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

While I’m an avid whitetail, elk and mule deer hunter, there is nothing else I enjoy more than hunting quail over my GSP’s!

I grew up in SD hunting pheasants. Really miss it. Would like to hunt birds more, but family duties keep me pretty well busy and the kids don’t really like to hunt. I still like to tinker at the loading bench so most of the shooting I do is rifle and deer and antelope hunting.

A few years ago I wanted to get back into bird hunting and so bought my second Chessie, thinking I’d take him on a combo pheasant and antelope hunt. He wouldn’t take to training the way my first Chessie did and I got to thinking maybe he was just too stupid to train. Now I think he’s smart enough to feign being stupid so he can laze about the house. At any rate, now it’s mostly deer and antelope hunting for me. That might change in a few years as I get old and the kids move out.

Thank you guys for the great replies. We think alike and yeah, wish I had a hunting dog!









Flave, sharptails are fun to hunt but I'll always be a cock man at heart.

I’ve shot well more than my share of doves, Gambels, Cal Valley quail, and ringnecks. Shot huns and sharpies for years in MT during annual big game hunts.

Started training shorthairs at 15, Springers at 35, and still run Springers.

Love ‘em all, but if I had to choose one, I’d break up with ringnecks and settle down with quail. Redheads are aptly monikered. Love to hate those runnin’ little bstards.

Valley quail in the foothills are more civilized. Break up the covey, and the singles hold TIGHT.

So. Now I’d just have to decide on settling down with redheads or not.

Anybody who has ever had a Springer deliver a beautiful rooster to hand must think I am crazy, and I might be, pheasants being the beautiful trophies that they are.

But quail ...

Any type of fowl or game hunting is better when the dogs are involved.

Yeah, I grew up on COCK. And I do love a good flush of COCK.

But I fell in love with those sharpies out there. They're just cool. And indigenous. Not some ching-chong immigrant.

I do. Pretty much any upland bird gets my attention.

Waterfowl? Meh. I do it sometimes but way more than 9/10 times I am after birds it is for upland. Ptarmigan, pheasants, forest grouse, chukar, it doesn’t matter. I luv it.

Himalayan Snowcock a few types of dove and a couple quail species is about all I need before I have taken everything a guy can hunt in the US.

Knew once the cock talk started you would be along.

Where does one find a Himalayan Snowcock?

And dumber than a day old......thing.

Bird hunting is easily my fave.

Cali quail, Huns, chukar, pheasant....Pretty much in that order. I really don’t care though, they are all a good time. Throw dove in as well.

Flushed my first covey of Bobwhites here in SC last Friday. Stoked to chase some southern quail and bunnies. Squirrel too.

In the Nepalese section of your adult book store.

I’d give up all big game hunting if I knew I could have average bird hunting from here on out.

Like Dale said above, western Kansas is terrible now on pheasants. There was a time about 15 years ago that it was phenomenal though. 4 bird limit on public ground by 11am. Not anymore though.

Last 3 years have had tons of fun with a friend of a friend in SD though.

We used to have bobwhite quail too. Now they’re cause for stopping the truck and staring if you see one.

Ducks have taken their place, somewhat. I’d still rather watch a dog go on point as about anything when carrying a gun. If I didn’t have dogs I’d likely not go.

Ruffed grouse are a great game bird.

Sometimes they act dumber than a fugkin rock. Will stand there and take fire. Other times they flush wild 40+ yards out.

They may be my favorite eating bird.

Pard...

I cut my teeth on waterfowl hunting. Progressed to upland birds. Started hunting big game in my late 40’s. Have hunted many states and on three continents. But, my 1st love is upland hunting with my dog/s. I will hunt big game for the freezer and upland for enjoyment. My lab, Belle, will turn 10 years old in March. I will be looking for another pup in the not so distant future. Of course, another lab. MTG

Pard.

Do you know WTF you're talking about pard?

One thing about sharpies ... they seem to die REAL easy ...

What doesn't?

They might very well be dumb, I don't really know. But if they are dumb, they have fantastic instincts in heavy cover as you would know. They are masters at letting you take that 2'cnd or 3rd step to where you are past them at a bad angle and they have a tree between you and them that they can take off directly away from.

That and their ability to go from zero to 60 in .095 milliseconds. They are the most challenging game I've ever hunted when in the cover they typically are holed up in. Walk and walk up and down hills in heavy cover to get 2 to 3 flushes an hr when it's GOOD. Out of those flushes I was lucky to have a remote chance at 1 out of 4. Most I either never seen or just got a brief glimpse. The flush itself with them is half the success.