They are usually killed by the plainsmen who 

 stumble on them while hunting or traveling. 



As one moves towards the Western mountains, 

 climbing up from the land of the sage-brush to the 

 everlasting snow, you at last reach the hunter's 

 paradise — the "park lands." The parks usually 

 lie near timber line, and consist of beautiful glades 

 and openings in the forest. This is the land of 

 running water; of grand mountains, and geune. 

 Among the parks the hunter will find bear, wapati, 

 black-tail deer, and the blue grouse. Blue grouse 

 are rarely molested. In the mountains where they 

 are found in great numbers, they are seldom mo- 

 lested, as big game is also plenty ; the hunter desist- 

 ing from grouse shooting lest he drive larger game 

 from his neighborhood. 



Along the Pacific coast grouse shooting is a 

 favorite sport. This bird is larger tlian the ruffled 

 grouse, and of a dark, blueish-gray color. A cock 

 blue grouse that the writer killed in the Cascade 

 Mountciins, weighed five pounds. 



The blue grouse is a tree loving bird, and 

 spends most of its time during the winter in the tops 

 of large trees. This probably accounts for its not 

 growing a snow-shoe, like the ruffled grouse. It 

 feeds early in the morning and at dusk. At sunrise 

 it takes its bath in some sandy spot, where the sun 

 strikes ; and thi? is the time to be afield. With a 

 good dog, these mornmg tramps through the grassy 

 glades, where the dogs show Vv'hite against the dark 

 hills, will never be forgotten. 



66 



