain fixed “fighting fields” in the spring.

Of the ten species of grouse found in North America, one of the most important is the blue or dusky grouse, Dendragapus obscurus, an inhabitant of the western United States. The ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus, sometimes called partridge or pheasant, is well known for the drumming sound produced by the males in spring. The noise is part of the mating behavior. The mechanism that the ruffed grouse uses to produce this noise has long been a subject of controversy. High-speed photographs have proved that the noise comes from vibrations caused by the quick beating of the wings in the air. The cock often sands on a log during the drumming.

Alabama Hunting Season Schedule

Alabama Hunting License

United States Weather

Although the links above are for laws and regulations for Alabama hunting, there are many areas in the world that grouse hunts and trips are planned by hunting guides and outfitters. For example the Red Grouse, Lagopus scoticus, is found only in the British Isles, particularly in Scotland and northern England. The red grouse is bred on the moors of Scotland as a game bird. Extensive regions in Scotland, called grousemoors, are owned and rented for grouse shooting only. Each year the grouse season traditionally opens on August 12, and hunters from all over the world travel to Scotland at that time. The birds are flushed, or frightened into air, either by beaters or by game dogs, such as pointers and setters.