This is my first season hunting so I'm sure it's not shock to anyone that all I have come home with thus far has been grouse. I've found a couple of good recipes and my family and I really enjoy them and I'm hoping to take a grouse-specific hunting trip to get some for the freezer.
The problem I've been running into and am hoping this forum could help me with is identifying the various species of grouse. I want to make sure that I'm getting the best harvest I can but obvious want to make sure I stay within regulations so it would be helpful to be able to identify the various species of grouse so that I can keep hunting if I have hit my bag limit on one.
Does anyone have any tricks or telltale signs for telling them apart? Obvious general colorations works for determining one species of male from another but things like a male ruffed grouse vs. a female dusky grouse are tripping me up. Any help would be appreciated.
Google is your friend. most species' males are darker and have some distinguishing features (band above eye, etc.. Where you hunt can determine which species will be present. Personally I'm more worried about size than sex.
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