Sharp-tailed grouse?

[hogsucker]

While walking a trail looking for a Ruffed Grouse to shoot yesterday, I had an encounter with a strange bird. This was North of Two Harbors. Edge of a swamp, old snowmobile trail with scattered smallish popple and balsam. The trail had tall grass at it's edges. This bird took off out of the tall grasses and flew into a tree limb 20' off the ground. Sounded somewhat like a Ruffed Grouse when it flew, but had distinct white markings on its' tail. So I didn't shoot. It was about the size of a Ruff, brownish in color, looked chickenish I think. It "coo'd" strangely then let out a few sharp aiiieek! calls before flying off, I think into another, larger tree. Are there any Sharp-tailed Grouse in this area? Seems like it matches the description. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

By the way, it was just barely dawn when I spotted it.

[Steve Foss]

Sure could be. There are sharpies in some places on the Range. Only other likely possibility is spruce grouse, but they are a lot darker than the bird you described.

[hogsucker]

Thanks, stfcatfish. I guess I didn't know how common a Sharp-tail was in this area. Still cool to see one! ~hogsucker

[BuckRuttinFool]

it's not uncommon to see a sharp tail up in that area...we have them all over in the international falls area too.

[hobbydog]

Doesn't sound like a sharptail. They make a much different sound....say bup-bup-bup....bup-bup-bup real fast. Also, it is probably unlikely that it would flush up into a tree. I flushed a lot of them and never had one go to a tree. Not that they don't sit in trees as they often do, just that when they flush they will sometimes fly a short distance but become very wild in a hurry. I have seen them flush hundreds of yards away and fly out of sight. Also you tend to see them in coveys at this time of year.