Opening-week pheasant country looks easy. Grass fields. Corn edges. Roadside cover. Birds running across open ground. A hunter walks a CRP field and hears…
Hunting
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Hunting
Spruce Grouse Rarely Need to Leave the Conifers—Find the Right Forest Age, Ground Cover, and Wet Edges
by rootby rootSpruce grouse country can feel almost too quiet. Black spruce. Jack pine. Fir. Moss. Wet ground. Narrow forest roads cutting through miles of dark…
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Hunting
Mountain Quail Hide in the Steepest Brush—Find the Creek Canyons, Shrub Edges, and Vertical Escape Routes
by rootby rootMountain quail country can look like an upland hunter’s worst idea. Steep slopes. Brush-covered hillsides. Creek canyons. Young forest. Loose rock. Wet grass. A…
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Hunting
Sharp-tailed Grouse Live in Big Prairie—But the Birds Usually Concentrate Around the Smallest Habitat Changes
by rootby rootSharp-tailed grouse country looks endless. Grass. Rolling hills. Brushy draws. Crop edges. A few scattered trees. Nothing seems capable of hiding an entire flock.…
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Hunting
Ruffed Grouse Don’t Need Big Forests—They Need the Right Age Forest in the Right Place
by rootby rootA northern forest can look perfect for grouse. Miles of trees. Creeks. Logging roads. Mixed hardwoods stretching beyond sight. Yet a hunter can spend…
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Hunting
Dusky Grouse Move Uphill as the Season Changes—Stop Hunting the Same Forest From September to Snow
by rootby rootDusky grouse can make a mountain hunter feel like the birds disappeared overnight. Early in the season, a hunter may find grouse feeding along…
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Hunting
Woodcock Hide Where the Ground Stays Soft—Find Young Forest, Alder, and Wet Cover Before Walking Random Timber
by rootby rootAmerican woodcock hunting can confuse hunters who are used to more open upland birds. The forest looks wrong. Too wet. Too thick. Too young.…
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Hunting
California Quail Run Into Brush Before They Flush—Hunt the Creek Edges, Oak Foothills, and Escape Cover
by rootby rootCalifornia quail can make easy-looking upland country surprisingly difficult. A covey feeds along a dusty road. Several birds stand completely exposed. The hunter stops.…
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Hunting
Willow Ptarmigan Change With the Tundra—Find the Willow, Wet Ground, and First Snow Before Walking Miles
by rootby rootAlaska tundra can make a hunter feel like there should be birds everywhere. Low vegetation stretches toward distant mountains. Willow follows river bottoms and…
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Hunting
Scaled Quail Would Rather Run Than Fly—Beat Them by Hunting the Cover They Run Toward
by rootby rootScaled quail can make a hunter question everything he knows about upland birds. A covey appears near a ranch road. The birds see the…