They call him King Ruff  This content is archived  Published on:
Sep. 2, 1997  Last revision: Oct. 27, 2010  almost irresistible
invitation to chase it down or flush it wild. A good grouse dog
freezes at the first whiff and doesn't move until it is sure
where the bird lies.  Cooper uses a Brittany and doesn't hunt
her on anything but grouse. He hunts every weekend of the
season, both on private and public land, and logs perhaps seven
hours daily. He figures it takes about 10 hours of hunting per
grouse bagged.  Burton Spiller, the patriarch of grouse writers,
was a pointer man, but generally pointers range too widely for
grouse. Many use English setters, but Brittanies, German
shorthairs and other versatile breeds are becoming more popular.
Some hunters use retrievers, especially Labradors, and keep the
dog close, watching it for signs that a bird is near.  Usually
the bird will flush within range, and the retriever will find
the downed bird.  A dogless hunter is at the mercy of chance. He
can find birds, but