Upcoming season, hunting for huns

[Lowcountry SC]

I have a new puppy and will be training her this spring. I would like to take a break from our bobwhites and put her (and my 6 y/o) on something different this fall. A friend of mine suggested huns in either Montana or Saskatchewan. I've hunted pheasant in SD, but it wasn't conducive to good pointing dog work.

I'm not asking for anyone's honey hole, but I would like to receive some suggestions on general locations and best time of season.

[fishvik]

I would suggest either eastern MT or ND in Oct. once it has cooled off a little.

[Lowcountry SC]

I'm told huns are more difficult to hunt once pheasant season starts, so the earlier the better. Any truth to that?

[jarbo03]

Have never hunted them before pheasant season starts, only in late October. They seem to love to run and flush wild at times, was very fun with a first year dog.

[chukarmandoo]

My experience with Huns is, they are an honest bird and the best for a young pup. They seem to hold the best of any bird I've hunted and for dog work I don't think there is a better bird. At the flush the whole covey will rise and there will be no stragglers. For me they are great to hunt but I mostly hunt Chukar but when I get into Huns its a blast. When I take the young pups out I try to target areas where there are more Huns. Their sent seems to be better and it really gets a young dogs attention and they seem to be more steady on point. Hunt them when ever you can. No special time. Just got to know where to find them. Dan

[Gordon Guy]

This last year I hunted them quite a bit...It was an up year for them in my area. My best day is 12 coveys in 5 hours. These birds don't let dogs get close. And if the season has been going on a while and the birds have been hunted before... they get really flighty. I've had dogs go on point and I've walked 20+ yards in front of the dog only to have the covey get up out of gun range. Wind also plays a role on how well they'll hold. These birds are much more tolerant of dogs in the spring when they pair up. I've been running my dogs on them every weekend since the end of the season. Even in the spring 10 yard flushes are considered close.

I've heard of dogs that will move in and "Pin" a covey, but I've never seen one do it. I think a good Hun dog should have a lot point and point their birds from a good ways back. One that can cover the country and is fairly independent, doesn't spend a lot of time coming back to you.

I just spoke to a Biologist about Huns a few days a go at our Sportsman Show. "Their up and down popluation cycles are more dramatic than other birds."
So plan your trips accordingly, (i.e. Be flexible) They are tougher ( Not as dependent on certain food and habitat types) than Chukar. They can also tolerate snow better.

[fishvik]

They can also tolerate snow better.

They are known to actually burrow into the snow. I remember hunting them after a big snow storm while I was going to college in N. Idaho and hunting a fence row when my dog locked up in the middle of a snow covered wheat field. I walked out thinking he was pointing voles and the snow exploded with huns.

[Cooper]

If you can get on a lot of huns, DO IT. They are the bird that seemed to really get my dog to the next level. If you get into a lot of coveys your dog will learn a bunch in a short time and it translates to the other birds as well...not including the evil ditch parrots...LOL ! Huns will run and walk off though at times ! If the dog points them from too far back they will sometimes simply start walking away. I have seen them do it a number of times. The dog will learn how to handle them and he will get schooled a little bit, but the learning process is so much fun to see develop and watch as their wheels turn trying to figure out where the birds are, how careful they start acting after a few mistaken flushes, how close they can get etc. It won't take long for you to be able to tell when things are iffy and when he is locked up hard with birds pinned. When it all comes together and they are slamming covey after covey and you are getting good shooting opportunity it doesnt get any better.

[crappieguy]

I've hunted them for many years in southern Manitoba and all over Saskatchewan....they're both great especially where there are cut canola crops close to slough edges and coulees. Canola is tough on your dogs underside...so fit it with a vest. They're super fun to hunt. They like to run and then hide...you'll still see their heads , but the dog will love it.

[JonnyNC]

Just out of curiosity, are there still huntable populations of bobs down in the Lowcountry? From what I've read, back in the old days there used to be so many birds they were a nuisance. I've heard that there are still some around on the big plantations, which I hope is true. It would be a shame if they were all gone.

Good luck with the Huns, they're a lot of fun to hunt. I wish I could help but I don't know enough to be a good source of info.

[mtlee]

Just out of curiosity, are there still huntable populations of bobs down in the Lowcountry? From what I've read, back in the old days there used to be so many birds they were a nuisance. I've heard that there are still some around on the big plantations, which I hope is true. It would be a shame if they were all gone.

Good luck with the Huns, they're a lot of fun to hunt. I wish I could help but I don't know enough to be a good source of info.

I was born and raised in SC, Pee Dee area...Upper part of the state for college and Charleston for dental school. From my experiences the bobwhites are few and far between. Ran into a few in Francis Marion National Forrest and up around Sumter on WMA land. There is a covey or 2 on my parent's farm that I see/hear just about every time I'm home. Fairly decent woodcock populations around the coast.

Got to try to find some Grouse or something while I'm temporarily re-located to yankee land.

LowCountrySC,

Good luck, I'm actually in the process of planning a trip to MT. Their Fish and Game webiste is very good, they have an upland hunt planner.

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/hun ... anner.html

I've hunted out in KS a few times, never MT....trying to change that.