ShopPosts Tagged ‘montana’
Hungarian Partridge: The Most Under-Rated Game Bird
Sunday, June 19th, 2011
Photo courtesy of Roger Hill
What upland bird flushes in a covey like quail, occupies the big grasslands of the West, rivals pheasant as table fare, and is open to hunting as early as September 1st in some states? The answer: Hungarian partridge.
Also known as a gray partridge, “Huns” are larger than a bobwhite quail, but smaller than a hen pheasant. The males have a beautiful chestnut colored horseshoe mark on their breast, but it’s difficult to identify gender on the wing. Although upland hunters encounter Huns from Illinois to Oregon, the highest Hun concentrations exist in Montana, North Dakota and across the border into Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
If you’ve been in search of Huns before, you know they occupy slightly different grassland habitat than pheasants or sharp-tailed grouse. In particular, Huns tend to be found around wheat fields and seem to relate to “structure.” By “structure,” I’m referring to that lone bush in an expanse of grass or that rock pile in the middle of a cut wheat field. For whatever reason, Huns connect with those odd places on the landscape. I also have had tremendous success targeting Huns near abandoned farmsteads.
Photo courtesy of Roger Hill
My favorite aspect of hunting Huns is their propensity to hold well for a pointing bird dog. Additionally, after the first flush, one can often mark a landing covey to get a second chance. Don’t count on a third opportunity though. It’s been my experience that a covey of Huns’ second flush sends them into the neighboring area code.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
October 2011
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Are you counting the days till October too?
As the snow falls out the window behind me again today, I can’t help but think about pheasant hunting season. Apparently, I’m not alone. According to our website’s analytics, the most commonly searched term driving pheasant hunters to our website the last few weeks is “October 2011.”
My hunch is that folks are already planning their 2011 fall pheasant hunting calendar. While not all states have announced their 2011 pheasant seasons yet, I’ve been able to find opening day dates online for most of the top pheasant hunting destinations. So here you go!
2011 Pheasant Hunting Opening Days
(These dates are tentative, please be sure to check your state’s regulations)
Colorado Not announced till July
Iowa Saturday, October 29
Kansas Saturday, November 12
Montana Saturday, October 8
Minnesota Saturday, October 15
Nebraska Saturday, October 29
North Dakota Saturday, October 8
Ohio Not announced till July
South Dakota Saturday, October 15
Wisconsin Saturday, October 15
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.
Help Create 2 Million Acres of Habitat with an Email
Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
An email from you can help give sharp-tailed grouse 2 million acres of critical habitat. PHOTO BY JOHN POLLMANN
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 14th
In this season of giving, please consider helping all the critters that depend upon healthy grassland and wetland complexes throughout the Dakotas and Montana. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal is poised to give a huge habitat boost with a little help from you.
The proposed Dakota Grassland Conservation Area (DGCA) has targeted more than 240,000 acres of wetlands and 1.7 million acres of grasslands for conservation. The goal is to promote profitable farming and ranching in harmony with wildlife conservation, but it won’t happen without your help. Please send a brief note in full support of the DGCA to dgca_comments@fws.gov
Your emailed support before December 31, 2010 will help future generations of hunters enjoy the thrill of flushing roosters and prairie grouse, support critical habitats for waterfowl production and the dozens of other grassland and wetland dependant birds, and help stewardship-minded landowners.
Thanks for your support!
The D.C. Minute is written by Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Government Relations.
A Bird Dog’s Life List
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Me & Tram after putting a checkmark next to ruffed grouse on her life list.
Over the holiday weekend, I caught up on some reading. An article in the most recent issue of The Pointing Dog Journal particularly caught my attention. The piece titled “My Bucket List” was written by Tom Davis, also a contributor to the Pheasants Forever Journal. As the name implies, Tom writes about the hunting adventures he’d like to have before he passes on. It was an interesting read and likely follows thoughts many of us have this time of year as we review our calendars, health, and dog power for the coming autumn. I wrote a similar blog post a year ago titled “My Bird Hunting Bucket List.”
However, what really grabbed my attention was Tom’s tally of the wild upland game bird species shot over his bird dog. Turns out, this sort of “Bird Dog Life List” is fairly common. A couple of guys; Joseph A. Augustine (English Setters) and the renowned Ben O. Williams (Brittany) have even penned bird dog hunting books on the topic. The consensus is twenty different North American upland game birds constitute a “Grand Slam.”
So as I look toward my own German shorthaired pointer’s fourth season, I have taken inventory on Trammell’s own bird hunting life list. Here is Tram’s current tally: a) species I successfully shot over her point, b) the year it occurred and c) the state in which it took place.
- Ruffed Grouse, 2007, Michigan
- Pheasant, 2007, Minnesota
- Timberdoodle, 2007, Michigan
- Hungarian Partridge, 2008, Montana
- Sharp-tailed Grouse, 2008, Montana
In some respects, I look at that list and feel guilty. There’s the greater prairie chicken I missed in South Dakota’s Fort Pierre Grasslands last year. And there’s the doggy plane ticket to Georgia I couldn’t afford preventing bobwhite quail from hitting her list.
On the other hand, three seasons with Tram have been the best three seasons of my hunting career. And if you consider the dozens of states and subspecies necessary to reach double digits, a guy could go broke chasing this list. Plus, I’ll be in the Fort Pierre Grasslands in three weeks and I smell redemption. Come to think of it, I’ll be in Nebraska (bobwhite quail) and Kansas (lesser prairie chickens) in November too. Hunting season is here and things are looking up!
In the comment section below, post the following: a) your dog’s breed, b) your dog’s name, c) your dog’s age, and d) how many birds on his/her life list so far?
Friday Mixed Bag
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
Keep your eyes peeled for license plates sporting the trademark “Pheasants Forever” rooster on two tracks and highways in Montana and beyond. Proceeds from sales of the new Pheasants Forever Montana license plates go directly to Pheasants Forever’s wildlife habitat efforts in the state. Find more at http://www.doj.mt.gov/driving/platedesign/wildlife.asp.
Speaking of Montana, the state has proposed the regulation of only non-toxic shot for all game bird hunting on all Wildlife Management Area’s in the state for the 2010-2011 hunting season. http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/opportunityForPublicComment/uplandGameBird.html
Read an entertaining “Uplander Profile” of Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Director of Marketing & PR and a fellow Pheasant Blogger, over at the Prairie State Outdoors Website. Kim Price, Pheasants Forever board member, was profiled earlier this year. http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/cockleburs/
Finally, it was announced last evening at SHOT Show in Las Vegas that Jim Range was the posthumous recipient of the Budweiser Conservation Award. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership co-founder and former chairman was selected 2010 recipient by public vote. Deserving award for a preeminent American sportsman-conservationist.
Keeps your vehicle and Montana habitat looking good.
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