Grouse?

[L.U.S.T.]

I was bow hunting Sunday in Spencer Co. I was hunting some seriously thick stuff when I spotted what I think is a grouse. I have seen these birds about three times in 10 yrs. of hunting Spencer Co. I have never doubted that they were grouse. When I got home I looked up Grouse season in the regs. I was curious if I could have shot it, for I was only a 10yrd shot. The regs don't mention anything about Spencer Co. and grouse. Is this because you cannot hunt them in Spencer, or are they not present there and I am mistaking another bird for them? Any help on this for my future reference would be appreciated.

[Valley Station]

It is ILLEGAL to kill a grouse in Spencer county. The Hunting Guide list the legal to hunt counties.
There were some grouse stockings in Bullit and Nelson counties, you may be seeing some expansion from those releases. Hope so.
You may want to call KY F&W and report your sighting and where they were seen.
There is nothing that looks like a grouse, except a grouse.
Was it or not?? Get a good look? You see it on the ground? Flush it?

[Birdman]

It would be nice if Spencer and other countys in the west had grouse, hope it happens.

[L.U.S.T.]

VS, After futher review of the regs. I agree with you. I got a good look at it on the groung nosing around. I am pretty sure it was a grouse. I was hen like, grey, brown, black and white. It had tail feathers spread out, showing the light and dark band like stripes across them. I watched it for a few minutes until a small doe moved in about 15ft from it. I looked at the doe, then back at the bird and it was gone. I was hunting about 50yrds from the top of a ridge in an area where ceders had been cut down and left in piles. The area is surrounded by living ceders, briars, and all kinds of very thick vegetation. The doe came within 15 yrds. and I had no shot because it was too thick. I was facing the bottom where it turns to hardwoods where a shot is more feasable. Wouldn't you know the deer shows where you aren't prepared to shoot. In the past I have jumped birds as long ago as the early 90's that appear to have this same coloring and a size, too big to be quail etc. All were jumped high on ridges near thickets especially ceders. Maybe three or four times only though. All of these instances were near Taylorsville Lake. I have never killed a grouse personally or even seen one in hand, but my father has some feathers off one he killed back in the day, and from all my education from description, photos, etc. Yes this was a grouse.