I have hunted several types of birds mostly here in East Tennessee and i have had the least success with snipe. They dart and dip right before you pull the trigger. Pigeons do that too but nowhere near as bad. I have killed a truck load of ducks and doves a few grouse a few pheasants a dump truck load of crows and pigeons but them flippin Snipe are starting to piss me off, laffin.

What's the toughest target where you live?

Here in Wisconsin I'd say ruffed grouse but it's a cover issue more then anything else.

A tight Covey hun flush will really frustrate you out west in the open.

Snipe for the same reasons you mention but also rails as they flutter up at close range only to dip down below the reeds before you can get the gun to the shoulder. Then they run off worse than a late season pheasant.

Gun shy English sparrows and starlings jumped from the bird houses are also pretty tough- they often dodge behind the bird house when flushed and puts the house at risk. Years back, bats were very tough targets but they aren't legal these days.

Now that I've been thinking, the hardest bird to shoot is a goose outside a metro area with a neck tag. I have seen more of those missed than hit I think. I'm around 50% shooting them but I have a lot of early missing to make up for. Others percentage when I've been around is much lower. If it was 10% I would be surprised. It is the worst causation of "buck fever" I have seen.

Grouse if there were any left.

Woodcock

Late season full grown Doves with a 20-30mph wind pushing them along.

1. Ruffed grouse
2. Woodcock
3. Wood ducks

Here probably doves..

Snipe!! They are the toughest bird to hit I've ever hunted. A fast snap shot is the best way to connect, IMO. They fly straight for the first 20 feet.

Oh, that is so true! Ballistic little bastids.

Of the upland birds we have chuckar are probably the hardest due to the terain. Steep rocky hills make for lots of missed shots.

Forest grouse are difficult as well due to the thick cover.

Timberdoodles. Jumped one yesterday. Used to try to hit them, but they always seem to taste like dirt. Don't even waste shells anymore on them.

Sharp-tails around here tend to jump fast and outta range, usually with a tail-wind for good measure!

Doves, and those speedster greenwing teal.

Here I would say Huns (gray partridge and Hungarian Partridges) because they live way out in the open here and flush right at the edge of decent shotgun range.
For the blue grouse and Sage grouse one should be limited to a golf club because they ain't real smart and easy to step on....

Huns.




Travis