Grouse Feathers

How does it go Spiller's book is a fun and engaging read - his intelligence, wit and observational skills make this a great read for any upland game hunter, or any hunter for that matter.

His writing style is a bit dated as a result of the time period he lived and wrote in, but he still conveys his thoughts and experiences in a meaningful way. The only negative about the physical book is that it's big and the type is also very big and somewhat clumsy to read. I can see reading myself getting this book out again a year from now and reading it again! Having only hunted grouse twice, but being a hunter and around hunting dogs and hunting all of my life, Spiller's books are jewels of literature to be treasured through out the generations.

I have experienced the joy of time afield with special hunting partners two- and four-legged and have made wonderful memories. Spiller recounts hunts and hunting partners in a conversational tone that makes you feel like you are sharing a spot around the campfire or the hearth, after a day in the woods.

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Very warm, comfortable, friendly writing. I can't wait to read "More Grouse Feathers," and re-read his books!

For those that understand the joy of watching a good dog work birds this book is a must read. The pursuit of feathered upland game be they pheasant in the Midwest, quail in the southwest or grouse in the northeast is about much much more than coming home with something for the pot.

It is the time in the outdoors, the partnership of man and dog and the challenge of the wary and wise bird that makes it all worthwhile.

If you love it or are curious of it this is the Author to read. This wonderful books contains recountings of stories, anecdotes, information, and eternal wisdom about grouse hunting in New England and about life.

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Spiller was an avid grouse and woodcock hunter in New England prior to WWII, and he recounts many of the funny stories, strange people, and passes on some of his hard earned grouse-hunting wisdom to future generations of hunters in this book. In the years since this book was originally written, grouse hunting surprisingly hasn't changed a whole lot. The birds generally aren't quite as prevalent, and it may take a little more effort and driving to find that secluded spot, but anyone who has been toting a shooting iron through the woods for hours anticipating a few seconds of excitement at the flapping wings of a thunderchicken will enjoy this book.

This book is easy to read, and Spiller's writing style is such that you feel he is sitting right beside you talking to you about his lifetime of experience - there isn't really a single plot line, the recounting just meanders about as Spiller talks about this subject and that, all the while the reader wishes he or she could get out into the woods at least that is what I kept thinking about.

Robert Ruark, Gordon MacQuarrie, etc. Decent, but not something that one is likely to read over and over again. I think the other three 5-star ratings overrate this a bit. Get to Know Us. Not Enabled Word Wise: Enabled Average Customer Review: Be the first to review this item Would you like to tell us about a lower price? Delivery and Returns see our delivery rates and policies thinking of returning an item? See our Returns Policy. Visit our Help Pages. Red birds are better camouflaged on a forest floor of predominantly oak leaves, and gray birds are less conspicuous on snow — hence the geographic separation.

Interestingly, grouse in the relatively moist climates of west of the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific northwest can demonstrate some of the deepest hues of red, and birds of the west more arid climates in the intermountain west are often very light gray. However, other researchers believe that color phase of the bird may be tied to its physiological response to cold.

For example, gray phase screech owls are more common in the northern parts of their range than red phase screech owls, and it has been shown that gray phase owls are more capable of withstanding cold temperatures. The same may be true of ruffed grouse. Although somewhat subjective, there are five color phases typically recognized for ruffed grouse, and these are determined by the color of the tail feathers. All of these color phases are designed to blend in with the local surroundings.

These birds are virtually always males — I have found only two brown-phase females in my 29 years at the NGWH. At the NGWH, two brown-phase females were harvested from the same team on the second hunt day.

One bird was an adult female, and the other an immature female. Never in the history of the Hunt have two brown-phase females been harvested in the same year. The odds against a single team harvesting two brown-phase females the same day are astronomical.