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Capercaillie at the mating ground. Every spring, the Putorana Plateau hosts a trophy goose hunt, and elsewhere in the country, the capercaillie hunting season opens. Experienced hunters eagerly await the opening of the mating grounds to try to find the mating grounds and spend the time with great excitement and interest.
A hunting enthusiast who finds a lek doesn't always reveal the secret of their discovery to friends, colleagues, and family. This bird can remain in its breeding habitat for years, and sometimes decades, allowing it to harvest large quantities of trophy game each year.
Features of the bird
Why "wood grouse"? These birds got their name for a reason. During mating season, when males display their mating lekking, they appear deaf. These birds have other names, such as the black grouse, the black grouse, the black grouse, and the imperial grouse. Males weigh up to 5-6 kg, and females up to 3 kg.
Appearance
Like many feathered creatures, roosters are very attractive and beautiful. By fluffing up their graceful, large tails, the male attracts females. Females are very subdued in color, sometimes even fading to the naked eye of hunters.
Males:
They are particularly distinguished by their long black tail. It can be somewhat reminiscent of a peacock's, as it also fan-like.
· The bright black head has red eyebrows and a bluish-black beard.
· The wings are brown in color, slightly different from the overall color of the bird.
· The same can be said about the breast, on which is located the crop, which has a metallic green tint.
· The back and neck of the wood grouse are colored gray and ash-gray.
Females:
Females are less distinctive. They are not as noticeable or expressive as males. Female capercaillie are earthy yellowish-brown in color, covered with black speckles.
How to find a mating ground?
The wood grouse is a permanent resident of the forest, living in the same places. Migration may occur when food supplies in the area run out.
The wood grouse's diet includes berries, buds, and roots. If grain crops are nearby, they will indulge in grain, wheat, and oats. In winter, wood grouse gather in flocks and occupy nearby trees. In freezing temperatures, they burrow into the snow and wait until warmer weather arrives.
Hunters can locate the mating ground by following the tracks left behind. Small footsteps and the trail of fluffed wings dragging along the ground will indicate the precise direction. For nesting, females prefer dead coniferous trees located in marshy areas.
Matryoshka hunting, a traditional Russian tradition
This pastime was enjoyed by most of the wealthy population in the spring. Since ancient times, catching a wood grouse at a mating ground has been considered a great success. Hunting for game during the mating season is a source of great excitement and interest.
A hunter who has secured a trophy deserves universal respect. This requires a great deal of energy and effort. Wood grouse meat can later be used to prepare delicious, healthy delicacies. Hunters make stuffed animals from the remaining remains, which serve as a reminder of the trophy they have taken.
Types of lek hunting
The entire hunting process is divided into three stages:
1. Warm-up (warm-up), refers to the first, since only males gather at the mating area, waiting for their females.
2. Active, after their mates arrive, polygamous roosters begin to sort things out and fight over the most attractive female. During this time, they fluff up their tails, stretch their necks, lower their wings, and engage in combat.
3. The final one: the hens have flown away, but the roosters remain. They crow, enjoying life.
The second stage, when everyone is assembled, is considered the most successful time. The mating males become deaf and allow hunters to approach within shooting range. This makes the wood grouse hunt successful and yields a trophy.
Briefly about the main thing
Although the bird loses its vigilance and becomes deaf during mating season, hunting should not be taken lightly. To locate the mating area, hunters spend their evenings in the forest, eavesdropping on the activity.
When the males begin singing, it allows you to locate the lekking area. Don't try to hunt right away in the dark. It's better to go to the lekking area early in the morning and prepare an ambush site. Then, you can harvest some decent game.
