OK AR forum members,

Where's the best place to go upland bird shooting in the lower 48?

Let me clarify my question a bit.

Given the prolonged drought we are experiencing here in West Texas, we will once again be facing dismal quail and dove numbers again this year.

Time has come to strike out and look for someplace to get into some birds. Phesant hunting does not cut it - 3 shots and you're done for the day (snooore)!

Where can a guy go to bag multiple species daily? I'm all for hiring guides / stayng at fancy lodges, or just going out into where ever and chasing birds!

Where to go this fall?

Doves - you are restricted to the Federal limit in states that have dove hunting.

Quail - A nice plantation in Georgia

Woodcock & Ruffed Grouse - Maine is wonderful in fall

Alaska - You can hunt all three Ptarmigan species on the same hunt (Willow, White-tail, Rock)...although this may not count because you asked for Lower 48

Hawaii - Bird hunters paradise...lots of exotic species of doves, pheasants, francolin, partridges.....this may not count either but I just wanted to give you the option just in case if your significant other wants to tag along.

Rail Hunting (yes, they are considered upland birds). New Jersey for Sora. Coastal Virginia for Clapper.

sonora mexico...... ducks and brant in the morning, a couple hundred doves in the afternoon, or covey after covey of wild quail..... ciudad obregon comes to mind..

make sure to go with a reputable outfitter

Jeff,
California is going to have a great upland season for valley quail, gambel quail, and chukar. The rains were perfect. Western Arizona looks good for gambel quail too. Better yet is Baja California. Esteban and Alfredo Meling run a quail hunting operation in the San Telmo Valley (Rancho Coyote). Last year we shot all the quail we wanted to shoot and this year looks even better. We did not stop the truck on coveys less than 200 birds. You can also pair this up with a pheasant hunt in the Mexicali Valley. You'll shoot 8 wild pheasant a day and dozens of dove in the evening. These hunts run about $700 for a two day hunt. That includes permits, lodging, food, guns and ammo. It's a safe and easy drive from San Diego. My son manages Driscol Berry Farms in Baja and we have a great time. I believe this is the best wild quail hunting to be found. I try to bird hunt all season long. There are outfitters in CA that offer good hunts (Harold Horner Chukar/quail. They are more costly but offer sporting hunts. This is not planted pen reared shooting....

lb

The Southeast, and Georgia in particular, has some terrific quail hunting operations.

Sadly, with few exceptions, you will be shooting released birds.

However, the better plantations do the best they can to obtain and keep birds in such a way that they covey up and fly about as close to wild birds as you can hope for.

Most places can add pheasant and chukar to a hunt.

For a full day's shoot, with a guide and his dogs, you'll pay from $425 to $800, which usually includes lunch.

A lot of these plantations also offer deer, turkey, and other game in season; some have stocked fishing ponds, as well.

There are a few decent plantations close to Atlanta, but south Georgia is generally hailed as the Quail Capital.

Quail season is October - March.

If you want some contact numbers or websites, PM me.

MEXICO???? Yikes! (and I just came back from Afghanistan where it is relatively safe LOL)

Mexico has had some bad reports for sure but the Baja quail and pheasant are safe, fun, and productive. I guarantee that you will not find better wing shooting at any price and these hunts are inexpensive. I hunted Chewore North in 2008 and look at what the press was saying about ZIM during the elections. I had a fantastic time with my friend Andy Hunter. I plan to do these Baja hunts often who lives and farms in the same area. Few people participate and that makes it even better. California is going to have a super season too! The rains were perfect.
The Texas border sounds like a war zone.
lb

Good information - thanks.

My "profession" prevents me from going to Mexico, so, I'll have to hear about all the great shooting from friends and forum members!

Thanks for the intel,

JW

LB please could you post the contact information for Rancho Coyote. Tried to look tghem up on the internet with no luck.

Marsh Hens have a high limit, not exactly upland, but in GA you can shoot 40 birds if you find the right combination of the different rail species. Combine that with some coots, and you could shoot 55 total birds per day.

Wyoming end of story. Ruffed Grouse, Blue Grouse, Spruce Grouse, Sage Grouse, Chuker, Huns and Sharptail Grouse. Oh and Phesant too.

quote:

Originally posted by Cheshire:
Wyoming end of story. Ruffed Grouse, Blue Grouse, Spruce Grouse, Sage Grouse, Chuker, Huns and Sharptail Grouse. Oh and Phesant too.

Same species in Montana. In Idaho you can add valley quail to the above.

465H&H

My vote is for western Saskatchewan, just on the south edge of the South Saskatchewan River over close to the Alberta border and maybe 100 miles or less north of the U.S. border by well-paved mostly two lane roads all the way. You can stay in the small town hotels almost for free (and they all have combo pool rooms, dance floors,and taverns, and separate eating facilities, in the same buildings.

I personally think it is the best upland bird hunting by far anywhere in North America. LOTS of grouse, including blues, sharpies, ruffed, sage, spruce, and genuine prairie chickens. Also lots and lots of China pheasant, and Hungarian partridges.

Mostly open flat or slightly rolling wheat or barley fields, no fences, and a house about every one to two miles but a lot of them are no longer occupied. Most wheat farmers have several sections (square miles) of land, as it is hard to make a living on any less than that. Very few places are posted, and those that are often grant permission to hunt birds if asked, so long as you don't drive across the grain fields. Naturally it always pays off in the long run to go after the hunt to say thanks and leave the landowner some birds, fresh fruit, or liquid potables, but other than that, I have never had to pay to hunt anywhere there.

All of the birds are native, wild, birds. No put and take. If you time it right, you can also hunt geese, ducks, and sandhill crane on the same fields at the same time of year.

There are a LOT of big deer and antelope right there too, huntable at the same time, but that costs foreigners a sizeable chunk of change as non-resident aliens will have to employ a guide and the licenses/tags aren't cheap.

BTW, the little dying prairie towns are great places to relax and enjoy a real hunting vacation. Often the population is not much more than 100 people, if that. Fairly often you can buy an empty small older somewhat ramshackle house right in town for a couple of thousand dollars or less tbe last one I bought was $700), just to use as a hunting headquarters the next time you go back...and you WILL go back once you've hunted there.

The tavern attached to the motel is where pretty much all the adult locals spend most of their evenings out, and the attached cafe is where the locals pretty much all have breakfast, exchange info, talk about grain prices, and predict the weather....not to mention who's kids are "sparking" each other, how the local school sports team is doing (often baseball or hockey in those rural towns) and just generally being friendly.

I'd rather hunt SW Saskatchewan for birds than anywhere else I've ever been on earth, and I've been a lotta places.

Edited to add: I left out Valley Quail, which are probably tied with the Huns for being most numerous of all. They both are pretty much everywhere.

I should also mention that though the same species are found in the American NW, the hunting pressure is far lower in Saskatchewan, and I've seen WAY more birds there than in the PacNW... I've hunted every state west of the Mississippi.

Alberta Canuck,
That sounds very interesting. Can you name a town to get me started on locating the area on a map?

Thanks again, you are a wealth of information.

Scott

Alberta Canuck you've let the cat out of the bag!!! The bird hunting can be fantastic in that area, I've been deer hunting and seen literally hundreds of pheaants in one day. Huns and partridge on the same day were beyond counting. That was in a good year though and after this past winter I've heard that numbers are way down. The other thing is there is no pheasant hunting for non-residents anymore. That includes non-residents from other provinces as well as the States...unless you have an outfitter.

The huns and partridge have tags now so you get I think 30 hun tags and 20 partridge, probably not the correct numbers it's been awhile. I kind of like that tag idea because you can shoot to your hearts content on a good day.

Goose shooting has over taken ducks in that area of the province because there isn't as much standing water as there used to be years ago when it was a duck hunters paradise.

People often think that because there doesn't seem to be landowners around that it's wide open access and that aint so. I've also seen a lot more no hunting signs in recent years. It's still easy to get access if you walk. Incidentally the size ot the deer antlers in that area of the province is somewhat diminutive compared to other areas. I think it must be the fee/nutrients that are available. I just haven't seen anything big and I've hunted there a lot.

So there's my take on the idea. It's a great area to hunt and worth the trip but it's also not like it was in the "golden" years."

I'd look in the exact area Canuck has pointed you to.The further west you get the hillier it is and less cropland/more grazing. I'd go across north of Glasgow and hit that area if I was inclined. Also talk to the hotel owners and gas station owners they have all the connections.

What about bringing a dog in with you?

I researched this a bit but din't call the border dudes so be warned to do your own calling. It seems as long as you have a recent vet bill of ggod health you should be fine. I don't see many dogs in that area of the world but I'd love to hunt with one as it would make things a lot nicer.

There are a couple of lodges that are near the border of two different states that allow you to hunt 2 different states the same day -- pheasant, huns, quail and waterfowl are available depending on which bordering states you hunt.

King ranch area around New Years. Dove, quail, sandhills, goose and duck. Waterfowl in the morning on the Laguna, quail mid-day and dove in the evening around a tank. Too much fun!

Perry