PC

Kansas,

Your pics are great. The dogs look and sound like goodin's too.

You and Steve got me all stirred up. I'm gonna hafta go chase chickens this w/e:)
 
Setternut- Agreed. There was a really good article by Ben O. Williams about that and how many dogs he uses depending on the terrain and the bird he's hunting. Aside from pheasant I won't shoot a bird that isn't pointed. Like a lot of people I've come to realize that pheasant get their own set of rules. But I'm young and I've gotten to hunt bobs and pheasant so far. Next year I'm hoping to get to SoDak and get into some huns and sharpies. I'm also considering a trip to New Mexico for some Gambels, Mearns and blues. I have one younger dog that has only ever been on pheasant and that's not too good for a pointing dog. He points and then is always looking to relocate, which works great on pheasant but in NSTRA and other birds, not so much. I need to get him on a good covey bird that holds tight so he'll learn to hold steady.
 
Guys,

First, the first 3 birds are Greaters, the second 2 birds are Lessers. There's subtle plumage differences (besides during the lekking season), but nothing super distinct, and nothing that could be known in flight/flush.

Second, the range of your dogs is a personal preference first, and second an efficiency mechanism that changes by spp. (pheasants having their own rules). Many folks just are not comfortable with dogs being too far away. I personally want dogs that take me to birds, not dogs I take to birds.

Electric,
Covey birds are great for getting pointing dogs to just shine. However, blue quail and Gamble's are running fools when coveyed up....once you split the covey they are incredible for pointing dogs.

I hope I've inspired folks to get out and chase chickens. We need more folks that are "INTO" chickens :)

Kansas
 
I didn't realize that there was much overlap between greater and lessers.
I am assuming that they were taken in the same general area.

Anyway, I am glad to see someone else out after chickens.
 
No, not taken in the same area. However, there is significant sympatric (overlap) range in Kansas...which is the only state with overlap. Lesser range has been moving north for a couple of decades now. Most biologists think that is due to CRP in recent decades providing significant habitat.

Kansas
 
I thought there was also a difference in size. 3-4 years ago I saw a lesser in SW Kansas that was noticeably smaller than the pheasant we were targeting. I've never shot a lesser. Last year I saw a large flock of greaters in a different area, and they looked about the same size as the pheasants we were targeting.

I've shot lots of greaters over the years, although none in the last 8-9 years. I can't even convince myself to eat them, much less the rest of the family. Thus, I don't hunt them anymore.
 
You are right that there is a difference in size. However, GPCH in western KS are smaller than GPCH in eastern KS...kind of interesting. Also, the barring on the breast of a GPCH is more distinct and thicker and stays distinct through to the belly. LPCH barring is thinner, less distinct, and breaks up when it gets to the belly. You can see this comparing the two tail gate shots I have posted.

As far as taste...its all in how you cook them. My families favorite meat is prairie chicken. However, if the meat gets much past medium rare it becomes less edible quickly. I usually do two recipes. Marinade in ginger or italian dressing for 24 hours, then put the fillet on a VERY hot grill for a very limited amount of time. Keep it pink to just past bleeding. Cook just like a very rare steak. The second recipe is to cut fillets into chunks, then put halipeno peeper slices and cream cheese, then wrap that all in bacon and grill. DO NOT LET MEAT GET PAST PINK. This will change your opinion of dark meated prairie grouse. I grew up on sharptails and my mom cooked them like white meated chicken, and I did not like eating sharptails and my dad stopped shooting them because of it. I have done a 180 from my growing up days.

Kansas
 
That's about what I expected you to say about making them edible. I've tried similar prep for ducks and it's a dramatic improvement over anything else I've tried. There's just no way I could convince my wife that medium-rare anything-with-feathers is safe to eat. It all has salmonella, don't you know? :rolleyes:

When we first got married (nearly 20 years ago) she ordered her steaks wedium well. I finally got her to medium a few years ago.
 
I will have to say the PC is an aquired taste :)

A taste that I have not aquired very well yet :D
But I am sure that I am over cooking them.
 
I was just having fun.:D

I dabble a bit in taxidermy, mostly just a hobby. A pheasant's wattles can be challenging to make them look correct. It's much easier to do a duck or goose because you don't have a wattle to split out and then fill back up with clay, position it properly, and paint. I imagine the air sack on a prairie chicken would be a similar challenge, although I don't have any experience with them.

Anyway, my point in telling you that is that if you are serious about getting a PC mounted in a strutting position, you should do your homework before you pick somebody to mount it for you. Look at multiple examples of the taxi's previous attemts to mount a prairie chicken and study them closely.

A lot of times birds, and fish especially, will look okay from across the room, but when you get up close they are pretty shoddy.
Make sure you are dealing with a REAL bird brain, that's all I'm saying.
 
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I plan to mount one for myself if I get a good mature one with good feathers. This time of year it seems like I always shoot the young-uns, or birds that haven't finished molting.

For a mount, you might consider a late-season pass-shoot. And do your own retrieving unless your dog has an incredibly soft mouth. :thumbsup:
 
prairie chickens

Will someone here tell me if these are prairie chickens or sharptails, they were
shot in SD this year and I never gave it a thought it might be a prairie chicken and these are the best pictures I have of them, I would appreciate it
if you can tell me. Thanks
IMG_0128_zpsa4a64591.jpg
 
yes, those are prairie chickens. PC have barring across the chest belly and flanks, sharptails have little V's or horse shoe markings and their belly's are white. PC also have squared tails and sharptails...well, have pointy tails.

Kansas
 
We all need to keep an eye on Toad and his mounting skills. LOL! I used birdworkstaxidermy.com check him out. He's absolutely phenomenal. He KNOWS birds, not just how to mount them. His knowledge always blows me away. I hope I get a chance at a PC this year. Never had a real shot at one.
 
I have a nice one mounted in full strut or booming. I think she did a pretty good job on it. I've had it for about 15 yrs or so. About ready to get rid of the damn thing though.

I used to go all the time when the early chicken season first started and I had a nice bird dog. Never got in range much but fun none the less. I just remember walking and walking and walking to reach the area they would be at. Did I say there was lots of walking? LOL!

Then later I had a duck blind on a watershed that chickens would fly over on there way to the feed field. This was back in the
90's. Boy there were a TON of chickens at that spot and just about 3 miles west of my house. Used to have a few out back of the house in my pastures as well. When we first moved here there was a booming area up on the hill near the corner of a couple of fences in a sparse grass area. Used to be able to watch them through binos do their thing in the spring. Haven't seen any chickens around here in about 10 yrs now.
 
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