Gun Dog Forum

I walk for my degree on the 15th and have a job offer with the option to go to Tucson, Macon, Fredericksburg or Buffalo (also Dallas, but I know that area well). I have a few criteria I'm using to make a decision:

1. Real estate costs
2. Birddogability
3. Urbanization (Want something moderate)
4. Hazards to birddogs (Heat, snakes, gators, etc)

I'm looking for any advice or input anyone can give at all on any of these areas, especially within the context of cost and very especially within the context of raising, owning and running birddogs.

Thanks, everyone!

Fredricksburg (assuming VA) is a nice area. Has a nice town with everything you need with Farmland, forest, rivers and ocean within a short drive. You'd be a couple hours south of me, but I could put you on some PA grouse, woodcock, pheasant, and deer. West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virgina all have good upland oppertunites.

I lived in GA when I was younger. The Quail were intense at times and woke you up some mornings. I do not believe it is like that anymore. You'd probably have to "Pay to Play" or travel further for goo upland in Macon.

The Drought in the west is putting a hurting on birds. I feel really bad for my western brethren. Hopefully things turn around soon out that way.

Buffalo is cold and snowy. Might have to get into Ice Fishing and enjoy the Bills if you move there.

Stoneface wrote:I walk for my degree on the 15th and have a job offer with the option to go to Tucson, Macon, Fredericksburg or Buffalo (also Dallas, but I know that area well). I have a few criteria I'm using to make a decision:

1. Real estate costs
2. Birddogability
3. Urbanization (Want something moderate)
4. Hazards to birddogs (Heat, snakes, gators, etc)

I'm looking for any advice or input anyone can give at all on any of these areas, especially within the context of cost and very especially within the context of raising, owning and running birddogs.

Thanks, everyone!

Georgia is under populated with birds and over populated with snakes,Growing up in the south don't think much about the snakes,gators and heat but it's always the first question for people moving this way.

I would have figured grouse and woodcock, but phez in the northeast? What's the deal?

Put and take birds. The PGC stocks the bids on the Gamelands and some Co-ops. Believe it or not, the birds are pretty spooky and are pretty close to the real thing.

They are also working on reintroducing wild pheasants to areas of the state. PGC also now have a 10 year bobwhite quail plan to bring wild bobs back to the state.

Johng918 wrote:

Stoneface wrote:I walk for my degree on the 15th and have a job offer with the option to go to Tucson, Macon, Fredericksburg or Buffalo (also Dallas, but I know that area well). I have a few criteria I'm using to make a decision:

1. Real estate costs
2. Birddogability
3. Urbanization (Want something moderate)
4. Hazards to birddogs (Heat, snakes, gators, etc)

I'm looking for any advice or input anyone can give at all on any of these areas, especially within the context of cost and very especially within the context of raising, owning and running birddogs.

Thanks, everyone!

Georgia is under populated with birds and over populated with snakes,Growing up in the south don't think much about the snakes,gators and heat but it's always the first question for people moving this way.

The heat doesn't bother me - I grew up southward - and snakes don't bother me personally, but I've not had to deal too much with them as a threat with birddogs. Gators are something I'm totally oblivious to. There was someone on this site (I think it may have been Elhew Pointer) who said something like they lose a dog or two every year to gators, but I think that person was in deep south Florida.

I've lost one birddog to a snake never one to a gator but have lost a few walkers to gators.

But, Macon is a little farther north. I'd imagine it's not nearly the gator issue up there as you have in Florida.

No Gator issues in Macon. Snakes though...yep. I grew up in Conyers which isn't that far from Macon. My mother called the police more than once about timbers in our house. The worst thing of all though was the "bleep" "stickers". Some type of grass seed that had thorns on it. real long thorns that hurt like crazy.

I guide for a private land owner about 30 miles east of Macon. Occasionally a gator shows up in one of the ponds, coming up from the Ocmulgee (spelling?) river basin.

I guide December and January and February, and I have yet yo see a copper head, rattle snake, or water moccasin, Although I know they are around.

Summer comes early and leaves late. High temperatures and high humidity make oppressive conditions for training dogs. It's a great area to train and work dogs during January and February, but wild quail can be hard to find, and they are left alone where I guide. Woodcock can be found in abundance on WMA property and private land.

Woodcock. I forgot about the doggoned woodcock. The major drawback to Macon was the lack of wild birds... I should have considered woodcock, especially after getting on here and raving about how they are underestimated in the eastern half of the country.

Tucson is about a half a million people, with another 5.5 million 90 miles NW in Phoenix. Gambel's quail populations are probably at the lowest in history, but there is so much public land that is huntable, if you are willing to drive and hike a few miles you can generally find pockets of birds here and there. Because of the heat, you have to pack water for the dogs. Snakes are always a risk - but a combination of the Red Rocks vaccine and snake-breaking keeps most dogs safe.

Good luck - exciting times!! Congrats on your upcoming graduation.

One awesome thing about the greater Atlanta area, all of the sweet Southern Belles have been pushed to the Suburbs.

AzDoggin wrote:Tucson is about a half a million people, with another 5.5 million 90 miles NW in Phoenix. Gambel's quail populations are probably at the lowest in history, but there is so much public land that is huntable, if you are willing to drive and hike a few miles you can generally find pockets of birds here and there. Because of the heat, you have to pack water for the dogs. Snakes are always a risk - but a combination of the Red Rocks vaccine and snake-breaking keeps most dogs safe.

Good luck - exciting times!! Congrats on your upcoming graduation.

Arizona is great!

AzDoggin wrote:Tucson is about a half a million people, with another 5.5 million 90 miles NW in Phoenix. Gambel's quail populations are probably at the lowest in history, but there is so much public land that is huntable, if you are willing to drive and hike a few miles you can generally find pockets of birds here and there. Because of the heat, you have to pack water for the dogs. Snakes are always a risk - but a combination of the Red Rocks vaccine and snake-breaking keeps most dogs safe.

Good luck - exciting times!! Congrats on your upcoming graduation.

There are three species of quail in sou AZ. The Mearns is IMHO the most beautiful of them all.....or is the Gambels or the ...you know what I mean. There are millions of acres of public land that you can find birds. The San Carlos Apache RES, about 2hrs away, is one of the finest hunting properties in the USA. Arizona is a great hunting state for the bird hunter and the big game hunter. I know of no other state that offers the freedom and privacy that AZ does. Down side is that Tucson's economy is not very good it sux..... and they more pretty snakes that rattle than I ever saw...LOL. The good thing is it doesn't take alot of cold weather ,because of the heat, to make them dorment.

If you work for the Gov't or a national service company you will do well. Housing market has tumbled.

Georgia is a beautiful posted state. If hunting is a priority stay in the west! I grew up in The panhandle of Fl with acess to alot of bird hunting in So AL and GA. It is now gone. The small farmer is just not there anymore. It is large clear row farming or private posted land.

If you go down there PM me and I can help you get started in the right direction.

Good luck my Friend!!!!!

Where to start....I grew up in buffalo and you will have grouse within 30 -45 min drive. Woodcock are around but usually gone by deer season. That said buffalo is a great place to live. Gotta love the bills and sabres for local sports teams and the Canadian draft beer makes my mouth water.

Now I live an hour south of Fredericksburg and I wild bird hunt successfully. Woodcock season although short is always productive. Grouse are tough as the public land gets a ton of pressure and private land is a commodity. Wild quail are around but I wouldn't shoot them based on the low numbers.

Went to college in statesboro ga and my roommates lab was killed by a cottonmouth before she knew what a duck tasted like. I loved Georgia. Great people an d great history, hated the heat.

God luck with move and job.

When the stars align for AZ, there is no better bird hunting on earth! Mearns by far are the best birds I have ever ran a pointing dog on! Gambles can be fun, and the Scailees would give any ringneck a run and run and run for their money! But wow can it get hot!

I'm about 45 mins north of Fredericksburg. There are a handful of quail around and do seem to be making a slow comeback in the areas I hunt. Real estate is manageable in that area but you do not want to go any further North. Traffic on 95 from fburg north is horrible. Plenty of preserves around. There is also the waterfowl option throughout the region. Hazards maybe Copperheads but I haven't seen one in 15 years, but the ticks can be thick.

Angus wrote:The Drought in the west is putting a hurting on birds. I feel really bad for my western brethren. Hopefully things turn around soon out that way.

Exactly right, all the birds have died out West because of the drought. Ultracarry just shot the last of the quail in California this week.

Actually I left four for today so I could bring a hot blonde hunting. Man life is good. Pen raised birds for the rest of the year and hope for rain.

With that criteria it sounds like you should move to North Dakota!

1. Real estate costs (very low)
2. Birddogability (tons of birds)
3. Urbanization (Want something moderate) Fargo is a wonderful city, has everything a person needs/wants...nothing like the movie!
4. Hazards to birddogs (Heat, snakes, gators, etc) Early in the season heat and maybe a few snakes out West other than that no real hazards.

Fargo is on the border of MN....more wonderful fishing and hunting in MN.

Low crime rates up this way

Only 3 hours to Minneapolis, 2 1/2 to Canada, 3 1/2 to Lake of the Woods, 2 hours to South Dakota....

It's a mecca for hunting and fishing up here!

Vision wrote:

Angus wrote:The Drought in the west is putting a hurting on birds. I feel really bad for my western brethren. Hopefully things turn around soon out that way.

Exactly right, all the birds have died out West because of the drought. Ultracarry just shot the last of the quail in California this week.

Yeah cause we're talking about California and all of the birds dying out. :roll:

Maybe someone should contact the Sierra Club and get all of the upland species on the endangered species list.

Seems it's more the Midwest than the West dealing with the sever drought. It's still all west of me. Sorry for not being exact. I thought the drought extended into Colorado, Arizona, and Idaho My internal drought compass must have glitched out from a bad batch of beans. Good thing I have environazi climate change sites to reference instead of the good'ole telephone.

I live thirty minutes south of Macon and work even closer. Macon is a cesspool of crime and corruption. If you choose Macon, be sure and look at real estate in the surrounding areas of Bibb county (which Macon is a part of), or preferably Houston county. Real estate was through the roof here a few years ago but has come down considerably with the housing market. a friend of mine closed on a 1600 sq ft house built in 2000, with 5 acres yesterday for $108,000. The same house sold in 2005 for $160,000. If you have or plan to have kids, I would strongly recommend Houston county over Bibb because of school systems.

Bird hunting is virtually non-existant. I hate to be a downer on that but you are looking at buying birds to put out, paying top dollar to hunt put out or early release birds at a preserve, or you are struggling to find enough birds to keep your dogs interested. You can get involved with some of the trial circuits if that is your game and keep your dogs interested. I personally hunt my dogs on the few wild covers I have available, and put birds out for them on occasion. It sounds bleak and it is, but I enjoy spending time behind bird dogs, so I make it work. You also have the option to travel for your hunts, but you have a long drive to get to good wild bird hunting.

The heat and humidity is extreme in the summer, the winters are very mild. There absolutely ARE gators in macon. Virtually all of the lakes and creeks have them. Macon is in Middle Georgia and is much more similar to south Georgia than North Georgia. Snakes are common, with eastern diamond backs, timber rattlers, and cotton mouths are the most common of the nasty ones. When I was duck hunting, I was picky about where I would hunt until it got too cold for the gators. The snakes don't bother me, I don't run my dogs in the woods during summer but I still work them. The heat is definately something you have to plan for, I always carry plenty of dog water and I have water troughs in the yard during the summer.

If I had the choices you have, I think Tucson would be a done deal. I have lived out west and enjoyed it. The outdoors opportunities are better in my opinion. My son is young and my wife and I have family here so we're not leaving, but if it weren't for that I wouldn't stay in this area.

Shoot me a pm if you any questions specific to the macon area and I will see if I can help.

ultracarry wrote:Actually I left four for today so I could bring a hot blonde hunting. Man life is good. Pen raised birds for the rest of the year and hope for rain.

I go hunting for the peace and quiet I see that has escaped you.

Want to thank all of your for your input. I have to juggle some pretty stellar student loan debt so real estate cost and urbanization contrasted against my salary will be the biggest indicator. The way the position works out is new graduates come on for about a year and a half, being trained and evaluated that time until I am fully accredited within the company and can apply to internal job postings anywhere in the country. I think I will end up going with Macon just for the fact hat it will give me more play with my income to pay down my financial aid debt so when I relocate after I apply for a permanent position in the company I can head west... wish I could go to ND!

Sincerely, though, thanks to everyone for your help.

Got a question for you folks who hunt Arizona. What precautions do you take for snakes and such besides snake-breaking your dogs?

Macon is a rough neighborhood, I would stay far away from it.

Stoneface wrote:Got a question for you folks who hunt Arizona. What precautions do you take for snakes and such besides snake-breaking your dogs?

I'm in SoCal but we have plenty of snakes here too. Besides snake breaking I don't hunt dogs until the weather gets cool. Upland season here starts about the middle of October. I don't hunt until the end of November.

Snakes in UT all over the place, I dont really do much to avoid them!

Elkhunter wrote:Snakes in UT all over the place, I dont really do much to avoid them!

+1.

In AZ you don't see them during the heat of the day, late afternoon mostly around roosting time. Just hunt and don't worry. The south is full of vipers.....worry!

Just got my new Boykin pup the Rattlesnake Vacine. Cost $30 at the vet. Will snake break her as well in the Spring.

JoePaTurfShoes wrote:Just got my new Boykin pup the Rattlesnake Vacine. Cost $30 at the vet. Will snake break her as well in the Spring.

When you get back, go to see Bob Hansen and Desert Phesant Rec up the road in Coodledge, AZ. He is good and fair priced for snake breaking.

Stoneface wrote:I walk for my degree on the 15th and have a job offer with the option to go to Tucson, Macon, Fredericksburg or Buffalo (also Dallas, but I know that area well). I have a few criteria I'm using to make a decision:

1. Real estate costs
2. Birddogability
3. Urbanization (Want something moderate)
4. Hazards to birddogs (Heat, snakes, gators, etc)

I'm looking for any advice or input anyone can give at all on any of these areas, especially within the context of cost and very especially within the context of raising, owning and running birddogs.

Thanks, everyone!

i worked in buffalo, ny.terrible place to live and hunting is bad.
i live in northcentral pa.
forget about pheasants here,they are put/take and too many hunters for birds stocked.
wild grouse are not great and hunting pressure is very bad on grouse too.


if i had choice just looking at BIRD hunting it would be MAINE.
i only hunt wild grouse no pen raised chickens with hunters using 10 ga shotguns in fields.

cross BUFFALO off your list and i would say macon also.
i think fredricksburg could have decent bird hunting, dont know.

jim

Elkhunter wrote:Snakes in UT all over the place, I dont really do much to avoid them!

same in pa. we dont take pups into woods in northcentral pa from late april until october do to snakes. we have TIMBERATTLERS here.

MATT4126 wrote:Where to start....I grew up in buffalo and you will have grouse within 30 -45 min drive. Woodcock are around but usually gone by deer season. That said buffalo is a great place to live. Gotta love the bills and sabres for local sports teams and the Canadian draft beer makes my mouth water.

Now I live an hour south of Fredericksburg and I wild bird hunt successfully. Woodcock season although short is always productive. Grouse are tough as the public land gets a ton of pressure and private land is a commodity. Wild quail are around but I wouldn't shoot them based on the low numbers.

Went to college in statesboro ga and my roommates lab was killed by a cottonmouth before she knew what a duck tasted like. I loved Georgia. Great people an d great history, hated the heat.

God luck with move and job.

MATT, tell him about snow off lakes all winter? :roll:

If you move to Tucson arm yourself because you will be in the middle of a war zone with the illegal Mexicans.

trigger1989 wrote:If you move to Tucson arm yourself because you will be in the middle of a war zone with the illegal Mexicans.

With all due respect, I think that may be a little overstated.