Choices
Of Interest | ScoutingWe have had upland bird hunters seek to do their own off season scouting. While permissible in a specific form, it is not overall advisable. What off season upland bird hunter access we offer is simply to drive around and view the leases from the road. We do not allow any off season bird dog running, work or training on our leases. The reason for this is that our land is for during the season bird hunting quality alone. If we were to allow off season dog work then our land would experience additional pressure that does not enhance hunt quality. Or, it becomes more like public land. Any pre season scouting before the hatch success rate can be evaluated is simply wasted effort. Any scouting after the hatch and brood months is to expect to see chicks in the grass, a futile effort. Those pheasant and quail seen from the roads will always be inadequate and happenstance to judge the surrounding habitat or the fall's bird hunting potential. This brings us to one of the three facets the Association brings to the self guided upland bird hunter. We offer first private lease land secured for the do it yourself hunters' use. Second, we provide a local lodging listing that also includes tow truck and veterinarian services every where we lease land. Third and to the point of this discussion, provide recommendations of where to bird hunt. The idea is amore leisurely approach to upland bird hunts through confidence of having places to hunt and a plan before leaving home. Those recommendations are for the first year member to get them jump started as to where to hunt for what they are after. Typically, after the first year most hunters develop favorite areas, feel confident with the Association and explore on their own thereafter. However, getting them started off in the right direction that first year does much to enhance their satisfaction with the Association and the quality of bird hunting we have. Why all of this works is how we manage hunter pressure. We never have too many upland bird hunters in the Association at any one time and never allow any hunts in excess of what the habitat will carry. If we provide good upland bird hunts throughout the season the hunter will renew his membership. We recognize that and so should the hunter. Too Many ChoicesYes, there is a lot of land to chose from and even when we narrow it down to a specific upland bird region there may still be 40,000 acres to select from. One aspect about our self guided hunts is that we get the hunter to the point of where he parks his truck, steps our and hunts. That last part is the hard part - the hunt part. Regardless of how good our recommendations may be it always comes down to the hunter must hunt on his own. It is through that method and that method alone that hunter sets up for himself years of hunting to come though making his own hunts. It also does mean that initially that hunter will walk as many bad as good fields, he will eventually find more of the better spots and soon have more good spots than time on any trip to hunt. Others have attempted variation to this get out and hunt requirement and they never work. One variation is the hunter that seeks a chance to hunt with one of us (Association staff) thinking we have an inside track on all the best bird spots and a hunt with us is a guarantee of a great day. We do not hunt with members just from the favoritism aspect alone. Add to that, that we hunt for our enjoyment and choose to hunt alone with our dogs as it is the dog work that gains us that special satisfaction that drives us to hunt. Add to that, our dogs are well disciplined and we have little tolerance for dogs of less reliability. Add to that, a hunting buddy personality and style match is very difficult to achieve and happens elsewhere before the hunt and not on the hunt. Another variation is for the new member to want us to identify right down to property number, tree line and spot where the coveys are. At this point we wonder what part of "do it yourself" was mistaken for during the website review and telephone screening interview. To expect such guidance is to seek a guided bird hunt. We do not guide and we do not allow any guiding on our properties. We offer no other answer to this bird hunter seeking to be led by the hand other than to get out and hunt. The coveys are where they are found and the hunter that needs the very acre identified where they are will not be successful regardless of the degree of assistance provided.
Multiple Hunting DisciplinesThe kid in the candy store syndrome where once an upland bird hunter starts to see all that is possible he tries to bird hunt more than he has time to adequately cover. No matter who we are, we neither have the energy and typically the time to hunt more than two disciplines within one season. Those that do simply spread themselves too thin to be good at any of it and require far more luck than skill to achieve satisfaction. If wanting to hunt multiple disciplines on one year do so incrementally, start of with a concentrated effort at upland bird hunting the first season or two then expand out to a deer hunt. The proof of this approach are the hunters that tell us how they simply wore out trying to upland bird, waterfowl and deer hunt during the same trip.
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