Gun Dog Forum

All,

I got this thread going on a different board and have really enjoyed the responses. I was surprised by the one ranking of a lot of respondents. I was hoping to see if this board was any different. So rank your favorite upland targets and a brief explanation as to why. My ranking is as follows:

1) Pheasants. They still get my blood boiling. Although there are far fewer opportunities for these birds now than when I was a kid, they are still and amazing bird. I got lucky and got access to the best property in Oregon.
2) Chukar. They live on Millions of acres of public land. They are tough to hit, physically demanding and excellent table fare.
3) Huns. Considered a bonus bird for chukar and pheasant hunters I find myself targeting them more and more. They hold great for the dog and are abundant on the sagebrush steppe here in Idaho.
4) Valley Quail. Abundant in my area of WW Idaho. hard to hit and in my Opinion the best tasting game bird.
5) Ruffed grouse. Out west these birds are plentiful, but receive little, if any, hunting pressure. However, they are challenging targets and excellent table fare. Of the forest grouse species, I have had a lot more luck locating these birds than the blues.

So what are your favorites and why?

Oh, no!......ranking gamebirds?

Ok. I'll bite. But my list is influenced by my location and experience. Disclaimer: I have never hunted wild quail or chukar, and all the hunting I refer to is wild birds with a dog and shot on the wing.

1a) Pheasant: Both wild roosters and Minnesota Ruffed Grouse top my list. They can be equally as challenging for different reasons. But I listed pheasant first because of that pounding heart, adrenaline rush that happens when a wiley rooster flushes after trailing it.

1b) Ruffed Grouse: I'd argue that in Minnesota no upland bird provides a more challenging shot than these birds. There's a reason success hunting these birds is counted by the flush and not the birds in hand. Plus, the romanticism of shooting a Ruffie through the golden leaves of aspens after it's been pointed is hard to beat.

3) Huns: Scarce and hard to hit.

4) Sharptail

5) Woodcock: I enjoy hunting these little guys because of how similar it can be to Ruffed Grouse hunting but they taste terrible!

6) Spruce grouse: These birds are truly "fools hens" and they taste terrible as well!

Been a lot of years since I've hunted them but Grouse has to be at the top of my list. I always found them in place's that made shooting difficult at best. I've hunted a lot of chukar, huns and pheasant and they are no where as difficult as grouse. I've hunted quail some but where I've found them makes them awful easy! Bet eating? For me, hand down grouse, either Ruff or Blue!

grouse for me just being in the aspen with all the leaves turning there is nothing like it i do hunt some woodcock to but a grouse flush in thick cover that as tough as it gets

1. Ruffed Grouse
2. Woodcock
3. Ducks
4. Geese

Reasoning? That's what's most available to me where I hunt. We don't have wild chukars, pheasants, quail or any of that stuff. Ruffed grouse reigns supreme for me... woodcock following only because I encounter them while hunting for grouse. Ducks are my next favorite as I love hunting on the water, and geese bring up the rear as I have only recently got into hammering geese out in the fields in the last year or 2.

Nobody has mentioned Mearns Quail??

1 pheasant
2 Huns
3 woodcock
4 Grouse.
5waterfowl

1. Quail (all of them)
2. Huns
3. Sharptail
4. Pheasants
5. Waterfowl

Plan on trying to go for Duskies this season. At some point in my life, would really like to go for Chukars.

Have a great season and be safe!

Frank,

1. Pheasant, grew up hunting them but not many left quite a rush a big roo busting loose crowing on his way
2. Chukar, it's a love hate relationship. Don't know whether to put them on the top or bottom.
3. Huns, same as chukar only not as intense either way.
4. Quail, one of my favorite things is watching a pup get on a covey then hunt up a bunch of singles.
5. Grouse, don't target them much but they overlap some of our high country quail areas.

1. Sharptails-Native bird that lives in fun habitat to hunt.
2- Waterfowl-So many elements to hunting: decoy set, calling, concealment, dog work, etc.
3- Pheasants- Great dog bird and good eating
4- Huns- Great dog bird and wonderful fly tying material
5- Forest grouse- Great scenery and eating.
6- Quail- Sporty targets and great dog bird.

1. Pheasant - the hunting isn't Dakota spectacular in MN, and having grown up in NE MN soley hunting grouse and rabbits, once I got into pheasants (and the dog work that goes with it), nothing can compare (IMO)
2. Ruffed Grouse - 20 minutes away from cover and it's what I grew up with in my small NE MN home town (rabbits were equally to be sought)
3. Huns - only because they're sometimes (rarely) incidental to hunting pheasants

Chukar for us the rest are just a plus. We do go out of state for sharptails and huns and have a fun time for a few weeks.

Same as I posted on the other board
W/C # 1
Ruffled grouses #2
Sometimes it changes to Grouse # 1 ~ w/c # 2

Blue quail!

Gentleman Bob, there really is no other.

WILD bobwhite quail
pheasant
woodcock

db