When trying to think about what to write about this week an unusual encounter with a grouse came to mind. It was a few years ago and I was taking an ATV ride deep in the West Virginia woods. It was during this time of year when the leaves were falling and hunting season was in full swing.
It was a typical fall day and I was admiring the colorful leaves while riding out the top of a ridge. As I started down the hill and old logging road, I had to maneuver over some water breaks and take it slow. I made it half way down and was nearing the creek bottom when all of a sudden something hit me in the back of the head. I thought a limb had fell out of a tree as the hit was so hard my chin touched my chest.
Startled, I immediately stopped and looked around to see what had happened. It was in a logged area and no trees were close for it to be a limb falling. Still dazed, something caught my eye and when I turned to look there was a grouse standing there. No way, I thought to myself. I just got flogged in the back of a head by a grouse. Nobody will ever believe this.
I turned the ATV off and proceeded to walk towards the dive bombing grouse. It just stood there. I picked up a rock and threw it at the bird but missed. It was standing there looking at me so I threw another rock and just barely missed this time. Alright, I’ll teach you, I thought to myself as I picked up a rock the size of a softball. I threw it like a shot-put and it landed right on top of its head. The grouse started flopping and I finished him off.
Grouse season was in so I cleaned the bird all the while shaking my head thinking nobody is ever going to believe this story. I called Tara on the cell phone and told her what had just transpired and she couldn’t believe it either although I had dinner to prove it.
It doesn’t end there though. I loaded the grouse into my back pack I had strapped to the front rack and started back towards the truck. While riding along I ran into another fellow that wanted to stop and talk. We were just having a normal conversation about the beautiful day, weather and what not when all of a sudden he looks at me and said “Yea, I have a pet pheasant that lives up the hollow”. Hmmm, ok, I thought to myself. Maybe this guy has a pet pheasant at his house because I know people get grouse and pheasants confused sometimes. “Oh really” I replied. “I go up and check on him about every day” the older gentleman went on to say. “I take him a little bit of cracked corn and if I don’t see him he’ll flog me in the back of the head”.
I felt two inches tall as I realized I had killed this fellow’s pet “pheasant” as he was calling it. He kept talking and going on and on about it and I couldn’t even look at him by then. I glanced down to make sure there wasn’t any blood on my hands as I shook a feather off.
I cut the conversation short after that and quickly made my way to the truck. I had cleaned the bird right in the old logging road and was certain the poor guy would see the feathers. I honestly felt horrible about it for a few days. My, getting flogged in the back of the head by a wild grouse then killing it with a rock story went all to heck after I ran into that man
I wish I never crossed paths with him but it sure made for a good story. I can’t make this stuff up. I still haven’t been back to that spot because I’m afraid I might see him again. You just never know what might happen in the West Virginia outdoors.
I’ve had some strange encounters over the years, but this one is at the top of the list.