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Hi,
Thanks for that info Darrell. I think the spruce hens were "off limits" because they tended to be a bit more tame, and so easy to target. But I'm not sure of the exact reason why. Regardless, grouse are very tasty. Used to stuff them with cooked brown and wild rice, loaded up with butter, and wrapped the bird in streaky baccon. Then, wrap in foil and roast in the oven. Yum!
- Jeff
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I believe that management of the prairie chicken is more or less up to the states in the US. Here in MN, there is a limited hunting season on them (greater prairie chickens). There is a population estimated at around 1100-2000 in MN. 182 permits are issued and roughly 100 birds have been harvested per year since 2003. The feathers are very close to a female ringneck pheasant and also a sharptail grouse which should be relatively easy to obtain. I have never seen a skin offered commercially but I believe there are also limited hunting seasons on them in the Dakotas and Mo. If you could find someone who had a permit, you might ask them to save you some feathers. I actually have skins from ruffed, sharptail, blue and English red grouse and they are all wonderful fly tying materials. I would like to add a sage or a spruce to the collection but I have never seen them offered anywhere even though they are hunted in various states in the US. The MN DNR says that 10-20 thousand spruce grouse are taken each year in MN but none of my many friends who hunt grouse here have ever taken one (at least not when I ask).