What is your favorite upland game bird to hunt?

ChukarCountry · Post by **ChukarCountry** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 2:14 pm

I think this is a fun question "What is your favorite upland game bird to hunt?". I know that this will vary greatly by what is available but none the less. It should be a fun poll.

Thanks

fishvik · Post by **fishvik** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:05 pm

I like sharptails. I like the terrain you hunt them in and the fact they are a native bird. After that are my favorites in order: quail, pheasant, forest grouse, huns and chukars. That order because those are the most available to me.

gittrdonebritts · Post by **gittrdonebritts** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:55 pm

I love to hunt old bob, you really get to see a well trained pointer slam and hold his point longer then some birds that run a lot like Phez or some of the desert quail.

jarbo03 · Post by **jarbo03** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:32 am

Watching a good dog work a wild phez that wants to run does it for me, stumbling oupon some quail is an added bonus. Have really enjoyed my couple trips chasing hungarian partridge in Montana also, thats a fun bird. I really enjoy prairie chicken also, from hunting them in september like phez, to the discipline it takes for a dog to sit perfectly still and mark while pass shooting them in january.

jayhawkj · Post by **jayhawkj** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:59 am

For me and my dogs we love nothing more than hunting the Bobwhite Quail!

Birddogz · Post by **Birddogz** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:08 pm

Ruffs and Late season pheasants. They really require a dog to be on the ball. No mistakes are tolerated. Wood cock are the best for young dogs.

Ryman Gun Dog · Post by **Ryman Gun Dog** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:42 pm

For me nothing comes close to hunting Thunderking, I do like hunting wild Quail, both Texas Bobs and Az Mearns can produce fantastic dog work, but spooky Pa Grouse can't be equaled for incredible dog work, and slit second gunning. There is nothing like shooting a true double Grouse that has exploded from under the snow, as your dog
stands point. The icing on the cake is the instinctive retrieve to hand of both birds, from a great Grouse dog. Few men and their dogs get to experience it happening.
Fewer men actually get to own the dog.
RGD/Dave

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:15 pm

I don't care in the least what we are hunting as my total enjoyment comes from the dogs and the people you are hunting with. I have never owned a Pheasant dog, Quail dog, or a Grouse dog, as I insist that they hunt birds. I never even check to see how wild the birds are(but I never saw a tame one) and I don't recall the dogs checking there wildness or age either. Good dogs and good friends and you can hunt any place for any bird and it is the most enjoyable thing a man can do.

Ezzy

ACooper · Post by **ACooper** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:00 pm

I tried to vote for pheasants three times but it wouldn't let me!

nikegundog · Post by **nikegundog** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:20 pm

+1 on pheasants, but only the wild ones. Take a flusher to a game farm, and you can leave the gun at home while the dogs just catch them.

birddog1968 · Post by **birddog1968** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:49 pm

nikegundog wrote:+1 on pheasants, but only the wild ones. Take a flusher to a game farm, and you can leave the gun at home while the dogs just catch them.

I work on a shooting preserve and walk my lab at heel to flush in front of my pointers....in a 6 month season lab has caught two hens. Maybe your local game farm doesn't have good birds or isn't raising/keeping them in a manner conducive to producing good fliers.

I chose Mr Bob on the poll. Nothing like a nice covey find.

nikegundog · Post by **nikegundog** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:05 pm

Only been to a game farm twice, will probably never go back. Even on wild pheasants my lab would catch them, especially early season.

CowboyBirdDogs · Post by **CowboyBirdDogs** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:46 am

I love hunting pheasant, this past year was my first opportunity. But bobwhite are also awesome, but for the younger guys we haven't got to experience the 20+ covey days that the glory days had.

Mountaineer · Post by **Mountaineer** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:01 pm

Same answer as in the 3/1 Poll Forum question:

Ruffed Grouse as my favorite gamebird to hunt.
Ruffed Grouse as my least favorite gamebird to kill.

Favorite has more to due with personal history, attached tradition and, preferred location than any particular gamebird, IMHO.

I have often wondered what I would choose if a pheasant was skulking in a U.P. alder tangle or if a ruffed grouse was found tight in a Kansas CRP field.

gripper39 · Post by **gripper39** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:20 pm

I love love phez but don't mind catchin a covey or 2 of quail.

burke · Post by **burke** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:23 pm

Well I am offended... not really...but where does the ptarmigan fall in the survey for folks? For me It is becoming my favorite, but that is largely due to where I live. They are found in beautiful wilderness country and the season is long which allows for a great variety of conditions and challenges to hunt them under. They are a beautiful bird with variations of plumage over the seasons that most game birds do not have.

Reality is though, I love to hunt birds with dogs, any bird. They all have their own unique qualities that bring the pulse to a high level of anticipation for the season or the day afield.

Birddogz · Post by **Birddogz** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:23 pm

I've always heard that you could kill Ptarmigan's with a sling shot.

nikegundog · Post by **nikegundog** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:42 pm

I've always heard that you could kill Ptarmigan's with a sling shot.

No your thinking of the bird they call a Snow Cock, you can kill them with a sling shot or just stomp on them with your boot. There defense mechanism is to stick there head under a rock.

CowboyBirdDogs · Post by **CowboyBirdDogs** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:06 pm

Birddogz wrote:I've always heard that you could kill Ptarmigan's with a sling shot.

A guy from my church grew up in Alaska and is moving back in the 3 months and said they would sneak up on one and knock it out with a stick. First time I'd heard of that. There was an article in either the PDJ or GDM about ptarmigan hunting a couple months back.

burke · Post by **burke** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:39 pm

Birddogz wrote:I've always heard that you could kill Ptarmigan's with a sling shot.

We sure save a lot of money on lead and powder that way and the dogs dont care how they die (stick, rock, or just throttle them with your bare hands) so long as they get to retrieve them.

Plus you never bite into any lead at the dinner table.

The sling shot we save for the few birds that actually fly

It is not very challenging or fun to hunt ptarmigan, we just got nuthin else to do in the 3 hours of daylight that we have on winter weekends.

Birddogz · Post by **Birddogz** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:06 pm

Doesn't Alaska have good Ruff hunting?

Heck, sometimes it's nice to have an easy hunt!

OhioVizsla · Post by **OhioVizsla** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 1:48 pm

When I'm home in Ohio, it's always woodcock. But when I'm in South Dakota, then it's pheasant. Or if I'm in Michigan, then it's grouse. Really, anytime I'm hunting alone over my dog it doesn't matter what the bird is. It's the challenge of finding & outsmarting them alone, & shooting them all with a 28 gauge, that I enjoy. Here is a woodcock photo I took today in Ohio.

burke · Post by **burke** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 1:14 am

birddogz...we do have ruffs in Alaska. Calling it good depends on the area and what you compare it to. Different areas of the state, just like most states will have better populations of the same bird.

Where I live, I would call the ruff hunting medium. My comparison is to Montana and Vermont (when I was a kid). When I look at the three states, Alaska falls in the middle. Vermont would be better, at least when I was younger and hunted grouse there it was better than what I have seen here in Alaska. However, I have not hunted the entire state of Alaska for ruffs, so my comparison is based on limited experience here.

Bottom line for me is, similar to Ohio Vizsla, any bird in season hunted over the dogs is exciting to me.

Troy08er · Post by **Troy08er** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:17 am

It’s chukar and quail for me. Here’s a fat limit of wild quail I took in the local hills around my area.

Runningdog · Post by **Runningdog** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:12 pm

Love chasing wily roosters in SD or Iowa, the best ones are the pressured birds 800 or 1000 yd. jaunts before you pin them down them are the fun ones...

Elkhunter · Post by **Elkhunter** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 3:28 pm

Wheres the love for the Chukar??? The bird challenges the physical prowess of man and beast!

ultracarry · Post by **ultracarry** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 3:52 pm

Elkhunter wrote:Wheres the love for the Chukar??? The bird challenges the physical prowess of man and beast!

I've only gone for a hike a few times to see if chukar actually exist.. I found a feather or two.

I think I'm going with troy next year for a day or two...

JWP58 · Post by **JWP58** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 6:33 pm

heck the only option i have hunted is dove!

But i desperately want to hunt quail, phesant, chuckar, grouse,.....and anything else!

Troy08er · Post by **Troy08er** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:49 pm

Elkhunter wrote:Wheres the love for the Chukar??? The bird challenges the physical prowess of man and beast!

A few chukars while hunting the high desert in California. This was a really cool hunt. We started off at a water hole and Gator was able to track them down about 2 miles away. Just wish I could shoot alittle better.

Elkhunter · Post by **Elkhunter** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:07 pm

You and Ultra come east next year and I will take you on a complimentary death hike for the devil bird, I got a few decent spots I would need to blind fold ya but we will get some shooting for sure!

Troy08er · Post by **Troy08er** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:23 pm

Elkhunter wrote:You and Ultra come east next year and I will take you on a complimentary death hike for the devil bird, I got a few decent spots I would need to blind fold ya but we will get some shooting for sure!

Sounds great. What time of the year is the best? I have some great friends in Beaver that I'll see a few time this year.Hope to tag a buck during archery season.Have my fingers crossed for the draw.

ultracarry · Post by **ultracarry** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 12:01 pm

I'll go just tell me when.

Quill Gordon · Post by **Quill Gordon** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 3:34 pm

I dunno, I sure do like a Ruffed Grouse neighborhood

Elkhunter · Post by **Elkhunter** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:24 pm

Troy08er wrote:
Elkhunter wrote:You and Ultra come east next year and I will take you on a complimentary death hike for the devil bird, I got a few decent spots I would need to blind fold ya but we will get some shooting for sure!
Sounds great. What time of the year is the best? I have some great friends in Beaver that I'll see a few time this year.Hope to tag a buck during archery season.Have my fingers crossed for the draw.

Anytime is good, come out mid octoberish or first novemberish and you will be good, try to get out here before snow fall so its easier hiking! These are top secret spots so you will be blindfolded and I will carry all GSP units and clear memory!

jk

fourtrax · Post by **fourtrax** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:00 pm

I prefer whichever type of bird I am hunting at that time!

baileydog2007 · Post by **baileydog2007** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:58 pm

I would definately say ruffies and pheasants are tied for first for me. For different reasons, I love them both.

I go to SD 2x a season for pheasants and have often thought of trying somewhere else for quail or chuckar. What is a good place for those 2 birds? I know SD lives on pheasant hunters, I only hunt public land and do just fine, are quail and chuckar country the same?

Troy08er · Post by **Troy08er** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:38 pm

Quill Gordon wrote:I dunno, I sure do like a Ruffed Grouse neighborhood

Wow,that looks like some tuff hunting and quick shooting

fishvik · Post by **fishvik** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:49 am

baileydog2007 wrote:I go to SD 2x a season for pheasants and have often thought of trying somewhere else for quail or chuckar. What is a good place for those 2 birds? I know SD lives on pheasant hunters, I only hunt public land and do just fine, are quail and chuckar country the same?

Baileydog, You can find both birds along the Snake River Area of w. Idaho, e. Oregon and se Washington. There is alot of public land available and there is even a chance of shooting huns and blue grouse on the same trip. The quail are Californias not bobwhites.

PrairieGoat · Post by **PrairieGoat** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:19 pm

Even though I'm not sure it is classified as an upland bird, I had to go with dove. There is something about wingshooting dove that I've always loved.....heck if I could get a good dove hunt all season I might not hunt anything else!!! They give even the best shotgunner a pretty good challenge and you get a LOT of shooting (at least in a decent hunt). Heck my hit/miss ratio is probably a couple hundred percent worse for dove than any other traditional upland bird. The real downside is that I don't let my dogs go with me though!

If we are talking traditional upland game birds then has to be the good ol' wild South Dakota Ditch Chicken.....there's nothing that stirs my blood like pheasant hunting in late fall/early winter. A close runner-up in bobwhite quail.....just love them because they hold so well (generally) for a dog!

ROTTnBRITT · Post by **ROTTnBRITT** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:54 am

For me ruffled grouse. Only wild bird here. The game commission stocks phez. They are fun to Chase. But enjoys looking for the elusive ruffled grouse more.

nldd · Post by **nldd** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 5:33 pm

Birddogs,if you want a good ptarmigan hunt come to newfoundland, i can tell you from 30 plus years of hunting them you need more than a sling shot or the back of your hand :roll: they are no different than ruffed grouse,,,,,,some places you can kick them with your boot and others your lucky to get a point,if a dog of any breed can't hold them at say 25 to 30 yards and more as it gets later in the season , you won't need a helper to carry your game bag back to your truck at the end of a long day..........lorne

Ryman Gun Dog · Post by **Ryman Gun Dog** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:08 pm

Burke,
You do understand the Ptarms are just a different part of the Grouse family, I love em, especially the Red ones in Scotland, walk up shooting is some of the best Grouse hunting in the world, the white Ptarms in Alaska are great also, but nothing tops the Pa Ruffed Grouse for me. Yep I have been addicted from age 10 when my Grandfather taught me to hunt behind his Ryman Grouse dog, absolutely nothing comes close to Thunderking, when hunted by a good Grouse dog, especially with a fantastic Elsie double gun. There is a lot to be said for our Pa traditon.
RGD/Dave

My buddy Harold playing with Daisy one of our female Ryman Grouse dogs, after taking a fine pair of Grouse on a Pa mountain top.
Even the dogs get excited about all this Grouse hunting stuff. Nothing in the world, that you can do standing up, beats the feeling of a fine Grouse hunt.

nldd · Post by **nldd** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 3:57 pm

Hi Dave,what you say about ptarmigan is correct the only difference i see between redgrouse\willowptarmigan is they change to white in winter, their call , size , shape and flight seem the same.we also have rock ptarmigan but the numbers aren't as big , or as wild. ..........i have seen willow ptarmigan flush many times 100 yds out if you or the dog come over a hill late in the fall when they are white and their's no snow on the ground on a windy day....lorne

JKP · Post by **JKP** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:54 pm

I find Ruffs and Sharpies to be a real challenge, especially after the first few weeks of the season. IMO...there is nothing more satisfying (and better to eat) than 2-3 Ruffs after a day in the woods. But then again, the challenge of October Sharpies on a breezy day out in the grasslands just gets your blood stirring.

Crashola · Post by **Crashola** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:42 pm

I grew up in S.D., so pheasants were always tops. Since then, I've moved west and become obsessed with hunting the big country for chukar and huns.

rschmeider · Post by **rschmeider** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:50 pm

145.JPG

Ruff Grouse for me...love to see a late season cove coming out of snow

vols fan · Post by **vols fan** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:40 pm

I grew up hunting quail so i really like south ga bobs.

Dirtysailor · Post by **Dirtysailor** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:42 am

While I don't have the pics that Ryman and Schmeider do I have to concur Ruffed Grouse are the king. I will have to remember my camera next season.

GUNDOGS · Post by **GUNDOGS** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:58 pm

I love going out for pheasants!!!..i remember one time my husband and i were hunting at a preserve and i looked down and a pheasant was literally a few feet from me and i noticed my husband looking at it with big eyes and i yelled DONT SHOOT!!..i actually think he was debating

....ruth