Alaska Grouse Hunting Guides and Outfitters

Grouse: The grouse is a fowl-like game bird. The 18 species are found in north temperate and arctic regions throughout the world. This game bird inhabits forest, open woodlands, scrublands, moors, prairies, plains, deserts, and the tundra. Each of these areas you may find Alaska hunting guides and outfitters willing to help you plan out a great trip. The grouse has a soft dense plumage of inconspicuous browns, reddish browns, and grays so that it blends with its habitat and makes it harder for a sportsman on a hunt to find it. The arctic-dwelling ptarmigan is white during the winter, which also makes finding it hard for a hunter. The female, or hen, is duller and much smaller than the male, or cock. Most grouse have completely feathered legs and grow fringe-like processes on the sides of the toes during winter. Some, such as the ptarmigan, have feathered feet, which serve as snowshoes. Most grouse have patches of bar skin over the eyes, and many of the cocks have naked or nearly naked inflatable air sacs, or pouches, at the sides of the neck. The bird is mainly ground dwelling, but when flushed it rapidly takes flight with a loud whirring sound produced by the stiff-feathered wings. It feeds mainly on insects, buds, seeds, and berries. All grouse nest on the ground and most hunters can get this game bird to fly up if you get close enough. Many hunting outfitters and guides may use this technique when on a hunt. Many of the cocks are famous for their elaborate courtship display, during which they strut, dance, posture, and fight to the accompaniment of booming, hooting, or drumming sounds.

The grouse species form two groups that are based upon their mating and nesting habits. One group consists of the monogamous species, those in which each cock mates with one hen and assists in rearing the young. The game birds ptarmigan, ruffed grouse, and spruce grouse are monogamous. The other group consists of polygamous species, those in which the cock has a harem of hens and takes no part in nest building or rearing the young. This group includes the black grouse or blackcock, the capercaillie, the prairie chicken, and the now extinct heath hen.

The ruffed grouse, Bonsa umbellus, is found in woodlands and scrublands in the northern third of North America including Alaska and is very popular with outfitters and guides or with sportsmen on hunting trips there. The cock is a spotted reddish brown above and a brown-barred yellowish below. The fan-shaped tail has a distinctive broad black band near the tip. The cock has a crest on his head and tufts of blackish erectile feathers at the sides of his neck. During display the cock often stands on a log, with his back braced against the spread tail, beating his wings up and down so that the rush of air through the feathers produces a loud drumming sound.

The sage grouse, or sage hen, Centrocercus urophasianus, is the largest American grouse and popular with hunters on trips to areas that it lives. The cock is about 30 inches {76 cm} long, including his spike-like tail. The sage grouse is grayish, with a white breast and a black belly. The cock has yellow throat pouches, which are inflated during display. This grouse is found in the western sagebrush country.

The sharp-tailed grouse, Pedioectes phasianellus, has a short sharply pointed tail. This bird is black-flecked yellowish above and whitish below. The cock has inflatable orange colored throat pouches. The sharp-tailed grouse inhabits brush lands and thickets in the western United States and another popular game bird.

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The grouse is classified in the order Galliformes, family Tetraonidae.

Hunting-Trips-R-Us wants this information on the grouse to be helpful to any hunting guide or outfitter or hunter that visits our directory. We hope that you use the information as it was intended. To help hunters find the grouse hunting outfitters and guides that are in Alaska that offers hunts and trips for this game bird.