Prairie Chickens

Here in the East we don't have wild Prairie Chickens but on a TV hunting program they showed them as having beautiful barred feathers. Why don't I ever see their plumage mentioned in fly recipes? Are their skins commercially available? :?:

Hi Ray,

I was unfamiliar with the bird so I did a Google
search. I agree, pretty bird with some very nice
plumage. It appears that they have greatly declined
in numbers in recent years and efforts were made to
protect them but I was unable to determine if there
were still any open seasons on them. Hopefully
someone knowledgeable will respond. Warm regards,
Jim

There is still a short season on them in Oklahoma, although their range is pretty limited.
Steve

They have become pretty scarce. The MO Dept. of Conservation follows the activity of the preservation programs. There's the Greater prairie chickens and Lesser prairie chickens.

Here's the Audobon Society page for the Greater Prairie Chicken... *PROTECTED*
http://audubon2.org/webapp/watchlist...cies.jsp?id=91

And for the Lesser Prairie Chicken... *Candidate for protection*
http://audubon2.org/webapp/watchlist...ies.jsp?id=122

:)

Prarie Chicken would be great to have for tying. They are greatly reduced in their numbers and range so I don't think you'll see any skins for sale. They are still hunted in some states so that would probably be your only chance.

Another bird which we do have in California I would also like to get a skin from is the Sage Grouse. It also is near threatened status but there still is hunting in some areas by drawing. I do know where there are a lot of them here in California and I have put in the drawing many times but never got tags. I believe the Sage Grouse is a little bigger than a Prarie Chicken. Here's a picture of one:

SAGE GROUSE
http://69.13.183.73/pics/sagegrouse_500.jpg

Note the interesting variety of feathers on the Sage Grouse.

If you're looking for a good source of barred feathers, the spruce grouse has a good supply - and the bird is in abundance (conservation status : least concern).

The hen has a great supply of barred feathers - moreso than the rooster. However, the rooster has other plumage colors that are just what the fly-supply pile deserves.

The birds are available throughout the continent - just look for a good thick spruce grove.

Hi,
Isn't the spruce grouse protected, but you can hunt the rough grouse? When I lived in Nova Scotia (up until about 10 years ago) that was the case. The two look very similar, so the feathers of either would be very useful.

- Jeff

You can get Hungarian Partridge and Sharp Tail Grouse skins from [url=http://www.flytyingfurs.com:41f0f]Coffin Creek Furs[/url:41f0f]

Next Saturday (the 14th), pheasant season opens up here. The guy I'm going with said there are plenty of pheasant, grouse, and prarie chickens where we are going.

I WILL be saving all skins to trade on here for other tying materials. :D

I'll get my bench stocked yet!

Jeff - nope - In Manitoba, the Spruce, Ruffed and Sharp Tails are all open game during season - limits of 6 each a day mid Sept thru mid Dec.

The reasoning NS might have had moratoriums are that as grouse are sometimes called prairie chickens (generic tag) - they got confused and headed west .... :)

All ribbing aside, either/or bird does indeed have a good supply of feathers - and the meat is ...... (ok - gotta stop - still a couple hrs to din-din) .......

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

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).