Upland Hunting - General

[Highlander]

Recently found this thread and spent a few days going through the whole thing, I’ve wanted to get into upland hunting and waterfowl for a few years now. Hoping to make the change soon even though I’m a little late in the season here in PA.

Welcome to the cult!
Getting into upland or other hunting will be tough if you don't know anyone in this activity, but with a dedication and right mind it won't be a big deal. If you have a friend or cousin who hunts then you are half way there
I had given up hunting for 10 years and getting back to it and starting from 0 was hard, especially if you live in area or region which is not known for an abundance of small game.
It's much easier to get into upland if live or have a place in Maine or in Montana. But if you live in a big metro area then you have to plan well.

I guess easiest way is to find a hunting club in your area or training / testing club such as NAVHDA or a breed specific club such as Golden or GSP clubs.

And people are complaining about how expansive overlanding as hobby is, well, wait until you get into upland and especially the waterfowl hunting... and it's very addictive.

Good luck.

 

[ricoisme26]

Welcome to the cult!
Getting into upland or other hunting will be tough if you don't know anyone in this activity, but with a dedication and right mind it won't be a big deal. If you have a friend or cousin who hunts then you are half way there
I had given up hunting for 10 years and getting back to it and starting from 0 was hard, especially if you live in area or region which is not known for an abundance of small game.
It's much easier to get into upland if live or have a place in Maine or in Montana. But if you live in a big metro area then you have to plan well.

I guess easiest way is to find a hunting club in your area or training / testing club such as NAVHDA or a breed specific club such as Golden or GSP clubs.

And people are complaining about how expansive overlanding as hobby is, well, wait until you get into upland and especially the waterfowl hunting... and it's very addictive.

Good luck.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I didn't grow up hunting but I have cousins and uncles that always have, mostly whitetail hunting here in PA. My fiancé and her family also hunt and I've been working into deer hunting the last couple years. Sitting in a stand and hoping something walks by that is... I do get up and walk a fair bit in an attempt to push something to them or jump something myself, little luck thus far.

Looking to make the jump to scouting out new locations for deer hunting, and taking up archery. I've dabbled with my very old (relative to today's) compound bow. Trying to be better prepared all around for deer season this fall. Hoping that taking up small game hunting and waterfowl hunting will help me stay focused on hunting in general. Keeping me in the outdoors (with a hunting focus) more regularly instead of trying to get back in the swing a few weeks before the season kicks off.

Is this too much to bite off at once? Any other hunters of multiple species have any thoughts?

 

[Highlander]

You are half way there.

Yeah deer hunting might be easier in a way that whitetail lives within the proximity of suburban areas.
I see more deer in my backyard than I see in the actual woods.

But finding a bird, such as a ruffed grouse or woodcock requires a great knowledge of cover, accesses and other factors such as behavior in the early season and during he late season. This where a friend with an experience comes very helpful. If you don't then you have to figure that out yourself. Usually big hunters see lot of birds and know the spots.
Ruffed grouse, which is actually is the state bird of Pennsylvania humbled me.

If you have an access to a large hunting preserve or a farm with birds on then you are lucky. You don't have worry about it too much.

As for the dog trainings and see what is better for you NAVHDA will be helpful.
They will starting training in month or two so this is the best time to go and attend a training clinic and see what they do, talk to people etc. They are usually very helpful.
There are 5 or 6 chapters in PA, so you should be good.

NAVHDA Chapter Map

Now this if you are interested in a pointing dog. If you are more of Lab or flusher guy that's different. I don't much about labs and flushers.

If you are more interested in so called highly specialized field breeds such as English Setters, English Pointers or Britnies then it's better to contact the breeds clubs. (AKC or UKC should have club locators)
They are different from NAVHDA and they seldom overlap.

 

[gps4]

went on my first pheasant hunt in October 2015 in SE south Dakota. Got a small taste of public land hunting before a weekend hunt at an outfitter on private land. It didn't take long to realize that having a dog is a game changer. When I got back home in 2015, I told myself I would have a dog one day so I could freelance the public ground and be able to hunt more than one weekend a year. It took me 6 years to get a dog, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with her to get her field ready. I made two road trips to SD this year and logged 12 days afield. My 1 yo lab did better than I ever imagined. Can't wait until Fall 2022

 

[Tex68w]

More corporate hunts recently, mostly pen raised Bob's and pheasants but we flushed a few coveys of wild Bob's and even some Blues. Cold temps below freezing most of the weekend allow the dogs to work much longer than they are used to, it was nice to not have to swap out for fresh dogs every 15-20 minutes for once.

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

Your Lab is a nice looking pup, gps4. I hope you have many outings and much fun with her.

Welcome to the cult!

 

[ricoisme26]

@gps4 is your lab a pointing lab?

You are half way there.

Yeah deer hunting might be easier in a way that whitetail lives within the proximity of suburban areas.
I see more deer in my backyard than I see in the actual woods.

But finding a bird, such as a ruffed grouse or woodcock requires a great knowledge of cover, accesses and other factors such as behavior in the early season and during he late season. This where a friend with an experience comes very helpful. If you don't then you have to figure that out yourself. Usually big hunters see lot of birds and know the spots.
Ruffed grouse, which is actually is the state bird of Pennsylvania humbled me.

If you have an access to a large hunting preserve or a farm with birds on then you are lucky. You don't have worry about it too much.

As for the dog trainings and see what is better for you NAVHDA will be helpful.
They will starting training in month or two so this is the best time to go and attend a training clinic and see what they do, talk to people etc. They are usually very helpful.
There are 5 or 6 chapters in PA, so you should be good.

NAVHDA Chapter Map

Now this if you are interested in a pointing dog. If you are more of Lab or flusher guy that's different. I don't much about labs and flushers.

If you are more interested in so called highly specialized field breeds such as English Setters, English Pointers or Britnies then it's better to contact the breeds clubs. (AKC or UKC should have club locators)
They are different from NAVHDA and they seldom overlap.

Thanks for the info, I am fortunate to live in a more rural area and can drive to several game lands within half an hour, PA manages an abundance of public land phenomenally, for hunting that is. I also work with several guys that have hunting dogs and train them regularly, I believe one even competes with his GWP. Another is actually a part owner of a outfitter/farm/pen operation. I'll have to talk to them more about it, maybe buy a hunt off of him to get started.

 

[Highlander]

@Tex68w
Are these to cockers?
The most underrated upland dogs ever, which always surprises me since there are excellent in the most of areas.
My best woodcock dog was a cocker spaniel. I have seen good woodcock dogs but it's hard to beat her. They also are great water dogs too, if the can't pick up the duck due to the size they will drag it to you.
If I ever get a flusher it will be a cocker.

 

[Tex68w]

@Tex68w
Are these to cockers?
The most underrated upland dogs ever, which always surprises me since there are excellent in the most of areas.
My best woodcock dog was a cocker spaniel. I have seen good woodcock dogs but it's hard to beat her. They also are great water dogs too, if the can't pick up the duck due to the size they will drag it to you.
If I ever get a flusher it will be a cocker.

Yes, they are both Cockers, we have a Sprocker (Cocker/Springer mix) as well. The one on the left (Jam) is barely six months old and she's already hunting, she retrieved pheasants bigger than herself a few weekends back and she chased down a retrieve some 80-100 yards away last weekend, impressive stuff. The larger of the two is Rev aka Reverend, he see's time in the duck blind as well. Every season we have clients offer to buy him but he's not for sale. Best flushing breed I've ever hunted over or worked behind, I am sold on Cockers for flushers/retrievers.

 

[Highlander]

Every season we have clients offer to buy him but he's not for sale. Best flushing breed I've ever hunted over or worked behind, I am sold on Cockers for flushers/retrievers.

Yes, absolutely. They also have very serious nose can use air scenting and tracking as well. There was no lost bird my cocker would not find, while my setters had very limited interest in downed bird. Sometimes they outright ignored them.

 

[Tex68w]

Yes, absolutely. They also have very serious nose can use air scenting and tracking as well. There was no lost bird my cocker would not find, while my setters had very limited interest in downed bird. Sometimes they outright ignored them.

They have amazing scent tracking abilities, in fact Jam, the young female, I am convinced that she only scent tracks because she's too small/short to see the downed birds most of the time. I can't believe that more hunters don't use the breed. We are breeding ours later this year, they should spit some great pups as Jam is from some amazing blood lines and I have never seen drive in a flusher/retriever like I see day in and day out from Rev.

 

[Highlander]

There are some lines of cockers that bark on the fresh track and scent. It is not technically barking but rather more of a similar sound what hounds make on the tack. I guess yelping is more appropriate.
That was what my spaniel used to do. As soon as she got behind on the running bird or swimming duck she would start yelping. We knew that she would produce the bird in vert soon and that helped us get ready.

The barking or sound on the track is the breeding requirement for all pointing dogs in the German breeding / testing system. This is one of the areas where it differs from NAVHDA.
A dog to be let in for breeding needs to be a scent loud (barking on the fresh scent) or sight oud (barking on the chase). Some are both, though it's rear.
My dog is a sight loud. She only barks when she is chases a rabbit or fallows the duck.
I did not know why a pointing dog needed to have that natural trait, and thought it was quite stupid, until I was training my dog in 4 feet deep marsh and she disappeared into the vegetation... had now Idea where she was or where the duck was either, until she started barking which allowed me to relocate and find her furiously chasing the wounded duck.

The most of spaniels I have come across were scent loud. The most joyful was to watch them on pheasants.

I have never seen drive in a flusher/retriever like I see day in and day out from Rev.

Only thing that can stop them is a tall and dens vegetation. They do suffer in tall prairie grass, but other than that they are unstoppable.
And you can put them in a bag pack.

 

[Tex68w]

There are some lines of cockers that bark on the fresh track and scent. It is not technically barking but rather more of a similar sound what hounds make on the tack. I guess yelping is more appropriate.
That was what my spaniel used to do. As soon as she got behind on the running bird or swimming duck she would start yelping. We knew that she would produce the bird in vert soon and that helped us get ready.

The barking or sound on the track is the breeding requirement for all pointing dogs in the German breeding / testing system. This is one of the areas where it differs from NAVHDA.
A dog to be let in for breeding needs to be a scent loud (barking on the fresh scent) or sight oud (barking on the chase). Some are both, though it's rear.
My dog is a sight loud. She only barks when she is chases a rabbit or fallows the duck.
I did not know why a pointing dog needed to have that natural trait, and thought it was quite stupid, until I was training my dog in 4 feet deep marsh and she disappeared into the vegetation... had now Idea where she was or where the duck was either, until she started barking which allowed me to relocate and find her furiously chasing the wounded duck.

The most of spaniels I have come across were scent loud. The most joyful was to watch them on pheasants.



Only thing that can stop them is a tall and dens vegetation. They do suffer in tall prairie grass, but other than that they are unstoppable.
And you can put them in a bag pack.

With Rev he stays on your heel until told "Rev Up" at which point he rushes in for the flush. Since Jam is still so young and small I walk her around in my hand and toss her towards the flush as I yell "Jam Up". She's a little pocket rocket lol.

 

[gps4]

@gps4 is your lab a pointing lab?

This trip week before last was her second time pheasant hunting and I don’t think she does a true point by instinct. However, I’ve seen her flashpoint for a few seconds until she gets focused on a bird and flushes it, and once on this recent trip, she noticed an English pointer lock up and she locked up until the pointer came off point to chase a runner.

 

[Wrathchild]

We don’t have what you’d call traditional upland hunting here in Kodiak. But my 7mo weimaraner Kyuss is becoming quite the champ at chasing bunnies and squirrels. Got a couple squirrels today. “Drop it” command still needs work. But I really have no idea what I’m doing, he’s young, the .22 doesn’t phase him and he doesn’t care how cold or thick the brush is. He has fun every time we go out so that’s the most important thing to me.

Best part is, after a few hours of sprinting thru the woods he naps, for at least a little while. Fellow Weim owners will understand the joy of one that finally passes out.