23Mar/108
Killer Grouse on Ridge Road
Linda Payne reports from XCOttawa on a (not so savage) attack by a ruffed grouse.
Pop "ruffed grouse attack" into google and you'll see quite a few stories of similar encounters, plus a few youtube videos.
Here's the Hinterland Who's Who link (which says nothing about attacks).
March 23rd, 2010 - 14:30
I had a similar encounter in the Adirondacks while hiking in the summer. Startled the heck out of me when it came up the trail at me beating its wings and hissing like mad. I beat a hasty retreat until I regained my composure and realized it was a small bird that would not likely do me much harm. When I turned to face my attacker it became apparent, in its anger, it had worked itself off the trail into a nearby bush. This freed me to slip past and continue on with my day. They do make quite a racket whether beating wings off into the woods or turning to attack their foe. I’m told from my hunter friends that “attacks” are pretty rare.
March 23rd, 2010 - 15:34
A very experienced former forester, now wilderness trip guide, once opined that these birds were the most dangerous beasts in the northern woods; they’d peck you in the eye.
I stopped repeating his warning after a few people laughed at me.
March 24th, 2010 - 09:42
Don’t laugh…I’ve been attacked twice…one time the bird quickly went from beauty to beast and only the strong end of a shovel slowly persuaded further attacks to my head and neck areas as it frantically fluttered around my chest. The pecking left welts…a strike to the eye would surely do damage.
Similar to the rest of nature, it is a good sign that you’ve entered their section of turf and either a nest or a group of young are nearby…in the end, while watching for attacks to the back of your heels and briskly continuing on down the trail is your best option.
March 24th, 2010 - 10:20
What most impressed me was my friend’s calm response. When the thing launched itself at us, I shrieked “WE’RE BIGGER!!! GET AWAY!! and I stabbed at the snow.
The grouse immediately got its back ruff up and got a bit flappy. My friend spoke very calmly to it, and very gently moved it around with her pole, while it pecked at it. Then with me, obviously nearly broken down (pathetic, really) my friend said, Okay Linda, make a break for it.
Now I worry that without my friend to charm the savage ruffed breast, I will be helplessly pecked to death.
I’d love to hear that grizzly tactics work in all cases with these pea brains.
Here’s another related story, about Lydia Depew and the spruce grouse pie. She always kept her rifle close, and she always kept the outhouse door open. The father of a friend of mine was enjoying a lovely fresh pie in her kitchen and she told him how it came to be that he was eating such a lovely, fresh pie.
If my friend hadn’t been so good and kind and calm, I would have clobbered that bird, but the gutting of a grouse would be so gross I guess I’ll never have fresh pie.
March 24th, 2010 - 12:52
Difference between a grizzly and a grouse.
The grouse, not known to be overly bright, maintains it’s own small territory… give it something to focus on, ie. a ski pole and not a loud threatening voice with wild flailing arms, while you leave its “personal space”…this should work every single time.
Tell the beast what you want it to do, and that will help remind you what your plan of action should be. The calm voice is important to sooth the attacker, but perhaps more importantly the attackee!
The grizzly is very smart, roams about, and will hunt you down if it simply feels like it…chances against the grouse… quite good…chances against a grizzly…not so good.
If I may…remember the difference between black bears and grizzlies.
If a calm slow retreat fails and the bear still decides to attack..confront the black bear by making yourself as large and commanding as possible and they will usually present a bluff. Again, usually and the rules are slowly changing with habitual bears near populated areas.
With a grizzly, (if) after soothing it’s nerves does not work. Relax to the ground, play dead, curl up, and cover your head and neck; the grizzly may inspect and roll you around, however, try and stay “dead” long after the bear has (hopefully) left the area and continue to pray to Ullar that today, is simply not your day.
In perspective, keep in mind that on the way to your outing, you are more likely to die in your car .
March 24th, 2010 - 15:18
That grouse appears to have been quite busy on Sunday. As I was approaching the bench I met an iconic skier of longstanding who said that he had been hassled by a partridge. According to him it had fluffed-up its feathers and became quite insistent and noisy. Initially the icon thought that he was exuding sexual attraction to it until (as with Linda) it began pecking at his pole and, possibly, trying to steal it. It sounded like a pretty tall tale but an icon is an icon – eh!
A few minutes later, as I arrived at the bench I met a couple skating toward me at high speed with an airborne grouse chasing them – about two feet behind her back. Then I really started to believe the icon.
One wants to ask what influences turn a ruffed grouse bad?
March 25th, 2010 - 14:32
What turns a ruffed grouse bad? Some say it’s bad genes, some say it’s the neighbourhood they grow up in, others say it’s from eating fermented berries.
I think there may be people storing their drug stashes up there. RE… this spot on crack squirrels in London:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E11epT9z1Eg
March 26th, 2010 - 05:56
Jo-Ann Attacked
Our beloved musician on skis was the victim of a vicious grouse attack yesterday and has photos to prove it.
http://www.musicianonskis.ca/100325.html