About The MAHA Partners
Upland bird hunting has long been our season pursuit.
We are trainers and hunters of our own dogs. Because of this we have plenty of first hand experience with almost all of the private land and track (forecast) both pheasant and quail populations. This is repeated over the entire year as well as from season to season.
It begins with surveying the land we may lease. Then following up hunts in each of our regions during the season to confirm the quality of the game production. It is also for keeping tabs on the landowners. We will recommend to all first year upland bird hunting members where to hunt. After the first year most do it yourself hunters simply return to favored areas and all typically explore new regions as well.
Jon Nee
This is Jon Nee with one of his dogs.
Little can add to this picture.
The dog, Buck, passed away after a career that those that hunted with him still reminisce about today. Buck was one of those exceptional dogs that will not be forgotten and many more stories told about.
Jon continues to hunt with pointers.
John Wenzel
John Wenzel trains and hunts his own dogs. In this picture a Llewellin Setter known by some as Gentleman Jack.
John has also trained and hunted Wirehairs, Brittany's and GSPs not being breed blind. He recognizes it is the breeder first and the breed second.
About Traveling for Upland Bird Hunting
John also is a multi state, multi species self guided hunter. He has covered the cactus and snake regions of the southwest, the east slope of the Rockies and the northern grouse states. He also avidly purses pheasant and quail here in the Association's Kansas, Iowa, Missouri region. His multiple state trips reminds him of that which new to any area hunter requires. That is, where is the right land, what is the right habitat and where to stay. The only elements most do it yourself hunters require to break into a new region. Those that hunt where John recommends typically have a good time of it.
Rocky Mountain Sharp-tail.
Most will agree wearing orange is not well suited to plains grouse. In this case this was public land. With public land behavior hunters who would not hesitate to jump in front to cut off another to a covey. |
Arizona Gambles Quail hunt.
In Arizona, on state and federal land. Other hunters were simply non-existent due to the vastness of the acreage. Similar to Michigan grouse woods. The other consequences of snakes and cactus presented another set of limitations. |
Michigan's (lower) Ruff Grouse hunt on the Manistee River.
Three grouse in one day was a very good day for us in Michigan.
Bad Hunts.
Wyoming Thunder Basin National Grasslands. One of the many places where local rancher over grazing eliminated any potential Sharp-tailed Grouse populations.
Both locals and the state wildlife department recommended this place for Sharp-tail. It was a waste of time and money to travel to and hunt.
We are showing this picture as that after several days of covering Wyoming's walk-in hunter access areas and national grasslands we did not find a single Sharp-tail. And, did not find a local Wyoming resident that had seen any. This experience was in contrast to the Wyoming Fish and Game publications citing three large regions containing Sharp-Tailed Grouse. This type of experience will not occur in this Association, our hunters get on pheasant and quail.
Read about John Wenzel's hobby of habitat development on his own farm.