Hun & Grouse Opener

Labs

Labs

Well-known member
It was an educational hun & grouse opener. All the birds we found were in a standing soy bean field. Didn't flush a single bird of either species from adjoining cover. The hun coveys seem to have broken up. The biggest bunch we flushed was one covey of 4-5, all others were widely separated singles. The huns were running & flushing wild. We flushed a couple single grouse (we have very few grouse around here) from the bean field also. Got one young grouse Sat and his crop was stuffed with beans. Didn't get any huns so I couldn't say if they were feeding on beans, but we didn't flush even one around the wheat/barley stubble.
 
Huns have a very strong covey instinct. When I see singles or pairs this time of year it's almost always going to be from coveys that were busted up by other hunters or they are adults that had a failed hatch. The fact that they were running and flushing wild in singles is most likely an indication of adult birds.

Single grouse are usually adult males. Hens are usually coveyed up with their chick's of the year or in small coveys with other hens if their hatch failed. Here in about a month they will combine together to form large groups. I've seen coveys of sharptails over 50 birds by mid October.
 
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Upland Farms said:
Huns have a very strong covey instinct. When I see singles or pairs this time of year it's almost always going to be from coveys that were busted up by other hunters or they are adults that had a failed hatch. The fact that they were running and flushing wild in singles is most likely an indication of adult birds.

Single grouse are usually adult males. Hens are usually coveyed up with their chick's of the year or in small coveys with other hens if their hatch failed. Here in about a month they will combine together to form large groups. I've seen coveys of sharptails over 50 birds by mid October.
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We had several good-sized coveys of huns around my place all summer. No idea where they went, but they weren't in the area last weekend. My wife & I were the only hunters on my neighbor's land and it was opening weekend. Didn't see another person hunting on foot anywhere in the area, but I did see a couple road hunters on the country road Sunday morning. Good luck road hunting huns. We have very few sharps around my place as there is very little of the grassland cover they prefer. I've never flushed a group of more than 6-7 around here, and more often than not it is a single bird here & there.
 
we went out opening weekend. Alot of scattered rain everywhere. We covered a ton of ground-it was tough to say the least. Not anywhere close to what is was last year. Sharpies were way down in C and SW part of the state-I'm sure the rain contributed to that too. We didn't see many huns either. We had quite a few covey locations marked as we have been going for years-they just weren't home. I'm glad we went; it's always a pleasure to be in the Dakotas! I've seen alot worse numbers over the years! My main objective was to run my new 4 month old GSP pup before pheasant and quail opens. I was happy with her over all performance. I managed to kill her first wild bird point-a ND sharpie in the first 20 minutes on opening morning! She kept me entertained; acting like a goof ball and pointing every insect, bird, or snake that would hold long enough for her! She pointed 3 prairie rattlers on Saturday afternoon to be exact !!:oops: Luckily for me-she is totally whoa-broke! !'ve never seen a rattler in N. Dakota till this trip-Be careful out there!!
 
gettinbirdie said:
She pointed 3 prairie rattlers on Saturday afternoon to be exact !!:oops: Luckily for me-she is totally whoa-broke! !'ve never seen a rattler in N. Dakota till this trip-Be careful out there!!
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The question is, did you go in for the flush on any of them? I've had a couple close calls on porkies before.
 
Upland Farms said:
The question is, did you go in for the flush on any of them? I've had a couple close calls on porkies before.
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we ran into porkies too-but my dogs just stay away from them. All my dogs are snake conditioned too. The pup is not-too early to put electric collar juice on her. My brother was going in to flush on the first rattler-I saw it and grabbed his arm within feet of it. It wasnt rattling-just coiled up and facing him as he approached to flush. Scary
 
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