"Ruffed Grouse are elegant, tenacious, and fascinating.  And for devoted grouse hunters, the allure of the bird is compounded by the difficulties they present.  They are sometimes difficult to find, often difficult to flush with any predictability, and always difficult to hit.  Of these difficulties, wingshooters have no control over the birds' flushing talents - there is simply no way to predict a flush or a flight path.  Even putting the birds into the air is difficult.  As they're hunted harder, they become escape artists, sometimes holding tight as a hunter passes by, and increasingly, running to safety and not flushing at all.  Shooting acumen can be honed, of course, but only so much, regardless of the hours spent at the range, or of the number of birds a hunter has flown and fired at.  Serious grouse hunters do practice and they do achieve proficiency, but luck is always a big factor."

Add to that wonderful description, taken from American Hunter Magazine, the adjectives hardy, wily, fast, clever, intelligent, powerful, majestic, and well, tasty, and you have the WV Ruffed Grouse.  The King & Rooster have been grouse hunting since the fall of 1996.  Since that time we have walked countless miles over countless ridge-tops and down countless valleys.  We have shot at these WV grouse coming at us, going away from us, and not shot at all at grouse that have flushed into thin air.  We have seen many grouse on a given day and we have seen no grouse for entire seasons.  That is grouse hunting in WV.  Lots of walking, long periods of inactivity followed by an occasional bursts of frantic - and damn difficult - shooting.  But we wouldn't have it any other way.  In the early days, grouse hunting was the main course in our outdoor diet and we had some decent success in bringing home some of that fine table-fare.  However, since that time, a combination of more duck hunting, lost access to some of our most successful grouse hunting grounds, and year after year of cool and wet springs (devastating young grouse broods), has meant that our successful grouse hunts have all but ceased.  We have managed to bring home 13 grouse since 1996, but none since fall 2001. 

In the early spring of 1998, the King got an English Setter and christened her Timber.  Bred as a bird dog, we spent the summer anticipating the endless points we would shoot over in the fall.  Perhaps putting too much pressure on her too fast and definitely expecting too much out of a growing puppy, we quickly came to find out that Timber's performance was to be a hunt-to-hunt patchwork of awe-inspiring points and frustrating horseplay.  But a maturing dog, maturing hunters, and a dedicated owner have allowed us over time to integrate Timber into a hunting style that now utilizes the strong points of this unique dog.  This has produced some of the most magnificent moments we have had afield.  The process of a point, shoot, and retrieve with a good dog is a truly noble experience. 

1996-1997

We could not have been less knowledgeable that first fall we went out to try to kill a grouse.  Poor gear, poor shooting skills, and poor tactics were the rule.  However, we started to learn pretty fast, and in February of 1997, through some good luck, we took our first game at an old abandoned strip mine.  We knew, however, that we had a long way to go before we would be able to find and take grouse on a consistent basis. 

2.02.97

The King with a shot of the first grouse - and the first bird of any kind - taken by the K&R.  We always like to laugh at the gear we had when we started; in this case it was overalls and the plaid shirt.

1998-1999

It took us almost two years to get another grouse after that first one in 1997.  In that time we had greatly improved our gear, tactics, and shooting.  We also had made many recon trips around the state looking for good grouse hunting areas and the King had acquired a bird dog.  After the long wait, all the work finally came together on one magical day.  In a couple of hours we increased our total grouse take by 300% by bringing home 3 grouse.  A week later, we went back to this same area and brought home another. 

1.23.99

One of the most famous pictures in the K&R inventory.  Unbelievably, after this picture was taken, the birds were mistakenly were left behind and we had to go back and get them just before a thunderstorm hit.

1.23.99

The Rooster and Timber with a shot of one of a trifecta of grouse taken on this special day.  Timber played a key role in giving us precious extra seconds to get ready for flushing birds. 

1.23.99

After walking so many miles without satisfaction, it was quite a feeling to see three grouse on the gate. 

1.30.99

A week later we came back and were rewarded with another bird.  Timber came through with a solid point and we took advantage. 

1.30.99

A great shot of the King with Timber.  The shot gives a good idea of the topography of the area.

1.30.99

Good picture of a grouse fan.  The bird was a little chewed up at this point, we let Timber know that when she performed, she was rewarded.

February 1999

There is just not a better table-fare than grouse.  Here is grouse prepared with biscuits and gravy. 
  

1999-2000

In fall of 1999, we wanted to build on the success of the previous year's grouse hunting trips.  Unfortunately, the area that gave us so much the year before was closed to grouse hunting so we had to look elsewhere.  While we got out a lot, we only had one success at the old faithful abandoned strip mine that had given us our first grouse.

12.11.99

The King displaying the fan of a grouse that took a wrong turn.  Timber flushed the bird right at us.

12.11.99

The Rooster cradling a rare prize.  

12.11.99

On of our favorite shots of a pre-morning fog rolling through a WV valley.  It was a good sign, as we took home a grouse on this day.   

December 1999

The circle is completed with a steaming bowl of grouse jambalaya.