These things are worse than chuckars! There is a big lot of CRP behind my fish farm, and I've taken to hunting it a couple of times a week. Had a hard time convincing the owner to let me hunt it, untill he figured out I was after the huns, not the pheasants....

Anyway, the good is that my new pup found her first covey, tracked it, and held them for about a minute!

The bad was that I didn't figure out she was tracking, and then holding. Just thought she was finally increasing her range some.

The ugly isthat I'm 0-for-15 on shots so far. UUUGGGGHHH. Them's little birds at 50 yards, and they do not hold closer than that!

First it was for sport. Now, it's just about getting even..! Dutch.

Heavy loads of 6s, and they hold better on very cold days, usually.

Dutch,
I have found that, over here a .22 GOES A LONG way to satisfying that revenge factor. If it makes you feel any better we have been doing the same thing over here.

I have many times had the same problem but have discovered some tactics that improve my opportunities for good shots.Usually the coveys around here seem to have an area or direction that they prefer when flushed.Once you figure that out make your dog approach them from their prefered direction when flushed they are more likely to scatter and dont fly as far.Where I hunt there is not a lot of cover except around the irrigation ditches and the birds tend to go there during the middle or warmest time of day and hold better in this heavier cover.Dont talk while hunting and try to keep verbal commands to your dog to a minimum.w/regards

[ 11-13-2002, 18:51: Message edited by: gophershooter ]

They also don't seem to take to being hunted often. I seem to get 1, sometimes 2, runs through and they get too smart. 15 times and they're probably a leeeettle spooky.

Dutch,

What are huns? Last time I heard, they stopped hunting them after the great war.

Mark,

Huns = Hungarian Partridge.

We don't have them in Kansas.

Tim

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

Huns = hungarian partridge = gray partridge = Perdix perdix. Pretty little bird, orange brown head, a little less than a pound.

Anyway, my average has been slowly improving, and I even shot a nice double the last time out with the dog. Hard wind and cold, and they do seem to hold much better. Dutch.

I have hunted them in Manitoba. They held well for the dog but are tough S.O.B's!!. I crushed one over a cut wheat field and crippled the second bird. I went after the cripple and when I returned the bird that went poof like a feather pillow exploading was nowhere to be found.

Rich,

I've made that mistake before. I did it with a pheasant, another tough bird (I swear their feathers are made of Kevlar.) Now I always get the one I know I got, and then worry about the one I think I got.

I think it goes like this "one bird in the game bag is better than two somewhere in the tall CRP grass."

Two weeks ago in South Dakota, one bird made it 50 yards on the ground (no exaggeration), with TWO BROKEN WINGS AND ONE BROKEN LEG, before the dogs found it!

Tim

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!