Pass Along RJ
October 08

In the Hand: Knowing What You Shoot
by Jason Smith; Illustrations by Chris Smith from A Field Guide to Upland Birds and Waterfowl.

Determining the sex and age of gamebirds is a way to find out precisely what we took from the wild.  It's another form of respect for our game - it shows a willingness to learn about the birds and to pass on that education to others we hunt with.  It makes us pause a few minutes after receiving the bird from the dog, inspecting it for age, sex, maybe what it was eating, instead of stuffing it in the coat and rushing to the next likely looking covert.  If anything, it makes us slow down, take it all in, appreciate what has, in a way, been given to us. 

Ruffed Grouse

Sex: The condition of the black tail band on a ruffed grouse is not an accurate indicator of the sex of the bird.  Although an interrupted band usually represents a female and a complete band usually signals a male, there is too much overlap - especially in young grouse - to rely on this characteristic.  Instead, look at the rump feathers at the base of the tail on the grouse's back.  Pluck one of these brown/gray/red feathers.  You should notice one or two white dots along the shaft - or rachis - of the feather.  Two dots equal a male, one dot shows a female.  This characteristic is reliable after the grouse are about 13 weeks of age, which they should be during the hunting season.  The length of the central tail feather can also be a clue, but unless you're carrying a ruler, stick with the dots on the rump.

Also, if it's early season and that outer primary or the one next to it is just a stubby feather (about half the length of the other primaries), then the bird is just getting in that feather.  And since it doesn't grow these feathers until it is at least one year old, you can assume you have an adult.  However, if the third primary from the end is short compared to the others, the bird is most likely a juvenile because this feather is one of the last flight feathers a young bird will grow.

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