Written by: Tim Linehan, Linehan Outfitting Co.

The brown feathers on the grouse’s ruff was quite distinct.
Photos by Tim Linehan
This past fall, I had a client knock down this ruffed grouse. Notice that it literally has a chocolate ruff and tailband. I’ve seen in my entire life. I posted the photo on Instagram wondering if any other folks had seen this before. It’s technically not a phase. A hunter from Upstate New York wrote that he’d had seen one like this, as well. Anybody else out there seen this on ruffed before?
Tim Linehan is the owner of Linehan Outfitting Co. on the Kootenai River in Troy, Montana.

Here you get a look at the whole bird and its strange coloration.
Photo by Tim Linehan