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You don’t need to put on a Stetson hat once you’re searching Huns and sharptails on the prairies of Montana or Saskatchewan, however you received’t look out of place for those who do. In reality, you is likely to be unknowingly emulating the late Charley Waterman, one of many first and greatest to jot down extensively about chasing chicken dogs throughout the western plains.
If you don’t dwell close to this prairie nation, what do you have to anticipate once you begin to contemplate packing the truck and hauling the dogs out right here to hunt? While the premise of all upland searching is way the identical—comply with the dogs till the dogs discover the birds—there are some issues to pay attention to.
Where is the Western Prairie?
It ain’t known as the Great Plains for nothing. I’m speaking concerning the states from Idaho east via the Dakotas, and the southern halves of the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with loads of “leakage” into neighboring jurisdictions.
This is large nation, and there’s at all times a dialogue available about distance—between chicken encounters, between covers, between hunter and canine, and generally between birds and barrel. The land might be flat, rolling, or downright hilly. The birds we’re after are usually tied to a few issues: native grasslands, grain—particularly wheat and barley—and CRP grass.
The Best Bird Dogs for the Prairie
The only dogs for the open nation are these we’ve come to know as “big running pointing dogs.” These might be any pointing breed, however German shorthairs and Brittanys are those you’re probably to see in an SUV parked behind a motel in Havre, Montana, or Hanna, Alberta in October. That’s most likely as a result of the continental breeds might be barely higher than high-test pointers and setters on the seemingly contradictory duties of searching far and huge within the open nation one minute, after which down-shifting to totally scour a pheasant creek-bottom the following. (Yes, sure, I do know; generalizing about breed deserves is dumb.)
Flushers and retrievers after all do nice work on pheasants, and with expertise can be taught to deal with the opposite birds.
Huntable Upland Species on the Prairie
Huns (Hungarian partridge to be formal) are sometimes in or close to the grain fields, particularly if there’s grassy, weedy, or low, brushy cowl across the edges or working via. Technically, Huns don’t want grain, however they definitely prefer it and dine on it, and likewise contemplate grain stubble to be sufficient cowl at occasions, brief and sparse although it’s. In the phrases of Mr. Waterman, “Huns like to see what’s going on around them.”
Sharptailed grouse dwell in grasslands which are usually used as pasture for cattle, particularly areas with some scattered groundcover of hawthorn, wild rose, buffalo berry, snowberry, or willow. They don’t object to grain and can feed on it if it’s useful, however their foremost requirement is uncultivated native grassland.
As for ringnecked pheasants, via any of the cropland, the low dense cowl alongside water programs and coulee-bottoms is the pheasant’s area.
One of the good issues about this nation and these birds is the overlap in habitat. It’s doable to search out your self in a place with the potential for all three birds in the identical day. You is likely to be pondering sharptail, say, however discover a covey of a dozen squeaky Huns getting up from a CRP area in entrance of the canine. Years in the past in Montana, I shot a Hun and a sharptail from a gaggle of a dozen birds that bought up collectively. I believe they name this a “mixed double,” which on this case was outstanding due to each the “mixed” half and the “double” half.
hick pheasant cowl usually helps maintain flushing dogs in gun vary, however mild sharptail and Hun cowl doesn’t, so it turns into the handler’s job to maintain the canine shut. It’s usually a giant ask to persuade an enthusiastic springer or Lab to remain shut in skimpy cowl. Full-choke, anybody?
If you’re used to listening to the dainty, crystalline tinkle of a bell whereas your setter politely and thoroughly works an old apple orchard in New England, you’ll want to regulate your expectations out right here. Open nation requires a unique vary from a chicken canine—a higher vary—and infrequently the canine’s sense that, stretching out earlier than their handlers grow to be comfy letting them accomplish that.
How far ought to a superb pointing canine go to search out some Huns? I’m solely being barely flippant once I say, “All the way to the next covey.” If your canine is reliable, that means that he doesn’t run off or get misplaced, and is dependable along with his birds, let him roll. My setters vary out to 2 or 300 yards however shorten up when the duvet will get slightly heavier or the chicken scent slightly denser. I can see them a part of the time; the remainder of the time, I depend on a beeper and GPS collar. When considered one of them disappears over a excessive spot within the area, I simply cease and watch for him to swing again in entrance of me after which we supply on. When he doesn’t come again? One of essentially the most thrilling components of this searching is not only seeing your canine go on level however discovering him already on level.
What to Expect from the Weather
And there’s the climate, at all times the climate, which is characterised by extremes. In Montana in September, it is likely to be too scorching to soundly hunt a canine for prolonged durations. In Saskatchewan or Alberta in November, it’s going to seemingly be chilly and might simply be snowy. There’s additionally wind—generally slightly, generally rather a lot, however almost at all times some. If you want a handy excuse for both your canine’s or your efficiency, the wind is likely to be simply the ticket.
Getting the Right Upland Gear
You’ll want all the standard stuff you employ close to home, with just a few doable additions. I did a fast evaluate, and listed here are some gadgets that keep in my package bag all fall: water bottles for the dogs and for me, dog first-aid kit, forceps (quill elimination), canine brush, a stout pair of wire cutters, walkie-talkies to communicate with my companions once we discover ourselves separated by a half mile or so. Cell telephones work for this too until we’re in a place with poor or no protection, which is at all times a risk.
Layers of clothes are greatest so you possibly can alter because the temperature climbs in mid-day and cools in late afternoon. I put on uninsulated boots as a result of this searching entails plenty of walking. If my toes get chilly, I take it as an indication I ought to keep indoors and watch soccer.
A 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge can be fantastic, with chokes of improved or modified. You can get choosy about shot measurement for those who like, however #6s will work for all of the birds.
Some Hazards to Be Aware of
I’ll attempt to point out these with out making anybody unduly nervous. They’re on the market, and you have to find out about them, however they needn’t deter you from searching within the West. Along with the standard skunks and porcupines there might be others. Rattlesnakes could also be round in some areas in early season, which normally means September. If that’s your timeframe, contemplate carrying a snake-bite package. Much of this land is ranch nation so there can be cattle, however until you see a area with bulls, it received’t seemingly be an issue (it’s best to keep away from searching close to cattle anyway). There can be coyotes and badgers about. You’ll most likely see the coyotes however simply the holes the badgers go away, and in sure areas close to mountains there could also be cougars. It’s uncommon to see one as they’re each secretive and principally nocturnal. I dwell in an space with one of many larger concentrations of those large cats and but have solely seen one in my life. That was whereas searching sharptail in rolling bench-land simply east of the Rockies. It was an unsettling encounter, however all turned out effectively. The presence of any of those hazards can usually be confirmed or clarified via conversations with landowners.
The largest hazard in farm and ranch nation is likely to be the potential for a canine encountering a coyote snare. I’ve skilled this, and although it turned out effectively, it was horrifying. This is the explanation for carrying heavy-duty wire cutters. Always ask landowners if there are snares or traps on the land you’re inquiring about, and if the reply is sure, go someplace else.
Where to Stay During Your Hunt
All the standard decisions are available within the agricultural nation of the West. There are campgrounds, motels, B&Bs, and searching lodges scattered all through. I gave up on the thought of tent-camping once I’m on a searching journey as a result of an excessive amount of time is spent cooking, cleansing, and sleeping poorly. A journey trailer can work effectively, however I’ve settled on staying in cheap motels in small cities close to the birds. With some research, you possibly can select one fully sufficient to your wants. I be certain that they’ve satellite tv for pc TV for watching October baseball within the evenings.
Hunting Public or Private land
Learning the “lay of the land” and discovering locations to hunt is a vital a part of any hunt in new territory and have to be executed effectively upfront of the journey. Don’t simply present up out of the blue in the future and look forward to finding and have nice searching, as a result of it received’t occur.
Before your journey, you have to decide if there’s public land to hunt, or for those who’ll must get hold of permission to hunt personal land. In some areas there are “pay to hunt” alternatives. Some provinces and states have giant areas of public land open to searching akin to Block Management land in Montana and Eastern Irrigation District land in Alberta.
The greatest info comes from the first-hand expertise of pals or searching acquaintances, particularly those that have preferences and priorities much like yours. If first-hand info is skimpy, or even when it’s not, you’ll end up spending plenty of time with that new-fangled contraption known as the Internet. It’s all there someplace within the cyber-world: info on seasons, limits, license prices, and any uncommon native quirks which will exist. For occasion, in Saskatchewan, solely residents of the province can hunt pheasants. With slightly digging you’ll discover forecasts for chicken inhabitants developments in particular areas. These will help you keep away from a place the place a foul winter storm or different occasion has lowered chicken numbers.
If you intend to hunt in Canada, examine the laws for bringing weapons and dogs throughout the border. It’s a good suggestion to search out out the place the closest vet clinic can be, and to place the telephone quantity in your telephone. While you’re doing that you just would possibly need to obtain onX so you possibly can inform who owns the land you’re once you see a covey of sharptails settle properly right into a area throughout the highway.
Even for those who’re effectively ready for a visit, once you get to the realm you propose to hunt it’s clever to dedicate the primary day to exploration solely—driving gravel, wanting over the duvet, knocking on doorways, and making a plan for the remainder of the time within the space. Of course, most of us are too desperate to get the dogs on the bottom to really do this, however nonetheless.
I’ve at all times discovered planning a visit to a brand new space for searching or fishing to be a major a part of the enjoyable. A good way to grow to be knowledgeable, motivated, and entertained about western chicken searching is to look to the writing of Charles Waterman and Ben O. Williams, each in magazines and of their quite a few books that describe searching these birds in these locations.
And about that Stetson hat. If you possibly can’t discover one close to home, you possibly can at all times purchase one out right here. Just keep in mind to tip it again slightly earlier than you shoot, in any other case you would possibly elevate your head.
