Prairie chicken country can look almost too open. Grass rolls toward the horizon. A few crop fields break up the prairie. There are no…
Hunting
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Hunting
Pheasants Run Before They Fly—Find the CRP Edges, Cattail Sloughs, and Corn Stubble That Stop Them
Ring-necked pheasant country can fool hunters into walking too much of the wrong cover. A field of grass stretches for half a mile. Corn…
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Hunting
Bobwhite Quail Need More Than Grass—Find the Brushy Edges, Open Pines, and Escape Cover That Hold Coveys
Bobwhite quail habitat can look almost too simple. Open grass. Scattered pine trees. A few blackberry patches. An old fence row. A weedy field…
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Hunting
Sandhill Cranes Follow Food, Water, and Wide-Open Visibility—Find the Grain Fields and Wet Prairie They Trust
Sandhill crane country looks easy from a distance. Huge birds. Open fields. Long necks. Wide wings. Very little cover. A hunter sees several dozen…
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Hunting
Blue-Winged Teal Don’t Need Deep Water—Find the Shallow Marshes, Mud Edges, and Flooded Fields They Use First
Blue-winged teal can make a tiny wetland feel faster than the entire sky. The marsh looks quiet. Water is only ankle deep. Mud surrounds…
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Hunting
Canada Geese Don’t Use Every Cornfield the Same—Find the Fresh Feeding Sign, Muddy Flight Lines, and Quiet Field Edges
A harvested cornfield can look perfect for Canada geese. Grain remains on the ground. The field is wide open. A pond sits only a…
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Hunting
Doves Follow Food, Water, and Bare Ground—Find the Sunflower Fields, Pond Edges, and Flight Lines Before Opening Morning
Mourning dove hunting can look deceptively simple. Find a field. Sit on the edge. Wait for birds. But anyone who has watched a perfect-looking…
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American woodcock habitat rarely looks comfortable to hunt. Young trees grow close together. Alder stems cross at knee height. Wet leaves cover dark soil.…
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Hunting
Ptarmigan Disappear Where Rock Meets Snow—Hunt the Alpine Ridges, Tundra Benches, and Windblown Slopes
Ptarmigan country can look almost too empty to hold birds. Rock. Low tundra. Snow lingering in shaded pockets. Wind crossing a ridge with nothing…
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Hunting
Chukar Always Seem to Be One Ridge Higher—Find the Rimrock, Water, and Cheatgrass Slopes Before You Start Climbing
Chukar hunting has a cruel sense of humor. The birds call from halfway up a canyon wall. The hunter starts climbing. Loose rock slides…