Upland bird do it youself hunts & hunters

Choices

Of Interest

System For Success

As a do it yourself upland bird hunter organization we are set for execution of wild pheasant and quail hunts, not the training of hunters, dogs or propagation, just the execution of self guided upland bird hunts. However, we have observed a good many new to the Association resident and non-resident hunters and pass on what has been the most successful approach to our wild bird hunting.

This is our attempt to remove some of the mystery for the first time central mid-west self guided bird hunter. The idea is that those that hunt with us will have a plan long before leaving home and will know exactly where they will be upland bird hunting each day of the entire trip plus have a place to stay. The importance of this is each upland bird hunter can have the adventure of new hunting spots, hunt both pheasant and quail and enjoy the challenge of learning a variety of habitat. That same upland bird hunter may feel confident that when finding a favored bird or habitat type of returning to that region each hunt.

First stop of the hunt, one dog, one hunter, three birds. Looking at the shadows shows this to be early in the morning. The value gained from good dog work on plenty of birds results from the right habitat in the right region of the state and then controlling hunter pressure.

Thanks Kenneth for the good picture of a fine looking upland bird dog.

Mistake

The first aspect that occurs once hunters find the range of options we offer is to try and attempt to do too much right from the start.

A common mis-step is to try and hunt each of our three states as the upland bird season opens as they do so sequentially from Iowa to Missouri to Kansas and then repeatedly retrace those hunts through the season.

This multi state approach does have the advantage of offing a type of tour of the three states and shows a great range of habitat. Within that range of habitat most hunters will find one more suited to his dog power and hunting preferences than the other. If the idea is to take such a tour, then that is a good course of action to take. That is as long as the attitude is to learn regions and not the bird hunting within any one region. However, the dynamic that is far more prevalent is that hunters want successful hunts as soon as possible.

Fast Track

Those that seek the most successful upland bird hunts on the fastest track possible will do better by taking a more concentrated approach to breaking into the Association lease land.

That concentrated approach begins with settling on one bird species between the wild quail and pheasant hunting we offer. After that decision contact either Jon Nee (he runs pointers almost exclusively for quail) or John Wenzel (setters and brittanys spread between pheasant and quail hunts) and they will recommend a choice of regions of where to hunt.

Once a region is selected that hunter is well advise to spend the majority of his first season hunts within that region. Not necessarily hunting the same farm from day to day as any one region will have tens of thousands of acres, but the concentration is on that region's predominate habitat type - the key point. Learn the habitat and how that one species of bird occupies that cover.

That first season bird hunter if concentrating on a particular habitat type within one region will soon find increasing levels of success on subsequent days and hunts. As success grow so does satisfaction and once a certain level of satisfaction is achieved that same hunter should expand his horizons.

An interesting March covey observation. Every bird in this covey was a male. Not one hen in sight (nesting is may - June and Brooding from June - July). These are the ones that stood still long enough for a zoom lens picture. The covey numbered somewhere above 10.

Create Choices

Expanding horizons is the development of the same concentrated understanding of habitat and birds in a nearby region that having knowledge of a second area allows for the choice of where to hunt on subsequent hunts or seasons.

That having a choice will become all the more valuable when a spring nesting and brood period experiences adverse weather one year while the other region does not. Having that preparation work accomplished in more than one region allows for that flexibility of having a choice of where to hunt based on bird population cycles and during season weather conditions. That may make all the difference to salvaging a hunt during a bad weather year or maximizing a first season pup's exposure to the highest concentration of birds.

Than last point about first year dog exposure to wild birds is the ideal fit to our self guided hunter approach to private land hunting access. This aspect of working with the hunter capable of his own hunt execution and dog training makes life a lot easier than those that required a guided effort.

Once an upland bird hunter has at least two regions of good boots on the ground time for his first bird of choice (quail or pheasant) then expanding out to the second bird of choice and a new set of habitat types allows for that added bit of adventure of exploring new ground.

Under this concentrated approach to breaking into MAHA leases it will take 1-1/2 to 2 seasons worth of time and that time can only be paid for by the hunter with his walking the land.