Upland Bird Hunt - The First Year Member Approach

System For Success

As a do it yourself upland bird hunter organization we are set for execution of wild pheasant and quail hunts, not the training of hunters, dogs or bird propagation, just the execution of self guided upland bird hunts. However, we have observed a good many new to the Association resident and non-resident hunters and pass on what has been the most successful approach to our wild bird hunting.

This is our attempt to remove some of the mystery for the first time central mid-west self guided bird hunter. The idea is that those that hunt with us will have a plan long before leaving home and will know exactly where they will be upland bird hunting each day of the entire trip plus have a place to stay. The importance of this is each upland bird hunter can have the adventure of new hunting spots, hunt both pheasant and quail and enjoy the challenge of learning a variety of habitat. That same upland bird hunter may feel confident that when finding a favored bird or habitat type of returning to that region each hunt.

Mistake

The first aspect that occurs once hunters find the range of options we offer is to try and attempt to do too much right from the start.

A common misstep is to try and hunt each of our three states as the upland bird season opens as they do so sequentially from Iowa to Missouri to Kansas and then repeatedly retrace those hunts through the season.

This multi state approach does have the advantage of offing a type of tour of the three states and shows a great range of habitat. Within that range of habitat most hunters will find one more suited to his dog power and hunting preferences than the other. If the idea is to take such a tour, then that is a good course of action to take. That is as long as the attitude is to learn regions and not the bird hunting within any one region. However, the dynamic that is far more prevalent is that hunters want successful hunts as soon as possible.

Fast Track

Those that seek the most successful upland bird hunts on the fastest track possible will do better by taking a more concentrated approach to breaking into the Association lease land.

That concentrated approach begins with settling on one bird species between the wild quail and pheasant hunting we offer. After that decision contact either Jon Nee (he runs pointers almost exclusively for quail) or John Wenzel (setters and brittanys spread between pheasant and quail hunts) and they will recommend a choice of regions of where to hunt.

Once a region is selected that hunter is well advise to spend the majority of his first season hunts within that region. Not necessarily hunting the same farm from day to day as any one region will have tens of thousands of acres, but the concentration is on that region's predominate habitat type - the key point. Learn the habitat and how that one species of bird occupies that cover.

That first season bird hunter if concentrating on a particular habitat type within one region will soon find increasing levels of success on subsequent days and hunts. As success grow so does satisfaction and once a certain level of satisfaction is achieved that same hunter should expand his horizons.

Create Choices

Expanding horizons is the development of the same concentrated understanding of habitat and birds in a nearby region that having knowledge of a second area allows for the choice of where to hunt on subsequent hunts or seasons.

That having a choice will become all the more valuable when a spring nesting and brood period experiences adverse weather one year while the other region does not. Having that preparation work accomplished in more than one region allows for that flexibility of having a choice of where to hunt based on bird population cycles and during season weather conditions. That may make all the difference to salvaging a hunt during a bad weather year or maximizing a first season pup's exposure to the highest concentration of birds.

Than last point about first year dog exposure to wild birds is the ideal fit to our self guided hunter approach to private land hunting access. This aspect of working with the hunter capable of his own hunt execution and dog training makes life a lot easier than those that required a guided effort.

Once an upland bird hunter has at least two regions of good boots on the ground time for his first bird of choice (quail or pheasant) then expanding out to the second bird of choice and a new set of habitat types allows for that added bit of adventure of exploring new ground.

Under this concentrated approach to breaking into MAHA leases it will take 1-1/2 to 2 seasons worth of time and that time can only be paid for by the hunter with his walking the land.

Scouting

We have had upland bird hunters seek to do their own off season scouting. While permissible in a specific form, it is not overall advisable.

What off season upland bird hunter access we offer is simply to drive around and view the leases from the road. We do not allow any off season bird dog running, work or training on our leases. The reason for this is that our land is for during the season bird hunting quality alone.

If we were to allow off season dog work then our land would experience additional pressure that does not enhance hunt quality. Or, it becomes more like public land.

Any pre season scouting before the hatch success rate can be evaluated is simply wasted effort. Any scouting after the hatch and brood months is to expect to see chicks in the grass, a futile effort. Those pheasant and quail seen from the roads will always be inadequate and happenstance to judge the surrounding habitat or the fall's bird hunting potential.

This brings us to one of the three facets the Association brings to the self guided upland bird hunter. We offer first private lease land secured for the do it yourself hunters' use. Second, we provide a local lodging listing that also includes tow truck and veterinarian services every where we lease land. Third and to the point of this discussion, provide recommendations of where to bird hunt. The idea is amore leisurely approach to upland bird hunts through confidence of having places to hunt and a plan before leaving home.

Those recommendations are for the first year member to get them jump started as to where to hunt for what they are after. Typically, after the first year most hunters develop favorite areas, feel confident with the Association and explore on their own thereafter. However, getting them started off in the right direction that first year does much to enhance their satisfaction with the Association and the quality of bird hunting we have.

Why all of this works is how we manage hunter pressure. We never have too many upland bird hunters in the Association at any one time and never allow any hunts in excess of what the habitat will carry. If we provide good upland bird hunts throughout the season the hunter will renew his membership. We recognize that and so should the hunter.

Too Many Choices

Yes, there is a lot of land to chose from and even when we narrow it down to a specific upland bird region there may still be 40,000 acres to select from.

One aspect about our self guided hunts is that we get the hunter to the point of where he parks his truck, steps our and hunts. That last part is the hard part - the hunt part.

Regardless of how good our recommendations may be it always comes down to the hunter must hunt on his own. It is through that method and that method alone that hunter sets up for himself years of hunting to come though making his own hunts. It also does mean that initially that hunter will walk as many bad as good fields, he will eventually find more of the better spots and soon have more good spots than time on any trip to hunt.

Others have attempted variation to this get out and hunt requirement and they never work.

One variation is the hunter that seeks a chance to hunt with one of us (Association staff) thinking we have an inside track on all the best bird spots and a hunt with us is a guarantee of a great day. We do not hunt with members just from the favoritism aspect alone. Add to that, that we hunt for our enjoyment and choose to hunt alone with our dogs as it is the dog work that gains us that special satisfaction that drives us to hunt. Add to that, our dogs are well disciplined and we have little tolerance for dogs of less reliability. Add to that, a hunting buddy personality and style match is very difficult to achieve and happens elsewhere before the hunt and not on the hunt.

Another variation is for the new member to want us to identify right down to property number, tree line and spot where the coveys are. At this point we wonder what part of "do it yourself" was mistaken for during the web site review and telephone screening interview. To expect such guidance is to seek a guided bird hunt. We do not guide and we do not allow any guiding on our properties. We offer no other answer to this bird hunter seeking to be led by the hand other than to get out and hunt. The coveys are where they are found and the hunter that needs the very acre identified where they are will not be successful regardless of the degree of assistance provided.

Multiple Hunting Disciplines

The kid in the candy store syndrome where once an upland bird hunter starts to see all that is possible he tries to bird hunt more than he has time to adequately cover.

No matter who we are, we neither have the energy and typically the time to hunt more than two disciplines within one season. Those that do simply spread themselves too thin to be good at any of it and require far more luck than skill to achieve satisfaction.

If wanting to hunt multiple disciplines on one year do so incrementally, start of with a concentrated effort at upland bird hunting the first season or two then expand out to a deer hunt. The proof of this approach are the hunters that tell us how they simply wore out trying to upland bird, waterfowl and deer hunt during the same trip.