Any bird hunters?

[Cee-Jay]

Nice pics, folks! I do a little bit of waterfowl and upland hunting (mostly pheasant and quail) in eastern Washington every year. I also get out occasionally for grouse, though usually it is more of a car-camping trip exploring rough roads during which we hope to kick up a grouse or two kind of thing, as opposed to hardcore focused grouse hunting. Even my phesant hunting weekends are often in large part about exploring new areas. I love exploring back roads, being outdoors, preparing game I harvest myself and good times with good friends.

 

[Grouseman]

Upland

I like Mike S. have been hunting birds for a "few" decades. Like Mike I drive thousands of miles in pursuit of the hunt. Sounds like you have a big season ahead of you. Hopefully I will make at least 3 trips to Kansas this year.
Yes I still have my 96 Cruiser. Still driving her to all my destinations.....

Scott glad to hear your still bird hunting....

Steve

 

[Google it Research]

I'm somewhat of a bird hunter, though of the low brow variety. Why? The pheasants here are all farm raised by the PA Game Commission and are amongst the dumbest creatures ever to exist; you about have to step on 'em to get them to fly. I can tell you some good stories about just how dumb these birds are. Grouse usually startle me so much when they burst from cover that I'm usually left with my heart in my mouth rather than grouse flesh.

Now that was funny!

 

[762X39]

When I hunt grouse on my cottage property, they typically explode into flight and to say that I get startled is an understatement :Wow1:
On this years hunt in Temagami, the birds were staying off the logging roads and trails.All the birds I saw were about 3 metres into the bush among the leaf litter and hard to spot.Maybe they are getting smart because of all the ATV hunters? I put about 10 to 12 km on my boots every day exploring and managed to get a few shots off. Here is a pic of my first bird and some of the scenery.

 

[fisher205]

South Dakota Pheasant update.

The bird populations are way down all over the state. I was out for a day each weekend and only got one bird each day ( and not because of my poor shots). We are pretty used to getting our limits.

I didn't get out this last weekend because my dog was ripped in some barb wire so we will be recovering for a while. If you are coming up to hunt and get exercise, it's still fun, if you just want to shoot something you might want to save your money and go do sporting clays.

Brad

 

[JWP58]

I'm getting all the gear packed and sorted, its almost game time!!! ID and OR next week for chuks, huns, and quail!! I've been looking forward to this all year and I'm not going to let the poor bird numbers get me down. I WILL bag my first chukar I don't care how many draws/canyons/cliffs me and my Brittany have to climb.

Then in January I'm already planning a NM & TX quail hunt.

 

[dusmw]

I like Mike S. have been hunting birds for a "few" decades. Like Mike I drive thousands of miles in pursuit of the hunt. Sounds like you have a big season ahead of you. Hopefully I will make at least 3 trips to Kansas this year.
Yes I still have my 96 Cruiser. Still driving her to all my destinations.....

Scott glad to hear your still bird hunting....

Steve

Check the area you usually hunt before heading to KS! We are going to be skinny on birds again this year, drought last year, very little CRP as everyone planted corn, long cold snowy winter, and then a wet spring during nesting. Unless you buy the hype from our tourist folks this would be year to stay home or find a shooting preserve.

Just returned from SD and their birds were down significantly as well. We hunted hard for three days to harvest 12 roosters. Thank god we are all waterfowl says there were lots of ducks!

 

[Malamute]

I like to hunt birds, and my dogs have all absolutely loved it. I only hunt grouse around here. They flush from the ground and sit in a tree and look at you. I shoot them with a rifle with extra-light loads ( .350" round balls w/ 4 grs Red Dot powder in 348 cal) or with a 22 pistol, usually only doing head shots. As someone before mentioned, its really more about being out with the dogs, and seeing how much they love it. I get funny looks when I mention my Malamute bird dog(s).

From the 2013 season,

 

[JWP58]

Im going to give blue grouse a try this year, however I'll be hunting with a pointer and shotgun......shooting on the wing.

 

[orionkhan]

Hmm, just noticed this board here on Expo. Got some chukar huntin' in this past season. Currently training my Brittany pup for this upcoming season.

 

[outofrshell]

I wonder how JWP58's out of state bird hunt went? I had invited him to join me when he got back and never heard from him again. Chukar season was a little down this year but all things considered it was another good year. I hunted a new dog and she had way more fun than should be allowed but it was her first season with me and I wanted to make sure she developed the drive and enthusiasm that makes a great bird dog, training can start now.I did a lot more exploring new areas this year than I had in the past years and I did find new to me coveys and seen a lot of the Bighorn Basin I hadn't seen in years.
Oriokhan where are you located looks like you did okay? I am retiring in April and plan on doing some out of state bird hunting next season.
January chukar hunt north of Thermopolis, Wy.

 

[spressomon]

^ I have a soft spot for GWP too! '13/'14 was one of the toughest years in Nevada for chuks...which means to get shots you had to cover more ground...due for a big rebound year coming up!

 

[JWP58]

Out of state hunt was fun but very unsuccessful due to rain, burns, ect. And I didn't make it up north to hunt either....sometimes life gets in the way of even the best plans. Didn't make it down to the border either....'14 will be different however...

 

[orionkhan]

Oriokhan where are you located looks like you did okay? I am retiring in April and plan on doing some out of state bird hunting next season.
January chukar hunt north of Thermopolis, Wy.

I'm out in SoCal. That pic is from a local private club hunt. Nothing spectacular. But it was close and easy to do on short notice. Anything beats not getting out there. I'm hoping to get up towards WY to hunt in the next year or two.

 

[outofrshell]

I have a good friend in Semmi Valley that comes out every year to bird hunt, he has a small cabin just up the street from us and they come around Thanksgiving and spend a week or so bird hunting. He said chukar numbers were way down this year in Ca. and because of work load he couldn't make it out this year so he has consoled his self that chukar hunting just wasn't meant to be this season. When he is home they hunt chukar in the Mojave desert and it sounds like when they have the right condition it can be great.
JWP58 I see you have a 2014 Crosstrek. Whats your opinion of it so far? We looked at one when they first showed up at the dealer to replace our 2008 Honda Fit but kinda held off to see how they did.
Yes long range bird hunts are always a gamble glad a good time maybe next year we can meet up some where. I did find a lot of birds in the Thermopolis area and learned the area a little better so maybe down there would be a little closer for you. Dave