THE HONOR OF A GROUSE HUNTER

Most grouse hunters are conservationists to the core.  They discover "special places" (coverts) where ruffed grouse live, and they are very careful not to over-hunt those special coverts.  They only take a bird and then leave the spot unsullied for the rest of the season.  Often, they will pass up a shot.  They are very secretive about such finds--for good reason!

I have a friend--let's call him 'Hank'--is a long-time grouse hunter.  He lives north of the 45th parallel, and-- almost daily -- explores with his dogs.  He's also an outstanding woodworker and a great conversationalist. I would dare say that he is a font of knowledge --whether the subject be the beautiful "grain" of a certain piece of wood, fly fishing or grouse hunting.  A fireside chat with Hank can easily be the highlight of an autumn evening.

Young Grouse- photo by J. Jalbert

I have another friend who goes out nearly every day with his dog--both for the exercise and for the dog's exposure to "the bush".  They cover miles.  Let's call this friend 'Stan'.  His ability to recall flushes and locations  is uncanny and unerring.  Stan is retired and often works around the house in summer- when his wife has a project or two.  However, don't look for him  in the fall!  Stan is a die-hard, dyed-in-the-wool, grouse hunter.  Woodcock are safe around Stan.  He has no interest in them.  But grouse?  That's his game!  Stan will start hunting and be on the next mountain in no time.  Going from cover to cover, he hunts for the elusive bird, and he's good at it!

Grouse Tracks

Both of these men are honest, hard working, upright men who value friendship and a good time.  They have stories that run from the logging days of the Brown Corporation, of truck driving across America, to the present.  They are hospitable and fun to be with.

But let someone ask them about the location of their grouse coverts and they will either babble a bit, then give directions to "a good spot" in the next county or state,  ( Oh! You should go there to hunt!)  or give the individual  "good" GPS coordinates--which are probably several miles out into the Atlantic Ocean.)

There is (and rightly so) a reluctance by bona-fide grouse hunters to share their (secret) coverts.  A slip of the lip and within days, the covert has become over-hunted, under-appreciated, and made into something that looks more like a public park.  Beaten trails will lead the way for other hunters and soon what was almost a "sacred" site has been reduced to a public "way-station".  The "pristine" nature of the secret covert is lost forever.  Perhaps that's why some coverts have names that are known only by those "pards" who sparingly hunt them --"hell hole", "campsite", "two grouse mountain", "Maxie's corner", etc.

Also, the possibility of ruining a good friendship lies in the sharing of those "sacred" places! For example, if a friend tells another about a "secret place"--and even if the second person never hunts it-- the possibility of the location being discovered is so high that the first person may think that his friend mis-used his friendship and over-hunted his secret place--a clear violation of his trust!

Displaying Grouse

Grouse are not "stocked" birds--nor can they be.  Grouse require the wild places to continue to survive.  That is why I will  hunt a friend's covert only when he brings me to it.  If he tries to tell me where one of his "favorites" is located,  I tell him that "I don't want to know."  I value his friendship more.

It's every man (or woman) for himself.  Many a grouse hunter will go to the grave before sharing the location where his favorite birds prosper.  Such is the honor of a grouse hunter.