Gun Dog Forum

Sorry, but I couldn't list all fifty states.
I have had many arguments with my brother about this one.

The Last Frontier, hands down!

I have shot lots chukar, Huns, quail, and pheasants in Oregon (lots of public land too!!!). There are not too many places where you will find such a variety of wild upland game except maybe Idaho. Waterfowl and grouse hunting are also available in Idaho, but I usually head west for chukar.

It is a toss up between North Dakota and Idaho. Based on numbers of one speices, N.D. on variety Idaho.

North Dakota

Naw, North Dakota has gone down hill pretty badly. Too many hunters. I would stay outta there. Go to Idaho, birds everywhere.

The best place I have ever hunted is Alberta.

I've only got experience hunting in one state.

Illinois isn't bad, if you're a resident and/or have access to private land. From what I've heard in the past, SD was the state to go to. Now Idaho? What about Iowa? Oregon?

Well I guess I'll just have to make time to try 'em all.

Lots of people going to Montana these days for early hunts.

lvrgsp

Montana is a hit or miss state. If your in the right region it can be bang on. On the other hand you and your pooch my walk along ways in between birds. I have met guys who have been there and hunted for a week and only seen a couple coveys. As for S.D. I have never hunted. But I have been told, don't know for sure, that 70-80% of the phesants are pen raised. In my opinion I can go to a "farm" alot cheaper.

Wagonmaster wrote:Naw, North Dakota has gone down hill pretty badly. Too many hunters. I would stay outta there.

I agree. The hunting pressure is ridiculous for such a sparsly populated state.

That is what I like to hear. It just leaves more for me.

Which ever I happen to be hunting in at the time.

crl

Thor wrote:But I have been told, don't know for sure, that 70-80% of the peasants are pen raised. In my opinion I can go to a "farm" a lot cheaper.

Thor, where did you here that one? I'll agree that some of the big outfitter operations do supplement with released birds. But this is mainly to get classified as a preserve so that their clientele have the option to shoot more than the 3 per day limit. South Dakota is absolutely king when it comes to Phez. And yes these are WILD BIRDS.

Tom you need to look behind the curtain, ask around. In the 80's when we hunted in SD we learned that the DNR was doling pheasants out to the farmers to stock in the spring. I spoke to a wildlife biologist on an airplane in AK about three years ago, and he said the had stopped just a few years earlier, but lots of farmers still buy them and put them out.

In the area where we hunt in ND that blizzard in 97 wiped em out in an area of a couple of hundred square miles, pretty much completely. They came back in just three years due to stocking efforts of the DNR and all the little sportsman's clubs in all the little towns in that area. Every little town will have a group that puts out a few hundred a year, cause the locals like to hunt em, and it brings business into town. There is a lot of stocking going on locally, and where there is money to be made, there is more stocking. I won't say that none are wild, the stocked birds hang around, make a population, and nest. But pheasants are alot less of a wild bird than most of us would like to think.

We'll I will not deny what you said about some re-stocking going on, especially pre-CRP era. But I would still have to believe that mild winters, ideal spring breeding conditions, and CRP has had the most significant affect on the Phez population in the last 5-10 years. I do know this to be true where I hunt in SW ND. I hunt on private land and have known the landowners for 15 years, and in those years no restocking efforts have ever taken place on their property. They do manage the land for Phez with food plots and cover, but no restocking. Some years have been better than others, generally do to weather such as extreme drought or hail during early summer, etc.. but they have always bounced back without restocking efforts.

Pen raised or wild, there are lot of them and I sure wish we had birds here in IL. There are a few quail in southern IL and a few Pheasants in the cetral part and not much of anything in the north. When you have flat ground that is farmed from road to road there just isnt any winter feed or cover and little nesting cover. With out the habitat there will never be birds.

Looking at the pics of the different areas that some of you have just makes me drool. We have turkeys and deer but that is about it. Upland we must be near the bottom since the big snows in the late 70's. Need to go to western Iowa at least to get to good hunting.

Ezzy

We'll Ezzy, you need to pack up the gun and dogs and head west to the land of wide open prairie. I think anyone who is a hard and true upland hunter should make at least one good trip to the Dakota's in his or her lifetime....

Sounds like good advise Chaingang. I want to see my dogs in some open country with birds. Most of the hunting in the east is small fields and fence rows at best and it just isn't the same.

Ezzy

I made my only trip to South Dakota in 2002. I don't know how much things have changed since then, but those birds were awfully wild to have been pen raised. I'm not talking about late season either, this was week two (nonresidents can't hunt the opener).
Anyway, if you want to make the upland hunt of a lifetime, consider Alaska. Three species of ptarmigan, four species of grouse, liberal limits, and all the public land you could ask for. And I promise you that these birds are 100% wild!

You know I have seen some hunting shows on satellite where they were up in Alaska hunting Ptarmigan. Don't know if this is the normal way they do it, but this particular show they flew in to a remote area and hunted. Being in Alaska I suspect you have to be somewhat on the lookout for bears? Birds seem to covey up somewhat like sharpies. Looked like it would be allot of fun working some good pointing dogs on those things.

You don't need to fly to remote locations to bird hunt in AK. I do most of my hunting less than an hours drive from Fairbanks. There is a ton of public land and few bird hunters. There are so many species of upland game birds and most of them use different habitat, so you can't really go wrong.
As far as bears go, I'm always on the look out, but I've never had a run in while hunting. My dog did get nervous one day and ran back to the truck, but I don't know for sure if it was a bear she smelled or what.
It is a lot of fun working a dog up here, but where isn't it?

kansas, its got tons of pheasent quail and prairy chickens. also got a fair amount of ducks and geese.

I have only upland hunted in Ohio and Iowa, but Iowa was sure a good time. This was in eastern Iowa last fall and it was nice and rolling and 3-5 birds put up an hour. The dogs had to work hard and lots of walking, but it was almost perfect for pheasants in my mind.

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Oregon, Idaho and Washington have the most kinds of differnt uplane birds and the numbers to back it up. Great pleaces.

Pepper

I know I'm late but I have to say oregon. We can hunt for 5 months. We hunt ruff and blue grouse in sept and quail (mountain and valley)and chukars till jan 31 I don't hunt alot of pheasants and we even have sage grouse if you put in for tags. Grouse and chukars are mostly on public ground so no door knocking

Oregon or Idaho - Montana ain't bad neither

Not Idaho.... Definately not Idaho.... And i'm not just sayin that to keep ya'll off my huntin grounds either.... or am I?

Okie, what species are there in AK? I am aware of the two ptarmigans, willow and rock, and ruffed and spruce grouse. What else is there to hunt upland, especially in the open?

Pryor Creek Okie wrote:....... Anyway, if you want to make the upland hunt of a lifetime, consider Alaska. Three species of ptarmigan, four species of grouse, liberal limits, and all the public land you could ask for. And I promise you that these birds are 100% wild!

Amen! It simply is heaven on earth ... my only fear is that I run into that bear on the Kenai....

I would say WA state. On the west side you have pheasants, grouse, ducks and goose. And on the east side pheasants, quail, and chukars

I used to say that if I had to have only one place to hunt in the world ,it would be corridor 5 miles wide on either side of the Snake River in Idaho from Marsing to C.J. Strike Dam. I'd have had pheasants, sage grouse, chukars, huns, valley quail, doves and waterfowl along with mule deer. Fishing was good too. With all of the development though this is no longer true and I think the best hunting is still in Idaho but farther north.

I began this post two and a half years ago. At the time my answer would have been South Dakota but I must admit, after doing some research I am looking forward to hunting Oregon. I think it may offer a better variety of species. If anyone is from that area I would love to get some input on what area to concentrate in if I get the opportunity to make a trip up there.

Wagonmaster wrote:Okie, what species are there in AK? I am aware of the two ptarmigans, willow and rock, and ruffed and spruce grouse. What else is there to hunt upland, especially in the open?

White tailed ptarmigan, sharptails, and blue grouse.

Chaingang wrote:

Thor wrote:But I have been told, don't know for sure, that 70-80% of the peasants are pen raised. In my opinion I can go to a "farm" a lot cheaper.

Thor, where did you here that one? I'll agree that some of the big outfitter operations do supplement with released birds. But this is mainly to get classified as a preserve so that their clientele have the option to shoot more than the 3 per day limit. South Dakota is absolutely king when it comes to Phez. And yes these are WILD BIRDS.

i have talked to little river pheasants in sd and they just released 4000 pheasants

North Dakota. More waterfowl than any where. Huns, Sharpies,Prairie Chicken, Phez, Ruffed grouse in the turtle mountains, Sage Grouse in the SW corner, Sand hill Cranes, Swans.