Waterfowl or Upland Hunt?

[Moglman]

It's fall, and it's time. I am so busy at work that I haven't started hunting yet. While I will go Elk hunting later this fall, this is the time I am normally bird hunting. I was curious if there were many bird hunters around here, and what you prefer between upland game, waterfowl or both.

I love both. Waterfowl has a unique quality where you are out at O-Dark:30 laying your decoys, slugging through freezing water and muck, and it's all worth it when you call in a group of duck or geese, and they flair. I missed Teal season, and will miss first split of Duck. The same thrill and good eats can be said for Pheasant, Chukkar, Grouse and other upland species. I am hoping to make a trip to Montana or S. Dakota this year for some serious bird hunting, thinking that if I leave the state, I can't get too busy with work to go.

As a shooting sport, Sporting Clays is my favorite. While trap and skeet are a lot of fun, there is something about clays that appeals to me. It's the same reason I play golf. "You never know what your gonna get".

Anyone care to share their stories?

[N2Advnture]

I don't do it a lot but several times a year, we go pheasant hunting. It's AWESOME if you have a good dog...if you don't, it sucks ass! LOL!

[smokem94]

I'm a huge upland bird hunter, as well as big game. The son got a real nice antelope buck Sunday morning out on the ranch.
I am going pheasant hunting in South Dakota in 2 weeks also. I make an annual dove hunting trip to Mexico every Feb.

[PetersCreek]

I haven't hunted at all in years and I sure do miss it. My birds of choice were bobwhite and dove with occasional jump shooting for ducks thrown in. Now that I'm way up north, I'd to try my hand at ducks again and grouse, if I can find them. I'm told the ptarmigan up here aren't too challenging.

As far as shooting sports go, I'm a Cowboy Action Shooter. I'd like to try sporting clays. Maybe when I can get some tutelage from my brother-in-law. He took 2nd at the Minnesota state championship.

[Wasch_24]

The only hunting I have ever done was when I was younger. I used to go whitetail deer hunting with my dad in Michigan every Novemeber from when I was about 10 until I was 16. I could finally carry a gun and hunt myself at 13 and I bagged at least one deer all four years, kinda ticked my dad off a litte. :hysterica

[jcgoldner]

It's funny that this came up today as I just had my first shooting clays outing yesterday. It was an outing we do here at work a couple of times a year. I didn't do too well hitting only 9 of 50 targets.

On the 4th of 6 stations I was informed that the borrowed gun I was using was way to small for my 6'-4" frame causing me to be high on most targets. It was a lot of fun though and I can't wait to try it again. I'll probably be looking for a gun that's fits before that time comes. :rifleaim:

[Halon]

I do a lot of hunting, mostly big game with bow and arrow. But I do love bird hunting - usually pheasant and chukar around here. It's kind of embarrassing tho, cause every time we go out my 13-year-old brother smokes everybody. He recently picked up a shotgun for the first time in 3 months for the state trap shoot and broke 49 out of 50 birds.:rifleaim:
We've got a black lab that's pretty good at retrieveing, and it's a lot of fun to go out with family and friends.


TYLER

[schuellk]

I do mostly pheasant, though I'm considering maybe next year picking up duck or goose hunting again with my father.

We just started bowhunting for whitetails last year, so we've had no luck yet, but there's plenty to learn and it's just now starting to get cold enough around here to where the more experienced guys expect the deer to start moving.