Hunts
States
Interest | Upland bird hunting and hunter expectations of what can be reasonably expected in terms of hunt quality, birds, hunter pressure and habitat is variable and best illustrated within the hunter testimonials on this website. A very good member article to start with would be that of a Brittany hunter well along in years and his observations of pheasant and quail hunting MAHA lease land along with that of the hunters he has encountered. Reading this one article alone will gain the reader much perspective on our hunt quality. Upland bird hunts are determined by nature. Upland bird hunter expectations we seek to temper here. What we will offer on this page are some of our past adverse experiences with first year members and of what we consider un-reasonable hunter expectations. The most common negative feedback from those first year members that state they had a poor experience is rolled up into the human dynamic of expecting too much for too little effort. #1 The idea of paying for something means we should be getting a better product than what we could get for free. This grows into the private land being hunted in the Association should always be better than any free, public or knock-on-door land access. In general this is true unless that hunter is on a lease we secured for deer hunting and not birds. This hunter is cautioned to hunt several different farms before classifying all Association leases as either good or bad upland bird habitat. #2 Early in the season first year member feedback is more negative than middle and late season. Late October and early November are typically warm, crops are standing, dogs and hunters both suffer from poor scent conditions and warm weather fatigue. Expecting quick and easy limits during adverse upland bird hunting weather and cover conditions on land not well known to the hunter is not to be expected. #3 Not building options occurs when the first year member goes to a hot upland bird locality within one region in one state and wants to concentrate in that one area every trip, every season. This will work unless it is a quail region where we force hunter distribution, that one region suffers a poor hatch or brood, or the prime leases in that one area change. Once that one hot spot is lost than the Association as a whole is classified as losing the best upland bird farms. The three examples above while many will classify as non-issues do represent the 1-10% of the complaints received from first year hunter/members. In this regard we do not expect to receive only but compliments from all members and listen to each complaint as intently as we do the compliments we receive. All member feedback is considered and for the most part those that hunt with us beyond the first season have only but compliments. We do expect that not all first year hunters will return for the second year and call many to find out why. The answers received for not renewing their memberships typically are due to other than bad hunts. However, there will always be those that do not have a good hunt, find our hunts not to produce for the value paid and will quit. Those that do renew the second season typically hunt with us for over a decade or more.
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