Retirement hunts?????

[Hotchkiss]

I will be retiring soon and looking for ways to occupy my time. I would like to get back into bird hunting, but bird populations in the east just stink now days. I remember when quail and grouse were plentiful. For those of you in the east do you travel often to hunt or just take the dogs to preserves?

[RickB]

Both. I am near Chicago. Illinois has pheasant, but finding them is a challenge and it is almost all on private land. Suitable land is often sewed up and secured by another hunter who is local. So, the vast majority that I hunt is preserve birds. But I will still head to Northern Michigan once a year to hunt real birds.

[birddog1968]

Both....but finding a good preserve can be tough....most are a compromise.... Where are you located?

Here's a picture of a small portion of the club I belong too.....

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[jack the dog]

Tell us where you are willing to travel to for birds and we can give you some ideas.

Here in WNC we have a few grouse, and zero quail, but for any amount of volume hunting it is either a long trip to the Midwest or a short trip to a preserve.

[RayGubernat]

No wild birds to speak of anywhere near me, except for woodcock when the come through. I got into trialing, mostly because the dog work was more important to me than shooting birds.

Everyone is different, but I get a whole lot of enjoyment working with the dogs. It keeps me active and engaged. I also hit up area preserves every now and again, but more often than not, training and local trialing is what I do.

Trialing and testing comes in all kinds of flavors. Not all of them require massive investments in equipment and such. As long as you are not super competitive, you can have a lot of fun with the dogs... for not a huge amount of money. if you do tend to get competitive, be warned. It can be addicting and can indeed get expensive, as well as very consuming of your time.

RayG

[Hotchkiss]

Tell us where you are willing to travel to for birds and we can give you some ideas.

Here in WNC we have a few grouse, and zero quail, but for any amount of volume hunting it is either a long trip to the Midwest or a short trip to a preserve.

I am thinking of moving upon retirement, but willing to travel most any place.

[llewellinsetter]

the UP here in Michigan has great hunting, also the main mitten has some decent public land spots that hold birds. a lot of the farmers around my area have no problem with me going out on there property, and we have a ton of great preserves in this area.

[fishvik]

I'm getting ready to pull the pin myself (343 days, but whose counting) and I already live close to good bird hunting but my plan is a tent camp adventure for hunting quail in the southwest. Tent camping is pretty doable through Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas through out most of Sept., and Oct. and later in the year in Nev., Ariz. and N.M.