Gun Dog Forum

I choose other b/c there is no bad bird to hunt.

But, I have had a lot of fun this year hunting for huns, they could quickly become my favorite.

brandon

My real favorite is the one on my plate at any given meal... but I chose the Ruffie... 'cuz that's what I have here to hunt! They're all good tho!

Gentlemen,
I am a Grouse hunter who owns Grouse dogs, we hunt a lot of Woodcock also, 99% of all our hunting is on wild birds. We even travel around to different states to Grouse & Woodcock hunt. To me there is nothing like Grouse hunting, even traveled to Scotland to hunt Red Grouse in the 70's, got to admit I love Texas wild Quail hunting also, and hunted wild Pheasants in Lancaster County, Pa before we lost our Pheasant program to the politicians, but there is nothing like Grouse hunting for me, its our family tradition and back woods way of life, that makes Grouse hunting so incredible to me. It not just hunting it a way of life.

Levie,
Your Avatar is just fantastic sir.

Wagonmaster,
I agree with your knowledge about Grouse hunting and some dogs being along for the walk and to scare the Grouse,
when you grow up hunting Grouse with good Grouse dogs, you soon learn that not all dogs can be Grouse dogs. I got a big kick out of your post.

RGD/Dave

most hunters can take any dog and go pheasant hunting with friends and have ball.dont even need dog so i can see why pheasants are getting most votes.
same trout fishing, i have whole stream to myself fishing where they dont stock.
stocked areas are shoulder to shoulder.
if we said, stocked trout or native, most would say stocked.

i like GROUSE the best because MOST get away.most times i let them go anyhow so toby has birds to hunt.or toby flushes grouse out beyond 35 yds, i wont shoot.

Although I live in the Mecca of pheasant hunting, I would rather pursue prairie chickens and sharptails, as they take me to wilder country, with fewer fences, roads, and people. I can let my dogs range as far as they please, and prairie grouse hold better for pointers than pheasants do, at least through the first half of the season.

ckirsch wrote:Although I live in the Mecca of pheasant hunting, I would rather pursue prairie chickens and sharptails, as they take me to wilder country, with fewer fences, roads, and people. I can let my dogs range as far as they please, and prairie grouse hold better for pointers than pheasants do, at least through the first half of the season.

CAN I GO ALONG?

Why no love for the chukar bird?? Not a bird alive that physically challenges both man and beast more!

They are out there somewhere!


Get to chase em in the steep boulder country!


Sometimes you find this..

Elkhunter wrote:Why no love for the chukar bird?? Not a bird alive that physically challenges both man and beast more!

Elkhunter, I would love to hunt wild chukars! But they ain't where I am... or is... anyway, a local bird supplier raises them, and I use them to train my dog with... I'm sure the wild ones are much more challenging and I hope to hunt them someday! Love the pics!

Mearns Quail ... if it will ever rain.

Valley quail & chukar is the species in my area. I mostly chase the valleys, if I'm looking to be in bed by 4 pm then I chase the chukar.

I chose other, not sure if ducks/geese was one of the "other" options but i love shootin up the ducks and geese on water or field hunting

prairie chicken

These guys...

Ive always loved grouse hunting, but now that I have a dog again I think even more than deer hunting. Can't beat the challenge even when you know that darn bird is in there there's still a good chance you'll miss or barely get a glimpse of em.

Other, Sage Grouse, wide open country and serious dog work where a dog is required to run on the horizon, I am a falconer so it is a little different game plan.
My other favorites are;

Sharptailed Grouse, Prairie Chickens, and Huns

ckirsch wrote:Although I live in the Mecca of pheasant hunting, I would rather pursue prairie chickens and sharptails, as they take me to wilder country, with fewer fences, roads, and people. I can let my dogs range as far as they please, and prairie grouse hold better for pointers than pheasants do, at least through the first half of the season.

I am with you on your thoughts!

Blue Grouse was the first upland game bird to get me hooked on bird hunting. Some of my favorite hunts were chasing the Blue's. The way and sound they make when they explode out from the ground reminds me of a helicopter.

My other love is chukar. I have had far less success finding chukar but when I do, it's a BLAST! The terrain they inhabit is treacherously breath taking and their ability to outsmart the predator is something else.

Kyle

Any quail is a joy. Chukar is a masochistic obsession.

Bobwhite Quail is by far my favorite amongst the birds I've gotten to hunt so far.

I've never had a bad time hunting any of them. It sure beats being stuck in the city.

I really, really, really, want to try Huns and Sharptails, but I don't see my circumstances letting it happen any time soon.

I don't think I have a favorite but don't care to hunt Pheasant's much. I love Chukars but can't get up to them anymore, love Valley Quail and love Huns. If I could get out and around good today like in the past, Chuckars, Huns and valley Quail would be mostly what I'd hunt. Never hunted Sharptails, maybe someday. When I lived in Montana and Alaska, my favorite bird hands down was Ruff, Franklin and Blue grouse; in Alaska it was Spruce Grouse. Favorite eating bird is the Blue Grouse, nothing in it's class for me.

+1 for the blues for eating. Not a big challenge to shoot IMO.

I'm surprised pheasant is the high bird. Frankly, I find them an easy to shoot bird, being big and relatively slow to get going. And 3 birds and you're done for the day. I do enjoy hunting them, but quail is my favorite, with the mearns becoming my favorite alongside the valley quail.

Other.......teal for shooting and eating.

Hungarian Partridge. Unfortunately I don't get to hunt them very often.

Nate

California Quail