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The visceral fear sparked by an aggressive love-seeking grouse in Canmore could have been inspired by Alfred Hitchcock.

The multiple assaults on humans by the dusky grouse along a trail above the mountain town’s north side has moved the province to issue a warning for hikers and bikers.

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The bird, in full mating mode, attacked Andrea Barnes and three of her female friends on Monday after the group set out on Montane Trail.

“He started marching toward us in a beeline, head down and wings back,” said Barnes, an educational co-ordinator for Alberta Parks in Kananaskis Country.

“My girlfriends went screaming up a slope and left me alone with him.”

A quick-thinking Barnes grabbed a stick to fend off the angry grouse and found herself in dual of wills.

“He kept coming in, he wanted to poke and peck.”

The bird then chased the four down the trail until losing interest, said Barnes.

It was all about defending its territory while engaged in springtime mating, said the woman, who offered some grudging respect for her feathered adversary.