Dusky grouse
Scientific name: Dendragapus obscurus
- How weight is recorded: Whole weight
Field notes
Appearance
Males are dark slate-gray with inflatable neck sacs (orange-yellow) visible during displays; females are mottled brown-gray. Both sexes show white spots on undertail coverts and lack the sharp neck markings of ruffed grouse.
Size and weight
Males 450–530 g, females 350–420 g; body length 40–51 cm (males larger and longer-tailed).
Habitat
Dusky grouse inhabit coniferous and mixed-conifer forests from sea level to alpine treeline, favoring Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and spruce-fir zones with understory shrub cover. They use open meadows and clearings for feeding and dense forest for roosting and escape.
Distribution
Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains from British Columbia south through Washington, Oregon, and California to the Sierra Nevada; also interior ranges of Idaho and Montana. Prefer higher elevations in southern portions of range.
Diet
Seasonal generalist: needles and buds of conifers dominate winter diet; spring and summer diet shifts to forbs, berries, insects, and green vegetation.
Behaviour
Primarily crepuscular with peak activity at dawn and dusk; solitary or in loose pairs outside breeding season. Males remain in home ranges year-round; females and young exhibit localized movements tied to seasonal food availability.
Hunting tips
Listen for soft hooting calls and flushing birds from dense cover; look for droppings (small, dark pellets) and dusting areas in open patches. Approach slowly through mid-story conifers with wind in your face; birds often hold tight or flush upward through branches rather than running. Early morning hunts in transitional zones between forest and meadow are most productive.
Whole weight
This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.
Where it is hunted
Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.
Names in other languages
Current language: en
These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.