Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Upland bird hunters?

What a great picture!

I grew up hunting quail (and squirrel, rabbit, and dove) in Arkansas. Got into GSPs after I moved to MO and hunted quail and pheasant hard several years. I worked 12 hour shift work for awhile and got a lot of hunting in both MO and KS. Had some really good hunts in both states.

As the numbers declined in both states, and as my wife's knees made trekking through the fields less tolerable for her, I finally stopped upland bird hunting maybe 15 years ago, and lost my last bird dog about 7 years after that. Deer and turkey here in mid-MO and an elk trip very occasionally out west have been the extent of my hunting since.

I did go up to the northeast corner of MT last fall with an old bird hunting buddy of mine who still has dogs, and some of his dog training/hunting friends. Hunted the week before the pheasant opener, and had a blast hunting Sharpies and Huns, for the first time ever. Ended up with 8 Sharpies and 9 huns and if I could have shot half like I should've it could have easily been twice that. Good birds, good dogs, good friends hard to beat.

Upland bird hunting behind good dogs with decent bird numbers is far and away the most enjoyable for me. Not to mention the awesome cardio workout you get tromping behind the dogs.

I haven’t read the whole thread yet, so if Ren 50 already said it here, …”Ruffed Grouse tastes like a wet dog smells”. Hahaha! I couldn’t disagree more, but I remember him saying that at some point because it surprised the hell out of me, and, it’s one of funnier analogies I can remember anyone making.

Myself, love hunting them. Woodcock are my absolute fave.

My pals have dogs, I’ll do it without one. Fun stuff.

Did you hunt private or public land up there Blu and if I may ask, what towns did you hunt close to? Did you encounter pheasant?

Ive been out a time or two...Good luck this fall everyone!

Not too far away, I grew up on a farm east of Circle.

Bird shot long ago. I could walk right back to where it was shot. I've never shot one longer but I've seen one half again that long that looked like a golf tee, straight as an arrow.

Wife and I will move to South Dakota in the next few years at some point. I'll work 3 days a week and chase walleyes and roosters the rest of the time. Should be a good time.

And look at that classy GEC to clean them with.

Thanks, save to the recipes folder

Opens Saturday here. I look forward to bird hunting now more than deer...barely.

and a BPS upland....nice choice!

I would much rather bird hunt with a good dog!







I have a new pup, this will be her first hunt, come November.

He since moved out of that shotgun into an O/U, no more BPS upland for him I guess. Nice dogs!

Logged into my imgur account for some more pics...because this is a great thread.

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Dad missed it 'by that far'








Skunked...

Fun to walk in on a point and find this...

Cheesy, don't make the badger angry.....🤔

Love those rock posts out in that part of KS. Neat history.

I've never walked up on a badger but I've shot 3 skunks at the end of my gun barrel.

Twice now the same dog has pointed a badger, about 5 miles apart in different years. Both times he was flat on the ground, growling and snarling and hissing and just generally not in a good mood. My buddy told me after the fact that is just his way of saying he wanted scratched on the belly....who knew???