Measurements—Total length, from 18 to 22 inches; wing, 9 to 9 1/2. The weight will vary from 2 1/2 to 4 pounds.
| OREGON RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus sabini) |
THE OREGON RUFFED GROUSE
(Bonasa umbellus sabini)
The Oregon ruffed grouse is the handsomest species of the ruffed grouse genus, and is truly a beautiful bird with its deep, rich browns, orange and black. The eastern species of this genus is wrongly known in the north Atlantic states by the name of partridge, and as wrongly called pheasant in Virginia and some other of the southern states. The Pacific Coast species ranges from northern California along the Coast range through Oregon, Washington and far into British Columbia. It is a wary bird, full of cunning and gamy qualities. The male of this genus is, I believe, the only member of the grouse family that drums all the year; all others confining their drumming to the nesting season. This drumming is made with the wings and not by the inflation of an air sack as with other species. The sound, also, is much different, having more of a rolling reverberation. In the spring they will take their position on some rock or dead log and strut back and forth with their heads thrown back and their tails spread out to show the beautiful hues of the feathers and drum for hours to attract the hens or challenge the other males to an almost life and death combat, in which they fight in the same manner as the game cock. They live among the pines, usually near some little opening where they are fond of feeding. When startled they take at once to the timber and are quickly lost to view. For this reason dogs are almost useless in hunting them. They are never found in numbers greater than a single brood, even though the brood may be decimated by the gun of the sportsman or the cunning of the vermin to no more than two or three.
The flesh of the ruffed grouse is white and generally tender and of fine flavor, although in the late fall or winter when its food consists almost wholly of fir buds it tastes quite strong of turpentine. Its food generally is about the same as the sooty grouse and in about the same percentages.
Color—Head, light chestnut, the feathers on the top being long and capable of erection when excited; a tuft of long, rich brown feathers will be found on each side of the neck; back, reddish chestnut mottled with black; rump and tail-coverts, more of a cinnamon color blotched with dark brown; flanks, lighter and barred with black; tail, rusty brown barred with deep brown and tipped with two bands of gray, separated by a streak of black; under tail-coverts, orange, barred with black and tipped with white; wing feathers, brown with a central stripe of light yellow.
The female is marked the same but somewhat lighter in coloring.