Hungarian partridge?

gimruis

gimruis

Well-known member
How many Minnesota upland hunters have or regularly see Hungarian Partridge while pheasant hunting? They're obviously in the hunting regulations with a fairly long season with a liberal bag limit, but how common are they? I presume its more of a localized population in southern MN so I wouldn't expect to see any where I hunt in the central part of the state. I'm just wondering how abundant they are.
 
Glock said:
Been 20 or so years since I last seen any in public hand in southern Minnesota
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That seems to be the consensus with most people I've asked. Some say more like 12 years, but either way they are rare. "Small grains" are what I hear every time mentioned with huns. A buddy got one just across the border in NW iowa a few years ago. He said a couple of them kept flying around when they were pheasant hunting, and finally he shot one.
 
I see them on public land at least once a year typically. I also know of 7-8 coveys in the area around my house that I've seen from the road periodically over the last 4-5 years. They're around, but they're mobile. They do not like thick or tall grass, generally speaking, so most public grassland units are not great places to find them.
 
I grew up in SW Minnesota and back in the late 50's and 60's we would see quite a few while pheasant hunting. I still do some hunting in SW Minnesota and it's been many years since I've seen a Hun. They are pretty much all but gone. They could have a limit of 100 per day, it wouldn't matter if there aren't any around.
 
I have lived in Minnesota now for 3 years. I have seen a total of 12 Hungarian partridge since moving here.

Early this season, my dog flushed a covey of 5 on a the edge of a WIHA. When the first bird flushed, I thought it was a very young hen pheasant as I had seen many young birds at that time. Then the other 4 flushed and by the time my brain had registered what they were, they were too far to shoot. I hunted the same cover a number of times and never saw them again.

In the same general area, three years ago, a covey of 7 stepped out on the road and flew up a farm drive and landed in the trees in the yard.
 
Rogue Hunter said:
Yeah the liberal limits are a head scratcher.
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That's the part that boggled me too. 5/day with a season that's 3.5 months long? With that kind of liberal season and limit, you'd think they would be as abundant as grouse in northern Minnesota, which has almost the exact same season and limit.

Apparently there are a few around but from the sound of it, they are not common.
 
Where I see the most Huns is when I go up northwest in the Prairie Chicken zone. I usually see a group of em each time I'm up there, either in range or just out in a field.

It's been probably 8 years since I've seen them in the SW part of the state.
 
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