Another question for you Prairie Grouse Bio's...

[steve sutton]

and frequent hunters...

attached is a photo taken a couple of days ago in Montana....not my picture and I don't know, nor did I ask, for specific location....

The person that took the picture said there were approx. 30 Grouse "dancing" with most of them being males.....the Grouse were dancing and he said that he saw several "flghts" between males...

I've seen Turkeys strut, and gobble, in the fall and have also heard Ruffed Grouse and Spruce Grouse "drum" in the fall but don't have a whole lot of experience with "prairie grouse" and was wondering how common this "Fall lexxing activity" is.....I have read that they winter in "proximity of" their leks but hadn't ever heard that they actually congregated and displayed in the Fall and was "curious" as to the frequency...

Thanks,

Steve

 

[MThuntr]

I've read, but have not seen, that sharptails will flock up in the fall on/near the lekking sites to establish spring breeding territory/dominance. It's supposedly something that younger males do since the older males likely already established their dominance.

 

[mtmiller]

Not that unusual. I have seen both sage and sharpies sitting on leks in the fall, but have never seen much aggressiveness or displaying like in the picture. Pretty cool.

 

[Wally Dog]

Sun time, similar to spring breeding season.
WD

 

[steve sutton]

thanks for the responses...

Johnsgard referencees it in his Grouse of the World I was told......a "boys club" only thing with the young males sorting out dominance and learning the lek locations.....neat stuff...

thanks again for the responses.


Steve