What's your quarry?
 

Now that the season has ended there's plenty of time to reflect on the passing season. I find myself wondering where I am in my pursuit of game birds. I've always hunted wild birds and the two birds around here are Woodcock and Ruffed Grouse. Now all the great writers tell their stories of chasing Ruffies with great fanfare. I find it nostalgic and tradition tells me that they should be my pursuit, but thats not my story, thats not in my heart. I'm a Woodcock man and I have always been. Now don't get wrong I love chasing grouse, but it just doesn't have the same appeal as hunting Woodcock. I always come to the same decision, year after year, what is going to be the chase this year, Ruffed Grouse or Woodcock and Woodcock it always is! So to coin a phrase, what's your "pursuit of happiness"? I'll leave you with a picture to motivates me year after year

Have the same print that my sister gave me about 40 years ago. Have always liked it as it hangs in my den. Still pursue woodcock here in the UP of Michigan as we have good flights in certain areas every fall.

I wish I could choose between the two, but it's impossible to choose my favorite.
I prefer eating woodcock but too many of them need to be killed to make a meal. So I simply sautee woodcock breasts as hors d'ouvres after a day's upland hunt.

I used to be able to bring down most of the woodcock I shot at, but these days I seem to miss more of them..... must be related to aging.

Grouse, on the other hand, are the most gallant (but sneaky) of gamebirds and I do pretty well, but their numbers have declined somewhat in the past few years.

But I am not a meat hunter... Even on those rare opportunities I've had to shoot my limit, I just won't do it. Call me crazy, but...






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I live in a little farming community in North East Clark County NV. For me, Gambel's Quail is a short walk.
It's the same thing, every time. A couple of German Shorthairs, my old hunting partner Chuck, and an old Parker VHE, and we're off.
The beauty of growing old is, I don't need a lot of birds to make me happy.
Four birds between the two of us is a good day.

Chukar are my passion
 

For me it has to be wild chukar with California valley quail a close second. Living in northern Nevada there is unlimited areas to hunt and I just like walking the hills and watching the dogs. Numbers are down this year but we seldom fail to get into birds. Attached is a picture of my Brittany and a friends pointer pointing a few quail in a cut field. My hunting partner is trying to get a picture of the flush.

I have yet to find a wing shooting quarry that I dislike! But, Snipe hunting and Dove hunting are in a dead heat, with wild Bob's in third these days. It used to be Bobwhite's hands down, but hyper expensive lease prices for decent quail country, wildly fluctuating populations have driven me out of the Setter business, and I switched to Vizsla's, a few years ago. We have grown to love these unique, multi talented dogs.

Mallards over decoys

Grouse are what fuel my upland passion. Growing up in SE Ohio, i really didnt know much about those funny looking long beaked birds until my Uncle Sam explained to me that many people pursued them with bird dogs. We were rabbit hunting at the time and would flush quite a few woodcock over the course of a hunt in Nov and Dec. I became addicted to grouse hunting, and shot my first with an old Stevens 12 ga sxs--one of those with the nylon stocks.
I have never developed much of a taste for woodcock however, and often pass up shots on them if we are moving good grouse numbers, it just doesnt sit well with me not to eat what I shoot. If I am training a young dog, I do make an effort to get them into woodcock.
It was a strange season for woodcock this year in the UP. Those who went early had hot temps, and told me they didnt do well. I was there the last week of Oct, first week of Nov, and only moved 4 woodcock in 2 weeks--but the grouse hunting was very good. I didnt move many woodcock in Ohio this year either.

Last year was "The Lost Fall" for me. Daisy wasn't able to hunt and the month of October spent in the U.P. was pretty much a dogless venue. As Harold noted it was hot and it rained..a lot. If I were to put a label on my upland bird hunting endeavors it would be as a Grouse hunter. I like Woodcock also but the Grouse is king for me. Next fall I'll have a young shorthair with me and I hope to be able to get him into some flight birds just for the practice if nothing else.

It's all about grouse and woodcock for me. But, no longer do I find the need to kill to have hunted. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the hunt as much as I ever have, but these days it's all about the dog.

My most memorable hunts, however; have been sharing a blind duck hunting with a good friend.