Grouse Hunting

Two weeks ago, Joshua and I had the pleasure of accompanying Eric and Ava Fabian on a grouse hunt. It was perfect weather and we got to explore part of Alaska that we hadn't been to yet, and it was just down the road! We loaded up the four-wheelers and spent the morning/afternoon riding trails and exploring history.
The place we went to was an old mining site. Ava, who is such a character, would tell us every time she saw something new, "That is a piece of history, guys!" Too fun!

On this trip, we went hunting for grouse What is a grouse, you may ask? From The Great Alaska Nature Factbook, a grouse is a type of bird that is "not too brainy, but know how to survive a northern winter."
Their words, not mine.

And I hate to admit that I really did not know that ptarmigan was a type of grouse - an arctic or alpine grouse to be exact.

The Willow Ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska.

Oh and it is pronounced Tar-mi-gan. The "p" is silent.

Eric ended up only killing two, which happened to be the only two we saw that day. It ended up being a lousy day for hunting but a good one to spend outdoors. 

Also, I realized that this was the first time I had actually witnessed something getting shot and killed. Trust me, after living here for a year, blood and raw meat do not make me quench. But I had yet to see something get shot.
I seriously cannot believe I've dated/been engaged/married Joshua for this long and this is just now happening!
Check that off my bucket list.

It is always a good time with the Fabians!

 

Seriously, Ava is like the queen of the forest. She isn't scared of anything and loves to go hunting. A true Alaskan girl!

 

 

If you notice a tiny white dot near the middle of the picture, that is a plane. So tiny compared to the mountains!