Any bird hunters?

[JWP58]

Oh man, at 3k ft?? Lucky!!!

I think I'll give blue grouse one more shot when I head west for sage grouse next week (may look for some ruffs too)

 

[fisher205]

The good news for pheasant hunting in South Dakota is that the bird count is up 50% from last year. The bad news is that it is still 50% down from the 10 year average. The transfer of CRP to cropland will probably have the most long term effect on pheasant numbers. A lot of tree strips were also torn out during the high grain prices. Very short sighted in my view, but then again nobody asked.

 

[outofrshell]

This is what I love about Sept. you can hunt grouse in the morning and then head for your favorite fishing hole and catch a few brookies before heading home. Dave

 

[JWP58]

Awesome pic!

 

[fisher205]

If you could've worked some skiing into also... Looking good Dave.


brad

 

[Umtaneum]

Fisher205, the rancher we hunt with in SD called last month and said it's the best hatch he's seen in his 80 years on the ranch. Of course, they were starting from such a depressed status after last year...
We didn't go last year because it was so bad he said not to bother. We will be passing through Spearfish on Sunday the 26th of October, headed for Vivian. They didn't get hammered by the blizzard as bad as you guys did in the Black Hills.

 

[JWP58]

So Dave, where the next awesome pic?? Chase any Ruffs off to the west?

Now Im no Ruffed Grouse expert (actually I know almost nothing about them), but do they migrate up like Blues??? Or do they winter in the same habitat they are found early? I might give Ruffed Grouse hunting a shot at the end of Oct when I head up to look for huns and chuks, however they would be a back seat.......cause I got business to take care of with the masked marauder....

 

[outofrshell]

I really don't know about ruffs but I'm thinking they just rough it the winter where they normally hangout. We have so few on the Bighorns that I've never even shot one up here, I have hunted them around Pinedale and found good numbers.
If your in the area look me up I'd be glad to share a few chukar location or better yet just show you. Here are a few pictures of grouse hunting I didn't take any when we were in Thermop chukar hunting last week but we did well.Dave
Andy and Riser, Andy is here on the Expo

The wire crew Gypsy and Wiskers (dachshund)

Wild Horse Butte south side

Shell Creek fall colors

 

[Mike S]

I just returned from Three weeks in Montana. Bird numbers were very good - both sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge. This is about as good as I have seen it in the past 20 years.

 

[Umtaneum]

Heading out to SD in a week. Mostly pheasants, but we usually find some sharptails and prairie chickens every year as well. Then when we get back, rifle deer season will be done in most of my chukar areas. Like JWP58 I got some business with the masked marauder.

Why is it that if you ever hunt chukars nothing else is ever the same?

 

[Cascade Wanderer]

Why is chukar country uphill both ways?



Guy

 

[outofrshell]

Wyoming Chukar hunt

Chukar numbers look good in the basin this year in fact good enough that I have gave up all thoughts of an out of state hunt. I guess I'm being cheap but driving 60 miles verses a 1,000 and be into birds all day is just too practical for me.
This was Sunday with a crew of German dogs and 2 guys that can't stop smiling after all 3 of us limited out and were up to our elbows in chukars all day. I had been in the same area Sat. and limited out thanks to my wiredhaired dachshund finding my last bird that was a runner, the masked marauder had finally met his match. Dave

 

[fisher205]

I went out opening day and the pheasant numbers are up 50%. Of course 50% of 2 makes it 3 birds. Really we shot our limit but it took 4.5 hours. I usually hunt in marginal areas and have lost the use of my good dog. Talking with friends that hunted all over the state said birds were up. The good news is that there is good cover this year and that the corn is slow to dry so may get left in the fields over the winter or until late. This doesn't help this years hunting but provides additional cover and food for next year.

Brad

 

[Umtaneum]

Brad, we are headed out at 6am tomorrow, should arrive in Vivian on Sunday afternoon. A friend up around Pierre said none of the corn there is cut yet, the ears aren't even fully developed and it's too slow to get dry, most of it will probably be in the field like you say, over the winter.

They also said sharptail numbers looked good in the central part of the State. How are they out in the West?

Kevin

 

[fisher205]

I saw a few sharp tails. I could've had a shot on one, but the usual kick two hen pheasants up, then a grouse, but don't really realize it until they do the grouse laugh as they fly away. Anymore, I would rather eat grouse than pheasant. Speaking of which we ate last weeks pheasant in a cashew pheasant stir fry.

We're not going this weekend. It's supposed to be in the 70's, which is too hot for my old dogs, and the young one got injured last week. It's supposed to cool down on Monday so should be good hunting for you. PM me on your way back through if you have time for coffee.

Brad