Parker and Last Season's Grouse

[Bruce Day]

Memories of a great last season with good friends Charlie Herzog, Dick Dow, Tom Wooden, Rich Flanders and Pete Kappes far north of Bemidji, Minnesota. This nice grouse was particularly light colored, a golden grouse as called there.

The Parker is a 1910 DHE 20 gauge with original 24 inch barrels, given to the buyer's fiancée just before Christmas. The gift was successful and she hunted with it until into her 80's. Maybe I will be so fortunate.

The lanyard is special, the lanyard itself a gift from Charlie Herzog, the flush counter from Pete Kappes and the silver Acme Thunderer whistle from Rich Flanders....it was his grandfather's.

After the far north, we went south to Jerry Havel's inestimable Pine Ridge Grouse Camp. Superb accomodations, a fine northwoods menu and great friends.

[Dean Romig]

Nice memories and keepsakes Bruce.

The color phases of the ruffed grouse are very interesting.
In VT we have the gray phase, the brown phase ("golden" in the upper Midwest) and a combination of the two, e.g., gray phase with a brown tail.

[John Havard]

Very nice Bruce. I've only hunted ruffed grouse a few times but I'd shoot a higher percentage if I could get them to stand still like that one!

Thanks for sharing.

[Bruce Day]

In Minnesota, there are two predominate color phases, gray and brown. I had this brown phase bird mounted because at least by Minnesota standards, it is unusually light for a brown phase bird, this light variation is often called golden.

Another uncommon variation is a gray phase bird with red tail. If I am fortunate to get one of those and it is a nice bird, I will have that mounted.