“Would you shoot a ruffed grouse running on the ground?” That was a question that came up while a group of Michigan bird hunters were discussing the merits of their favorite gamebirds.

Aside from a shaking of heads, nobody would admit to doing such a thing until one spoke up: “I always wait until after they stop running.”

Most bird hunters, of course, consider it’s all part of the hunting challenge to give the gamebird an opportunity first to escape the shot pattern. Few hunters are fully prepared for the explosive takeoff of a ruffed grouse, even though these birds rarely fly as fast as might be imagined.

The flight of an upland gamebird depends on a number of conditions. When unmolested, its flight is slower than when it’s aware of danger close by. So, just how fast can a gamebird fly?

Surprising figures on the flight of unmolested gamebirds have been computed by a number of researchers, although the “average” can vary according to conditions. The ruffed grouse is among the birds that fly at 41 miles per hour. The same can be said of quail and prairie chickens, pheasants, jacksnipe, and a number of the ducks. Included are the black duck, mallard, spoonbill, wood duck, plus widgeon, and gadwall.

Among other waterfowl, some have been clocked at 45 miles per hour, including swans and Canada geese. The little green-winged teal is able to zing by at 79 miles per hour, while the redhead duck can hit speeds of 87. Surprisingly, the blue-winged teal is capable of an 89, while the canvasback has managed to flap by at 94, making it the fastest gamebird in the United States.

None of these figures remains accurate under some conditions. Flush a little jacksnipe on a windy day and it will look like a rocket blasting off in its twisting flight. Nobody wants to brag about marksmanship at such times, as the birds have a lot of air around them. If the scattergun charge fails to arrive on the target, who can have a real excuse?

Mourning doves, which are legally hunted in a majority of states without endangering them, have a known speed of just 34 miles per hour. So does the curlew, which is now fully protected in all states, although it was once hunted along with other birds. Wildlife agencies keep a careful watch on game and non-game birds and if any seems to be in danger from over-hunting, they go on a protected list.

While the canvasback is considered the champion of flying gamebirds, its 94 miles per hour is no match for some of the hawks, which are fully protected. When a big predatory hawk zeroes in on any other bird and dives on it from the heights, it makes the canvasback look like a slowpoke.