Upland Hunting - General

Highlander

The Strong, Silent Type
The thread is dedicated to upland hunting and things related to it which includes dogs (and breeds), gears, books / magazines, NGO organisations, hunting business, locations, fire arms, licensing / laws, conservation, game species, public lands / habitats, podcasts and the vehicles that happen to be specific for upland hunting.

For me upland is something special. I gave it up when I went to collage and supplemented it with hiking, but as time went by I would find myself checking Instagram pictures and reading magazines about upland again and again. In past two years I said to myself I am not a hiker I am an uplander. I love dogs and hunting birds with them in the wild whether it's in woods, in plains or swamps. I love it all.
When I was at collage I was friends with people that hated hunters and guns, and I grew ashamed of it too, but no more.

It's is incredible and the most beautiful activity I have ever done. I am not a spiritual person but It is my yoga, my church and my poetry.
I am not in sports and never was, so bird hunting and dog training become my hobby when I was a kid while everyone played soccer in my streets. I could not stand it.
Only thing me and my brother wanted to go in the mountains and chase the woodcock. We han an Irish setter and only one gun. We took turns :D

For me it's not only about harvesting a clean meat, it is also about being in the nature, the dogs and the sound the woodcocks makes when she burst out of the thicket, the cold wind on my face and the solitude.
Through upland I have met amazing people, all sorts of people, real men and women.
There are great organisation such as NAVHDA, Ruffed Grouse Society, Pheasants for Ever, JGHV-DL which I am member of. There many more too.

I took a ten years of break, but now I am back. At the moment I don't even have a gun or a dog, buy I made first steps, I moved out from NYC, took a hunting safety test and put a deposit for a pup.
I'll be hunting this time next year with my German Longhaired Pointer and running him through tests and exams.
I turned my gf into a huntress too :D

Let's talk upland here, share pictures, suggestions, stories etc!
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
Welcome back to the fold. It's my main drug of choice as well. We are actually in the early stages of turning part of our ranch into a private day hunt bird ranch as we speak. We hope that by next fall to be up and running with both wild quail and some pin raised varieties. I hope that this thread takes off and I look forward to seeing how the conversation develops here.
 

Highlander

The Strong, Silent Type
We are actually in the early stages of turning part of our ranch into a private day hunt bird ranch as we speak.

That's great. What kind of quail is it? Bobwhite?

And where would be the location of the ranch? I assume it in the South.
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
That's great. What kind of quail is it? Bobwhite?

And where would be the location of the ranch? I assume it in the South.

Yes, wild Bobwhite and pin raised Bobwhite, the pin raised are Georgia Giants. We more than likely would have the other local pin raised standards as well, Ring Neck Pheasant and Chuckar and possibly a Grouse. Yes, south Texas, about two hours south of Houston.
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
a sage grouse?

Not sure, but probably a Prairie Chicken as they are still native to certain parts of the state. We are doing more research on this. There are reports that there are still woodcock here in the eastern portion of the state as well but I have never seen one.
 
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Highlander

The Strong, Silent Type
There reports that there are still woodcock here in the eastern portion of the state as well but I have never seen one.

There are woodcock in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. I would not be surprised if they make to the eastern parts of TX.
The problem is that their habitat, like the ruffed grouse, needs a young forest and young growth. Since many states have resumed the forest industries and management their number has declined in the South.
Ruffed Grouse Society would be a good source about woodcock and their distribution or habitat.

There is also Sage Grouse Initiative.
Now these guys are in a bit different bout but they may have some good resources for prairie chicken too.
My body hunted them in Montana, he really really liked it.

I like you initiative. Keep us posted.
 

EMrider

Explorer
I can’t think of many things I’d rather do than go upland game bird hunting with my family. Beautiful scenery, challenging and rewarding when you get birds. And in CA, finding birds (mainly quail) is a lot of work! I too hope to have a hunting dog someday.
R
 

motorcycle matt

Active member
Not quite true EMrider, if you want to find easy quail in California, just go deer hunting:D Can never seem to get away from them when you're not looking for them.
 

Wyo37

Member
I just got my 3rd brittany. Got a 9yr, 8yr, and 12wk old britts.

This year is going to be nothing but birds for me. Sharptail, sage, blue grouse, chuks, huns, and an assortment of quail.

I've drifted away from bird hunting the past 3yrs, but im knee deep again.
 
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Highlander

The Strong, Silent Type
Sharptail, sage, blue grouse, chuks, huns, and an assortment of quail.

Never hunted those birds aside from chuks. I hope very soon I'll get to hunt them. As much as I like the norther forests of the Great Lakes or North East, especially in the falls, the western landscapes offers something so distinctive that I find it very fascinating. Onec I drove from Tahoe to Utah, through Ely, Nevada. The landscape was surreal. I kept thinking what would it be like to chase chuks in those mountains.

Brittantys are great dogs. I have not seen an American Britnny but I have seen a few French ones and the were very good dogs. Great in the open field and the forest too.
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
I would love to make a trip out to Northern NV, something I've wanted to do for years.

I'd love to do a Chukar hunt in northern Nevada myself. I have a buddy in Reno that hunts them quite often, I need to link up with him soon.
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
Went to the LGS this weekend, always a mistake if you're trying not to buy guns lol, and I had a new little guy follow me home. It's a new Beretta 686 SP1 28ga with 28" barrels, nothing fancy but quality kit and it'll go nicely with the rest of my 686's and 687's. I've been wanting a 28ga for quail for a while now and when it was sitting there right in front of me so I couldn't help myself, the misses just rolled her eyes when I came home lol. I'm looking forward to dropping some quail with it this fall and winter.

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