Brent, I don’t think those cylindrical shaped catkins are from tag alder, more likely they are hazelnut bush catkins. I used to think they were from alder too, but alder catkins are typically larger (young Alder looks a lot like hazelnut, but they aren’t the same). I’ve read grouse eat from alder but I really wonder? Grouse like alder swamps on windy days for escape cover. I’ve collected a lot of grouse with hazelnut bush which sometimes grows thick in mature woods (e.g., in a mature conifer woods, but grows elsewhere too). The green leaf is likely from trembling aspen or maybe speedwell? The red berries may be autumn olive or high bush cranberry. It looks like you had a good hunt. You are right ….grouse hunting is tough. 10x harder than quail hunting. I like to think of it as the Super Bowl of bird hunting. Maybe wild chukar hunting is harder, but I’ve never done that. Btw, I’m heading to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula tomorrow for a hunt. Supposed to be cold and wet early on. Is what it is…
