Ptarmigan? Common o n bou hunts?

[mooster]

Trying to determine if it’s worth toting something to take a ptarmigan if presented the opportunity on my upcoming bou hunt. I’m flying out of Kotzebue on 9/10. If so, I plan to carry a .45 ACP pistol with #9 shot that I’ve patterned quite well at 10-20 yds. Since the .45 wouldn’t be adequate for bear protection, I hate the carry the weight if there’s no real probability of ptarmigan. You guys seeing any while in the field?

 

[Salmonchaser]

I usually carry a .22 or a shotgun for potting ptarmigan. Dad used his .45 for as long as I can remember. In any event I haven’t been up around Kotzebue in a long time. No idea how many there are up there. Spent quite a bit of time the last 20 years chasing them over pointing dogs down on the Peninsula. Numbers down here are low the last few years.
For the uninitiated, Ptarmigan is the finest eating of all game birds, well worth pursuing. This time of year they are eating wild blue and cranberry.
Have a great hunt, knock over a big bull.

 

[mooster]

I usually carry a .22 or a shotgun for potting ptarmigan. Dad used his .45 for as long as I can remember. In any event I haven’t been up around Kotzebue in a long time. No idea how many there are up there. Spent quite a bit of time the last 20 years chasing them over pointing dogs down on the Peninsula. Numbers down here are low the last few years.
For the uninitiated, Ptarmigan is the finest eating of all game birds, well worth pursuing. This time of year they are eating wild blue and cranberry.
Have a great hunt, knock over a big bull.

Thanks for great feedback. Yeah I’ll post after hunt if we got lucky.

 

[mcseal2]

Will hardcast bear loads tear one up to bad? I wondered what the 10mm would do to one with them. I hoped a non expanding bullet might leave something to eat.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I’ve shot them with a variety of handguns, it does tear them up if your head shot is a little low.

 

[264win]

I can’t speak to the bird population, but why carry a pistol to shoot them with ?
I assume you are using a bow or rifle to hunt the caribou, just shoot them in the head with the rifle and in the body with a bow. Both methods work great

 

[VernAK]

Slingshot will suffice without disturbing other wildlife.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Wrist Rockets are inexpensive and deadly!

 

[VernAK]

Rocks are cheap!

 

[brisket]

I went out of Kotzebue, August 19th. Didn’t see any birds, but we were in higher country

 

[mooster]

I went out of Kotzebue, August 19th. Didn’t see any birds, but we were in higher country

Thanks!

 

[MadDawg]

when I went to Alaska, I carried a pellet pistol.
headshots work great!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

when I went to Alaska, I carried a pellet pistol.View attachment 120444
headshots work great!

That looks like a spruce grouse.

 

[MadDawg]

thats exactly what it is

 

[MadDawg]

pellet gun will whack a ptarmigan just as well though..

 

[Jackal7]

Last week we head shot them with our 10mm pistols. Not enough around to justify bringing a shotgun and its weight.

 

[mooster]

for future reference of other forum users, well I toted a .45 w/CCP varmit shot. never saw a ptarmigan. could have used the weight somewhere else or left it home. we were in Noatak Preserve near Sidik Lake .