# How to age a pheasant?



## dash (Apr 30, 2006)

Just reading another topic in the pheasant forum about ages of birds harvested this year and it made me wonder; What do guys use to age their roosters?

I know to look for color and spur size and such but what else do you look for to help you age roosters?

Just curious!


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Don't go by color......look at the spurs.If they are short and rounded......young of the year.

If the are 1/2 in long and sharp.....adult birds.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

KEN W said:


> Don't go by color......look at the spurs.If they are short and rounded......young of the year.
> 
> If the are 1/2 in long and sharp.....adult birds.


"You are correct oh great one! ha ha" Ed McMahon


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

The PLOTS guide explains the process well, even sexing other upland birds.


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

Dick is right, the Plots guide has the quidelines. In case you don't have one, the general rule in there is longer than 3/4in, adult. Shorter, juvie. After reaching 3/4in, they don't grow a heck of a lot more, so it's hard to give an exact age. Stan Kohn said the longest spurs he has seen just hit one inch. He also mentioned that it is very rare for a wild pheasant to reach 4 years old.


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## lvmylabs (Jan 23, 2006)

I had heard that you can tell if the bird is less then a year old by grabbing its bottom beak. If the beak supports the weight of the bird (without bending) it is over a year old. If it doesn't it is a young bird. It has something to do with the development of the bird (the beak hardens as the bird gets older) I am no biologist, just passing along some information that I heard from a couple of Dog guys at a hunt test a couple of years back.

Either way, a bird in the pouch is a great thing no matter how old it is.

Good Luck

Jim


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