636 
FOREST AND STREAM 
November, 1918 
By ARCHIBALD RUTLEDGE 
Decorations from Drawings by Edmund Osthaus 
3 
T HE man who likes to take a day off in the 
autumn to range the woods for the ruffed 
grouse is not likely to have a bird-dog trained 
on grouse. Some regular grouse-hunters have such 
dogs; but the average man who loves the recreation 
of the woods has not. However, his lack in that 
respect need be no discouragement to him; indeed, 
from some viewpoints it is a positive advantage to 
have no dog in the woods. I mention some of the 
reasons for this: even the best dog is noisy in the 
woods, and thus he puts all game on guard against 
the approaching hunter; unless the dog be of the 
best type, his hunting of grouse will be a haphazard 
matter; unless the country be of a suitable nature, 
and unless the grouse happen to be in a mood 
to lie to the dog, there may be great difficulty in 
securing shots over points. While I do not deny 
the companionship of a dog in the woods, he is not 
always desirable. Still-hunting with him is not 
possible; and it is of still-hunting Sir Ruffneck 
that I want to speak. 
Grouse and Bobwhite 
I T is a much easier matter to still-hunt the ruffed 
grouse than it is to still-hunt quail. Indeed, 
where the cover of fields is heavy, the latter task 
is impossible. I have heard men say that they 
could do it successfully; but I believe they must 
have had a few pet covies, “gentled’’ to come to a 
whistle and to eat out of the hand. When the frost- 
blackened ragweed is knee-high and the dry foxtail 
grass has arched over, it is often a hopeless matter 
to find and to follow quail. Besides, hunting quail 
without a dog has no advantages. Most men get 
as much enjoyment out of watching the action of 
the dogs in the field as they do in tramping the 
fields and bagging the game. Some mu ft get their 
sport out of watching the dogs; for they find it im¬ 
possible to bag the game. But still-hunting the 
grouse is practicable even for the man whose work 
does not permit him to become thoroughly ac¬ 
quainted with all the remarkable characteristics of 
this extraordinary bird. 
Following the Drum 
T HE ruffed grouse drums at all seasons of the 
year. This sound is probably a love call and 
a challenge to rivals. It may be compared to 
the strutting of the turkey; we know the odd sound 
that the gobbler emits when at the zenith of his 
bombastic strut. Sometimes the drum of Sir Ruff¬ 
neck is, I think, merely an expression of his feeling 
of lordship over the lesser creature of creation. 
This is probably what it means in the autumn. This 
expression of superiority on his part permits man 
to take a fall out of his pride; for, after a little 
experience, one can follow the drum, locate the 
grouse, and probably get a shot at the prince of the 
-V 
