It seems that in early summer Harry was clearing 
brush convenient to the private gateway when this adult 
grouse walked over towards him and displayed great 
interest in the work being done, just as any normal 
sidewalk superintendent should. A little later that 
day Harry returned with wild bird seed and soon estab¬ 
lished complete rapport by feeding, and the bird would 
come out of the nearby woods when he called it with 
soft clucking sounds. All through the summer the 
grouse would climb up on his knee, shoulders, hand, 
and even pick out seed from his pockets. If there 
seemed to be a tardiness on the part of the donor in 
supplying seed, a few smart taps by the beak on Harry's 
ear or neck would soon produce results. A picture I 
have of the grouse perched on Harry's head shows just 
how trusting the close, mutual friendship had developed. 
Fall came, the hunting season opened, and the bird 
suddenly disappeared. Whether or not it was shot, died, 
or reverted to normal wild habits may never be known. 
Neighbours in the surrounding area were unaware of any 
young grouse being reared and tamed in local captivity, 
so there appears to be no plausible explanation for the 
tameness of this particular bird. It might be that 
having lost her brood of chicks, an overly strong 
maternal instinct had developed. Mr. Trowse, an 
experienced deer hunter, claims that during a lifetime 
spent in the woods this encounter with his little 
feathered friend will always remain a most pleasant 
memory of how wild life can reconcile itself with man. 
As Harry proudly boasts, it is not every man who can 
claim that he was adopted by a grouse and taken under 
its protective wings. 
29 
