Differences Between Male and Female Small Game
The final portion of our wildlife identification section is devoted to knowing the difference between male and female small game. Some species like geese, dove, quail, squirrel, and rabbits do not have any obvious differences between the sexes that can be seen from a distance. The bag and possession limits for these species do not differentiate based on sex; you can harvest your limit and do not need to concern yourself with the sex of the animal. However, there are many small game species where the sexes are easily identifiable, and typically the limits for those species factor in the sex of the animal as well.
Male vs. Female Pheasant
You can only harvest male pheasants; female birds cannot be hunted. Male pheasants look very different from females; their bright, colorful feathers set them apart from the muted brown coloring of the female. When hunting pheasant, always be sure that the bird you see is male before taking the shot.
Male vs. Female Ducks
Knowing the difference between male and female is also important in duck hunting.
Colorado’s current daily bag limit for mallard ducks is 5. However, no more than 2 of those 5 can be female.
Luckily, male and female mallard ducks are easily distinguished by their coloring. Females are a uniform, muted brown all over, while the male has a prominent green head, white collar, and dark brown breast feathers. This is true in most duck species as well. The males are generally more brightly colored than the females who tend to be lighter colors of brown and lack any bright coloring for the most part.
Male vs. Female Turkey
Knowing the differences between the sexes is also important in turkey hunting.
During the spring turkey season, you can only harvest a male turkey, while in the fall, there are licenses that allow you to harvest a male or a female. In the spring, male turkeys will strut (fanning out their tails and puffing up their bodies) in an effort to attract females for mating. Only male turkeys engage in this behavior.
In the spring, a male turkey’s head will be much brighter than a female's, with accents of red and blue. Female turkeys have very muted colors in their faces.
But the best and easiest way to tell a male turkey from a female turkey is the presence of a beard. Male turkeys have a specialized clump of long feathers that grow from their chests called a beard; females do not grow these feathers. These feathers grow longer as the bird grows older so they might not be as obvious on a young male turkey (also called a jake), but they will be very obvious on a mature bird (also called a tom). Here are some pictures of the obvious beard of a tom, the subtle beard of a jake, and the lack of a beard on a female.
