THE GROUSE 



Within the territorial scope of this work there are 

 seven species of the grouse family, though only four of 

 these are in any way common. As the wild turkey is 

 confined to the southern extremity of the Pacific Coast 

 hunting grounds, so are the grouse principally found 

 in the northern sections. I have met with a few dusky 

 grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) in the mountains of 

 Arizona, but they are by no means plentiful. There 

 were a few and possibly is yet an occasional sooty 

 grouse (Dendragapus obscurus fuliginosus) in the moun- 

 tains of southern California, but grouse in sufficient 

 numbers to furnish any kind of sport are not found 

 much south of Yosemite valley in the Sierras, or south 

 of Humboldt county in the Coast range. An occasional 

 pair or small flock, however, may be met with consid- 

 erable south of the points named. 



The grouse is a northern bird, extending into far 

 colder regions than any other subfamily of the gal- 

 linaceous group. The ptarmigan, of course, are grouse. 



THE SOOTY GROUSE 

 (Dendragapus obscurus fuliginosus) 



The sooty grouse, commonly called blue grouse by 

 the sportsmen of California, are reasonably plentiful in 

 the Sierras from the Yosemite north into Oregon, where 

 they are quite plentiful, and from there through Wash- 

 ington into Alaska. It is a mountain dweller, being 

 found at altitudes fully 9000 feet above the sea. In 

 the winter it descends to lower latitudes, but seldom 

 below 3000 feet. It is naturally a confiding bird where 

 it has not been hunted much, and for this reason has 

 been given the name, "fool hen," in many localities. 

 But like most of the feathered tribe, it soon learns the 

 destructiveness of man, and after gaining this knowl- 

 edge it is quite able to take care of itself. When flushed 

 it flies with a cackling sound, generally taking refuge 

 in the tall pines, where it is an expert hider. In the 

 nesting season it produces a drumming sound and struts 

 like a turkey. This drumming is produced by inflating 

 an air sack on each side of the neck. Later in the sea- 

 son these sacks dry up and nearly disappear. It's only 

 migrations are ascending and descending the mountains 

 with the seasons. 



According to a published statement of the Section of 

 Biological Survey of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, the food of the sooty grouse consists of 

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