Woodcock are fascinating birds. I do not care to eat them, they are not particularly difficult for a dog to work, and I do not find them all that hard to hit. So, while woodcock can liven up an otherwise lackluster day, I do not specifically pursue them.
Grouse, on the other hand, drive me crazy. Often solitary birds that do not benefit from dozens of eyes from other flock members creates a survivor. Oh, I don't think they are particularly smart, just paranoid about everything. An old grouse has numerous tricks up his sleeve that have been honed by survival. The end result is a bird that can be very difficult for a dog to handle, live in the most miserable of places, and are difficult to get a shot at. No, I did not say they were difficult to hit but they are difficult to get an ethical shot at. It is the quest of the grand master that is the essence of the game and a real grouse dog makes it so much sweeter.
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