Ruffed Grouse and Scolopax Minor hunting in Canada
Published On: Gennaio 6, 2024

Ruffed Grouse and Scolopax Minor hunting in Canada!

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean there is a place that is the kingdom of undisputed and uncontaminated nature: the ideal setting for your hunting adventures.

Not surprisingly, hunting in Canada is considered a way of life and together with fishing it is a must for those who love to experience nature at 360°.

Among dense, immense forests and streams, hunting in Canada always gives beyond words emotions, especially to the hunter who loves hunting with his pointing dog venturing in search of the Canadian woodcock: the Scolopax Minor.

Scolopax Minor, the Canadian woodcock and the coveted Ruffed Grouse

Widespread mainly in south-eastern Canada, the Canadian woodcock prefers dense forests of maple and birch trees. Migrant in the North American sub-continent, the Scolopax Minor arrived in Canada from the Bering Strait from a common ancestor of the Eurasian woodcock and then evolved into a proper species.

Furthermore, it is visibly smaller than its Eurasian elder sister with its characteristic reddish color plumage. It has a rapid and fast flight maintaining the characteristic “candle or column” flight when undermined by the dog in a steady pointing.

It keeps position under dog pointing, sometimes stalking to escape the dog, but when it feels safe, it stops by focusing on mimicry putting dog and hunter in the best conditions for the final shot.

Thanks to the purity of these places and the oxygen-rich air that inebriates the mind, everything becomes easier: walk, reason, hunt. Dogs deal with the emanations with determination and confidence and every corner of the forest is an experience to be lived in one breath.

The Ruffed Grouse

It is an environment populated not only by woodcocks, but also by a grouse of disarming beauty: the Ruffed Grouse. This bird loves to stalk and stay hidden. With a particular repeal, it reveals its presence by repeatedly flapping its wings almost like a drum : it’s very exciting –goosebumps when in the most total silence you feel it flying.

Physical Description: Ruffed Grouse are medium-sized birds, about the size of a small chicken, with a plump body and a short, slightly curved bill. They have mottled brown, black, and grey plumage that acts as excellent camouflage in forest environments. Their most distinctive feature is the dark ruff of feathers around their neck, which can be displayed and fanned out during mating displays.

• Habitat: These birds prefer mixed or deciduous forests with dense underbrush, where they can find cover and feed on buds, leaves, fruits, seeds, and insects. They’re found throughout Canada and the northern parts of the United States.
• Behavior: Ruffed Grouse are generally solitary birds. They spend much of their time foraging on the forest floor, using their excellent camouflage to evade predators. They are skilled flyers, capable of explosive takeoffs and rapid, twisting flights through the trees to evade threats.
• Courtship Display: During the breeding season, male Ruffed Grouse perform courtship displays known as “drumming.” They create a rhythmic thumping sound by beating their wings against the air, which sounds like a low drumroll. This display is primarily to attract females and establish territory.
• Hunting: Ruffed Grouse are a popular game bird among hunters due to their challenging nature and delicious meat. They’re typically hunted with shotguns, especially in the fall when their population peaks and before the winter snows make hunting more challenging.
• Conservation Status: The Ruffed Grouse population faces some threats, including habitat loss due to deforestation and changes in forest composition. However, their populations remain relatively stable in Canada, and they are not currently listed as a threatened species.

Overall, the Ruffed Grouse is an iconic bird of the Canadian and North American forests, valued for its role in the ecosystem and its significance in hunting traditions.

Pursue her with the pointing dog is really exciting, dogs with great balance and a fine sense of smell are needed.

Enrico had the opportunity to realize the hunting trip he dreamed of since he was a child, leaving to Canada.
Spending a few days of hunting in these immense forests allowed him to relive in a few moments a life made of passion for hunting.

Read Enrico’s story about his Scolopax Minor hunting experience in Canada.

Enrico’s trip to Canada

Just “Canada” as a name reminds me of adventures, nature and wildlife.

I have hunted woodcocks in many places, from Crimea to Scotland to Bulgaria to Russia”, but I assure you that hunting the Scolopax Minor in Canada is the completion of a dream for woodcock hunting lovers.

Not expressly for the game bag, which, considered the high concentration of Canadian woodcocks, could appeal to even the most respectful hunter: it is to serve your auxiliary to the first experience on this species that gives emotions.

The experiences lived in my trip to Canada have certainly not disregarded the expectations I had since childhood about this magnificent country: walking with your dog in a Canadian forest, knowing that you could soon meet such a fascinating wild, stimulate a unique adrenaline flow in the hunter.

I approach Attila, an encounter Pointer (in a cynophile jargon) like few others, the place is the right one, a maple forest that paints the surrounding nature with yellow, green and red.

I know Attila and when it stops like that he doesn’t make a mistake: I firmly grab my 828U Beccaccia, I move slowly among ferns and shrubs, beside Attila and whisper to him “here we are, my old friend, now it’s my turn”.

Over and under shotgun Benelli 828 U Beccaccia

Honoring this action is a photo with Attila and our first Canadian woodcock. I sit down and wait for him to bring it back. Attila arrives and leaves the dream in my hands. What else to add? I wish all dog hunting lovers to experience these emotions.”