Most fun bird to hunt?

[twdjr]

To me, it's snow geese. There's a lot of ups and downs when hunting them, but when it's right it can be awesome. Too bad here, hunting them is almost a thing of the past with the few that migrate this far south any longer.

 

[VernAK]

If I were younger, I'd book a trip to Sweden to rifle hunt Capercaille Grouse. There's several youtube videos of same and I find it fascinating.

 

[jmez]

Ones with wings.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

I've hunted birds all over the country and i truly believe that until you've been in a layout blind with a tornado of 10,000+ snows landing in your decoys and you pile up 400+ in one morning with 5 guns you haven't lived.
A very close second in my book is being in a layout blind in a lightly snow covered corn field in south or north dakota and having thousands of big northern mallards & full sprig pintails tornading down on top of you.
3rd for me would be ruffed grouse in the northwoods
4th would have be a good early season wood duck shoot over a small pond tucked back in the middle of the woods
5th - decoying cranes in a wheat or barley stubble field

 

[hobbes]

I've hunted birds all over the country and i truly believe that until you've been in a layout blind with a tornado of 10,000+ snows landing in your decoys and you pile up 400+ in one morning with 5 guns you haven't lived.
A very close second in my book is being in a layout blind in a lightly snow covered corn field in south or north dakota and having thousands of big northern mallards & full sprig pintails tornading down on top of you.
3rd for me would be ruffed grouse in the northwoods
4th would have be a good early season wood duck shoot over a small pond tucked back in the middle of the woods
5th - decoying cranes in a wheat or barley stubble field

Sounds fun but what do you do with 400 dead snows? I know what my preference would be, similar to what I'd do with carp.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!CHUKAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!CHUKAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The love, hate devil bird.

 

[TheGDog]

Go Dove hunting. Doves are fun!, if you've found the right kind of location. With the help of static decoys a MOJO decoy, and some of their Dove-A-Flkr's and a Mourning Dove Bamboo call... than you find a couple Juniper's to hide within that look upon some previously burnt/dead Junipers where you've setup the decoys, wearing liner gloves and a mesh face mask... and you can make them come right into your lap just like Predator Calling!! Like shooting fish in a barrel!

But if you want, you can make it more about shots on-the-wing as they're coming into the decoy setup, just Depends how you set it up.

Your ability to make an all-of-a-sudden jump-shot opportunity on Big Game with your rifle will improve nicely once you start getting better at shooting Doves on-the-wing.

I'm still not quite there yet on Quail. The spot I've been going to MAN they are fast once they break! And usually there's another clump of bushes close enough nearby the distance they cover isn't all that much.

 

[Stalker69]

If you want to walk, pheasants and quail. If you want to relax and chill ( or you can walk and flush) , pass shooting doves. But I guess it depends on your idea of fun. If it’s, nice weather, least amount of “ work”, most relaxing = fun. For sure doves.

 

[KurtR]

Sounds fun but what do you do with 400 dead snows? I know what my preference would be, similar to what I'd do with carp.

There’s all kind of stuff. People’s lack of skill at cooking factors into the meat not tasting good than the meat it’s self

 

[hobbes]

There’s all kind of stuff. People’s lack of skill at cooking factors into the meat not tasting good than the meat it’s self

No argument about that, but "400"? Who's eating 400 snows.

 

[2531usmc]

The most perfect bird hunting on the planet is ruffed grouse on the Allegheny ridge during the third week of october. The leaves are at peak color, the temps are in the 60s , your golden retriever is excited and life does not get any better.

 

[jumpychukar]

I think my username hints at my favorite. Chukar in western states - can't beat em.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Sounds fun but what do you do with 400 dead snows? I know what my preference would be, similar to what I'd do with carp.

we ended up with over 1200 in a 4-day stretch. We gifted a bunch of them to a Hutterite colony and we made a pile of snack stix and brats that were awesome. The bird hitch got plenty of work them days.

 

[hobbes]

we ended up with over 1200 in a 4-day stretch. We gifted a bunch of them to a Hutterite colony and we made a pile of snack stix and brats that were awesome. The bird hitch got plenty of work them days.

Man that's a ton of work. The brats and snack sticks sound like a good idea. I've had jerky from them before that wasn't bad but it wasn't my favorite either.

 

[Oregon]

I hunt everything with wings. I shoot about 10 cases of shells a year just at birds. Chukar, hun, quail are fantastic. Big snow geese shoots are super fun. Pass shooting my limit of 2 bandtail pigeons for 7 days a year is something I'll never miss. Ducks, are truly my absolute favorite. I love the ducks. Dove are fun, but only 15 allowed.
Now, rock dove. City pigeon. Decoying in a feedlot. Holy crap. Who the hell needs Argentina or Mexico doves? I wish I had a higher population closer. 7-800 a day between a couple of shooters. How can not that be the funnest?

 

[SloppyJ]

I love dove hunting but really only the first couple weekends. Duck is fun but I swear you have to be a bit deranged to be a serious duck hunter.

 

[TheGDog]

I love dove hunting but really only the first couple weekends. Duck is fun but I swear you have to be a bit deranged to be a serious duck hunter.

The Duck-Hunting thing is cool and all. And I've done it like maybe 4-5 times. But for my situation... that drive out to Wister on the Salton Sea... that's just a lot of expense for something like that where the other part of it is you knowing and being familiar with which blind locations are the productive ones.

It's too expensive of a model for eventually learning and acquiring the knowledge of knowing enough of which sections are good so you don't spend whole days in sometimes 90+ F temps only to get eaten alive by mosquitos all day. And willingly paid to be there for it.

The only thing I can surmise, judging by the sounds of armageddon when dawn comes.. is that probably they have good success when they pool resources and layout a much larger decoy spread then my lil half-dozen on a jerk rig.

I've kinda come to realize I'd rather instead be predator hunting, which, can sometimes simultaneously act as scouting for MuleDeer or at least rabbit/dove/quail scouting.

 

[ianpadron]

If you're in New England then ruffed grouse are the easy recommendation. Everything else will be pen raised birds vs. world class wild ruffies.

Get yourself a good dog and lace em up, mini heart attack everytime one goes airborne, even after a staunch point.

There is literally nothing better than a crisp blue bird October day following a pointer through poplar stands and spruce thickets...absolutely as pure as hunting gets.

I'd definitely mix up the turkey approach while you're at it, run n gun on public land for strutters is straight up addicting.

 

[ianpadron]

Pheasant very smart birds!

Nothing like my Jagds pushing fields or ditches and flushing several roosters at one time.

Best quail hunting when you find a huge tumble weed loaded with quail just a few birds flush at a time for a good 5 minutes. View attachment 568982

Sick photo.

I agree that a popcorn flush quail party is tier 1 fun.

 

[Dented]

My vote is for any birds anywhere anytime i can go. Doesn't matter, I'm just so damn happy to be there in the first place.