The king of the upland

[Bill]

I've hunted just about everything that can fly and be shot legaly, Quail, Pheasants, Timberdoodles, Doves, Snipe, Barn Pigeons, Praire Chickens, Sharptail Grouse. Some I love to eat like the pheasant and thus the reason for hunting them. Quail because I love the challange of trying to remember to pick one and shoot it rather than the whole flock Doves because they arn't bad eating and warm you up for the rest of the hunting season. Timberdoddles because those hotrods are just so much fun to shoot. Praire Chickens because I hadn't hunted them before but to me arn't much good to eat. Sharptail's for the same reason as the Praire Chickens. Barn Pigeons are great eating and give you something to shoot at.
But for a shooting challange and just plain awsome eating their isn't nothing better than the Ruff Grouse. They are the KING of the upland birds. Their habitat is awsome to see. It really makes you feel small to be in it although the endless praire of the sharptails can do that too but not to the degree of the Big Woods where you can get turned around after 2 or 3 turn's of the trail.
They fly like rockets thru the tree's which are so thick that you have a hard time getting a full load of shot anywhere close to them. Just to watch them do this can make you stand and curse your gun, the tree's, the load your using, and sometimes even the dog for not getting them up anywhere close to an opening where they could be shot at.
Whats your favorite upland bird and why.
The Big Woods

Donnie

Dep-Don

Bullseye

[dovehunter]

With a forum name like dovehunter, what do you think? It's hard to say why I like them the best, but I always have. It might have something to do with the fact that the only upland birds around my neck of the woods are mourning doves and bobwhite quail. Quail have just about become extinct in the wild and hunting them on game preserves around here is a rich man's game. Relatively long seasons and liberal bag limits on doves doesn't hurt either. After all these years of hunting doves, it's the only game that I actually still get excited about. I guess you could say that I hunt doves because it's my passion. I hunt most everything else because I feel like I should.

[bounce]

It's not them green things guys....................It's the HAT!!!!

[donnie]

I gotta say I'm a ruffed grouse fan too. Partly because He is, I think, the most challenging bird to take on his terms. I enjoy the fact that I usually hit far less ruffies than I miss. I do like to shoot wild roosters too though and appreciate the way a big boisterous cackling rooster can unnerve a shooter. I've hunted nearly every upland bird and they all have thier fine points. The woodcock is indeed a sporty little guy weaving around through the limbs and often is a difficult target and of course I love the fact that no road hunter ever bagged a woodcock!
Sharptails and chickens are awesome the way they get up en mass and glide away chuckling. Chukkar are maddeningly notorious for leading a hunter on in a state of constant hopeful exhaustion just to flush out of range and land a half mile off.
Quail flush like an explosion at a pillow factory leaving the unnititiated hunter holding his loaded gun and watching them buzz away.
My second favorite bird the Hungarian partridge plays a combination of quail and chukkar and often beats me on his terms.
Yet the Ruff really has a way of humbling me. anytime I think I'm a good wingshot all I need to do is take a stroll through the grouse covert.

[klsm54]

I'd have to vote for ol' Ruff too...

I had some great fun shoting Ptarmigan up in Quebec, and sure have a lot of fond memories of pheasant hunts. Woodcock have been a part of my mixed bag since my early years. Dove and Quail have seen me heat up a few shotgun barrels, but there is still nothing as exciting as the flush of a Ruffed Grouse.

I was lucky enough to spend my whole life in a state that calls the Ruffed Grouse it's state bird. And while Pennsylvania is not as notable for grouse hunting as some other states, we still have more than our fair share of grouse cover. I still remember the rapid beat of my heart when, as a small boy, I stumbled on to my first grouse.... And will always remember fondly a lot of days when the grouse were plentiful... ;D...even if my "eye" wasn't quite right..

Great pictures, Bill...

[dakota]

I have hunted many if not all that were mentioned (timberdoodles?). However, if you add up all the non-pheasant with the pheasant hunting the pheasant hunting would beat by maybe 100 to 1 for me.
The first game I hunted with adults was pheasants when I carried a 410 break open. (We couldn't afford a dog so I was designated to walk where the dog would normally go. And I could retrieve too.) Can't say I hit anything until I graduated to a 20 gauge. Pheasant season is the shotgun season for me. I love to eat them too. My dad gave me his model 12 12 gauge to carry when I had hunted with that 20 gauge a few years. I still hunt with that gun. Though I have had many others.
Being in the middle of pheasant country much of my life, I supose has something to do with it.

[Bill]

I had forgot about the Chukkar and Ptarmigan. Both birds I have yet to hunt. Both are on the list of to do birds.
Thanks for the reply's guys.

[bullseye]

Put my vote in the Ruffed Grouse camp. In addition to all that has been mentioned so far, I just like to camp and hunt in the woods where they live. The numerous areas of northern WI that are national forest areas make this possible. Our annual trips are looked forward to throughout the year.

From the actual hunting perspective, there seems to be an ability of this bird to manage to most times put a tree between them and the hunter just as you decide to pull the trigger. I enjoy sitting in camp hearing the males drumming. I love to watch the dog work a hot scent as they follow the pretzel trails that the birds have left. For me, it is not how many I bag, it is the enjoyment of the hunt and the challenge Ole Ruff gives me.

Dakota, Timberdoodles are one of the names of the Woodcock.