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Author Topic: New to hunting birds  (Read 3075 times)

Offline Recon

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New to hunting birds
« on: December 05, 2018, 06:06:14 AM »
Ok I’m not new to hunting birds. I moved here in 2005 with the army and haven’t hunted birds since. I’m from North Dakota and grew up hunting ring necks and waterfowl. When I came out here I went hunting the first time to one of the release sites and decided that’s not what I’m looking for.anyhow I got me a new shotgun and want to get back into it. My question is back home I hunted without dogs all the time with success. Just walking coulees and draws. Is it a waste of my time to got bird hunting up here without a dog?

Offline MR5x5

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2018, 07:06:19 AM »
Sorry, suspect you know the answer, but in my opinion no dog = exercise.  Just not the volume of birds to get lucky and step on many.  Sure it happens but I'd bet the success rate is 1/20th of what you'd get with a decent dog.

Offline T-Bone

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2018, 07:14:53 AM »
Sorry, suspect you know the answer, but in my opinion no dog = exercise.  Just not the volume of birds to get lucky and step on many.  Sure it happens but I'd bet the success rate is 1/20th of what you'd get with a decent dog.

A big X2...You can hunt forest grouse W/O a dog, but the snow this time of year limits access in the mountains.

Waterfowl is a very possible option for you. Check the WDFW website for areas.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2018, 03:50:36 PM by T-Bone »
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Offline bobcat

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2018, 07:46:00 AM »
If you want some really good exercise, I think you can do okay chukar hunting without a dog. The worst part will be having to retrieve them yourself, and if you wound one it'll get away for sure, but a coyote or hawk will have a nice meal.


Offline Bob33

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2018, 08:20:44 AM »
I've done a fair amount of chukar hunting without a dog. It is exercise, but what's wrong with that. For starters there are places in the Yakima Canyon with public access. Drive, park, and listen. When you hear chukars (laughing at you) give it a go. Good luck.
Nature. It's cheaper than therapy.

Offline John B

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2018, 07:01:37 PM »
You can do well grouse hunting without a dog. Other than that I wouldn't recommend it. Even if you get lucky and shoot one, it will be next to impossible to find it.

Offline Tiger1358

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2018, 08:14:05 PM »
It's not a waste of time, I have killed a lotta pheasants at the release sites without a dog. Most of the time, you can team up with hunters that have dogs, and you will find a lotta hunters missing when shooting at the birds and I was the first one who'd take advantage of it and shoot the birds. It is harder, but don't avoid it just because you don't have a dog. Most likely you will meet a hunter with a dog that would want to hunt with you later.

Grouse is the easiest without a dog, as well as the quail.  I have never hunted chukar in WA, so can't say anything.

Long story short, my answer is YES, go hunt them !

Offline Recon

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2018, 11:03:43 PM »
Thanks for all the replies and advice. I’m not really into the release sotes. I guess I’m just not used to it. The one I went to was a zoo kinda like that combat fishing, not my style. I kinda figured the bird hunting wouldn’t be quite as good as back in eastern Montana and ND. But I was hoping. I’ve was thinking grouse. I’ve hunted plenty of sharp tail grouse back home, but I assume you guys are talking about the forest grouse I read about on here. Is a shotgun the best tool for that job or .22. Is the best recipe for success for them driving the back roads till I see one, walking through the timber, or working clear cuts? Again thanks for the advice.

Offline Tiger1358

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2018, 12:46:46 AM »
Personally, I use 22 in Sep and early Oct when the grouse are not spooky. Later in the season they get really spooky, so I use a shotgun.
Your best bet would be the logging roads (even a little overgrown, check the example below), especially if you find mixed trees and water sources near. And here we only hunt ruffed, dusky (blue) and spruce (never seen one of those). Dusky grouse are a little bigger and I tend to find them only at high elevations.

« Last Edit: December 06, 2018, 12:53:16 AM by Tiger1358 »

Offline jagermiester

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2018, 05:48:20 AM »
Soooo
Without a dog sucks. Unless you are goose hunting.  If you enjoy waterfowl might as well concentrate on the king of em.
Become a goose hunter
Lead em if they're running.

Offline Cab

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2018, 04:53:16 PM »
Personally, I use 22 in Sep and early Oct when the grouse are not spooky. Later in the season they get really spooky, so I use a shotgun.
Your best bet would be the logging roads (even a little overgrown, check the example below), especially if you find mixed trees and water sources near. And here we only hunt ruffed, dusky (blue) and spruce (never seen one of those). Dusky grouse are a little bigger and I tend to find them only at high elevations.

This photo is exactly what I look for when grouse hunting! Get to this road BEFORE you can hunt, sit and wait till good shooting light(enough that you can shoot/see in the woods) and then walk it as far as it can go. Stop every 6-10 steps and listen for movement. I work the birds hard on the roads in the morning till about 10 then I do pushes in the woods till about the last 3-4 hours of sunlight then I start hitting the roads again. thats my  :twocents:

Offline joe_dumy

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Re: New to hunting birds
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2018, 10:19:25 AM »
You can hunt without a dog. I have done it for years. You get a sense were the birds are and when they will flush. You will need put your time in and learn a bunch in the woods. Sounds like you figured it out back home so you just need to get out there and start hunting. You will pay way more attention to cover food water etc when hunting without a dog.  Bird numbers are way less so lower your exspectations and enjoy. Add mushroom hunting, foraging and rock hounding to your hunt and you always find something.  I average about 5 miles of walking per flush on grouse on the wet side and thats hunting good places where i know there are grouse. Good luck.

 


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