Ruffed Grouse in Hunterdon County?

[BenedictGomez]

The fact a few people thought it was a Thrush made it dawn on me there's no way to tell scale from that video given Thrush are very small, but this was a pretty large bird.   About the same size as a crow, perhaps a touch bigger.

So maybe not a ruffed grouse, but with very similar coloration including the mottled brown/white belly.  Brown Thrasher might be the correct answer if it was just an unusually large one.

[hunterbob1]

On 7/4/2022 at 9:53 PM, Gunsmoke said:

I've gone longer than that.

Me too circa 1990 Union valley rd and Gould road in Newfoundland also timber Doodles there.

[Michael Britt]

1 hour ago, BenedictGomez said:

The fact a few people thought it was a Thrush made it dawn on me there's no way to tell scale from that video given Thrush are very small, but this was a pretty large bird.   About the same size as a crow, perhaps a touch bigger.

So maybe not a ruffed grouse, but with very similar coloration including the mottled brown/white belly.  Brown Thrasher might be the correct answer if it was just an unusually large one.

The Brown Thrasher looked unusually large because it was fluffed up taking a dirt bath.

[Bucksnbows]

52 minutes ago, hunterbob1 said:

Me too circa 1990 Union valley rd and Gould road in Newfoundland also timber Doodles there.

I grew up very near there. It was the first place I hunted wild birds with my best friend and our dads. Shot at many grouse and woodcock back in the late 70s and well into the late 80s. Killed a few too. Lots of houses now. It was also stocked with pheasants for a time. Shot my first there in fact. 

[hunterbob1]

8 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

I grew up very near there. It was the first place I hunted wild birds with my best friend and our dads. Shot at many grouse and woodcock back in the late 70s and well into the late 80s. Killed a few too. Lots of houses now. It was also stocked with pheasants for a time. Shot my first there in fact. 

They were good times Brian! Reason I hunted there was because of my friend had an uncle who lived there. He had a barn in the back a rock and roll group used to practice there. I think the pheasant were across the road along the powerline Fields but I've never seen one. I harvested a few deer there, a lot of hours they were sparse. Shell station in the middle of the highway was a deer-checking station, there was a local fire company House nearby that used to drive the s*** out of that land!

[hunterbob1]

20 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

I grew up very near there. It was the first place I hunted wild birds with my best friend and our dads. Shot at many grouse and woodcock back in the late 70s and well into the late 80s. Killed a few too. Lots of houses now. 

No desire to drive down that road they call progress, would make me angry. I'll live longer cherishing the good times an the memories!

[Bucksnbows]

1 hour ago, hunterbob1 said:

They were good times Brian! Reason I hunted there was because of my friend had an uncle who lived there. He had a barn in the back a rock and roll group used to practice there. I think the pheasant were across the road along the powerline Fields but I've never seen one. I harvested a few deer there, a lot of hours they were sparse. Shell station in the middle of the highway was a deer-checking station, there was a local fire company House nearby that used to drive the s*** out of that land!

Never forget the Mountain Rest Tavern!  We used to shoot at the range and then go to the bar with our fathers. Dad would let us eat chili and drink near beer while he and the other dads tossed back a cold Bud or two. We were living large in the 70s! 

[Jim_]

Last one I saw was next to the Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg. Late 1990s

[Jerzguy2]

13 hours ago, hunterbob1 said:

No desire to drive down that road they call progress, would make me angry. I'll live longer cherishing the good times an the memories!

Precisely my feeling,  the great memories of the 60's and wild pheasants on every unposted piece of property, not to mention the grouse on every brushy hillside. 

[JFC1]

20-30 years ago I'd see a lot in southern Hunterdon

[huntyctyboy]

its a brown thrasher for sure all puffed up. used to see lots r. grouse on cushetunk mtn around say 25 years ago. stokes state forest best bet to see them nowadays I would think.

[Bucksnbows]

20 minutes ago, huntyctyboy said:

its a brown thrasher for sure all puffed up. used to see lots r. grouse on cushetunk mtn around say 25 years ago. stokes state forest best bet to see them nowadays I would think.

Yes, Stokes, Flatbrook-Roy, Newark Watershed, Waywayanda, and others. Water Gap is another holdout. 

[tpr1921]

I shot 2 in my life and those were over 30 years ago in Gloucester County. Shame they are all gone.

[Citori]

Mostly gone now but they can still to be found in places few and far between.  It’s all about habitat.  Get the habitat and you will get the birds.  The work they are doing at Sparta Mt. is a start but need a lot more to be done.  At least fish & game decided to leave them as a game species with a closed season rather then declare them endangered like bobcats. Plenty of bobcats now but still classified as “endangered”

[Michael Britt]

31 minutes ago, Citori said:

Mostly gone now but they can still to be found in places few and far between.  It’s all about habitat.  Get the habitat and you will get the birds.  The work they are doing at Sparta Mt. is a start but need a lot more to be done.  At least fish & game decided to leave them as a game species with a closed season rather then declare them endangered like bobcats. Plenty of bobcats now but still classified as “endangered”

Next downgrade would be to "threatened."