Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: riflehunter on May 04, 2021, 04:34:51 AM

Title: Upland advice
Post by: riflehunter on May 04, 2021, 04:34:51 AM: Have posted on here a few times about upland hunting. I’ve always focused on big game until the last few years when I got my dogs a 3yo GSP and 2yo griffon. I am looking for someone to talk to on advice on place to go or what to look for. Basically any advice is appreciated. I do a lot of release sites on west side and do a few trips east for pheasant but not finding the number or variety I am looking for. I would like to get into the steep wide open country of chukar and Huns, with quail as a bonus. Not sure where to start or really where to go. Currently in mason county but travel to east side for hunting all the time.

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Title: Re: Upland advice
Post by: KP-Skagit on May 04, 2021, 07:21:10 AM: Without giving up any spots for chukar the river breaks of the Columbia, Snake and many of their tributaries hold birds. Chukar love rock structure but you will commonly run them out of there into open grass hillsides. That is where you will also get up huns sometimes. Huns seem to be on the tops, benches and sometimes in thickets in chukar country. You can also find huns in the open farm land of the Palouse, they seem to be much more versatile birds.

Chukar are not particularly a hard bird to find but its a hard hunt, up and down canyons, and covering rough terrain quickly. It is not uncommon to see dozens birds in a day some days maybe even a couple hundred. (Key word is see, not necessarily get a shot at or even get close to.) When you are chukar hunting, have your ears open, they will talk, particularly when you have busted up a few groups and the singles hold tighter.

I will also say that I hunt a flushing dog so my experience is a little different.

I personally have never gotten into quail while chukar hunting. But that is just me.
Title: Re: Upland advice
Post by: metlhead on May 04, 2021, 09:46:49 AM: pm sent
Title: Re: Upland advice
Post by: Kola16 on May 04, 2021, 10:21:45 AM: This is where the hunting pamphlet is actually useful :chuckle: See the attached pic. Any one of the highlighted areas on the map holds huntable chukar numbers. Notice how it highlights the areas KP-Skagit said. Chukar like rock outcroppings at the top of steep bare hills that line the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Quail love thick cover right next to water so they can be found along small brushy creeks. Sometimes there are small brushy creeks at the base (lowlands) of chukar country. The thicker the better.

As far as pheasants, I cannot help with that. The only pheasants I have seen in good numbers are always on private property. The further away from the roads, the more I tend to see, but still scarce. Drive a road in the Palouse surrounded by private farm fields and you could probably limit with your truck tires :chuckle: