Pheasant
Quail | The bell curve of upland bird hunter experiences is as true for averages and either end minorities as most other samplings of any population. There does exist the greatest majority in the average zone and minorities at each extreme.
At this point, the discussion may seem too deep for a self guided hunter operation as hunters as a whole are optimists. Any one that does fish or hunt knows full well the outcome of any effort can be enhanced or degraded by the person’s behavior in terms of preparation and experience, but never guaranteed. Other not so well controlled contributing factors of weather, habitat, dog power may not be so well predetermined by the hunter. In any case, no fisherman or hunter expects a perfect day every day in the field and he also does not expect the worst day either. This all changes when the investment in the outcome for that hunter has increased as when he does pay for that hunt or fishing experience.
A dynamic that occurs once a hunter pays money for a hunt regardless of the hunt involved is that hunter expects higher quality outcomes at less effort compared to previous experiences. The idea is that if something is paid for it is of a higher quality than what can be achieved through other resources of money, time or effort. This may seem an appropriate attitude if all conditions involved resulted from that payment. However, in hunting the conditions are numerous and combine into different and varying combinations within and mostly outside of the hunter’s control or that of the organization providing the paid hunt. This then requires that hunt quality must be further defined in terms of what is actually being paid for and that to be expected. The remainder of this article will separate the ideal we all want to achieve during every trial (hunt) and that of reality as a means to develop reasonable expectations for the hunt quality to be excepted. The ideal is expressed in the bell chart above at the far right of quick hunts, great weather and superior dog work. What every upland bird hunter wants. The reality is more towards the center where there will be more good than bad bird hunting days. And, all must agree, everyone of us will have the bad days depicted as the far left of the bell chart. This will be true for all and those that do not agree with these basic and universally held truths about upland bird hunting they need not continue with this articled. Those that do continue reading will find the benefits and limitations of how Mid-America Hunting Association moves hunters from the left to the right side of the bell curve.
Within each of the left, low quality, and right, highest quality upland bird hunting experiences, there does show some commonalities. Establishing these commonalities will assist with the later discussion of how to enhance those actions that will make for more of the better hunts. At the left, low quality hunts, there does exist a higher percentage of first year members rather than members with three years or more in the Association. This low quality end minority shares more common points of earlier discussed issues with willingness to walk, shooting ability and dog power which may be lumped into hunter preparation behavior. The final common aspect of majority of this group is a lack of familiarity with the upland bird being hunted, that is our wild Bobwhite Quail and Ringneck Pheasant. The qualifying term of “wild” should not be glossed over. (see Dog Power, Pheasant Hunting Thoughts, Quail Dogs, Self Guided Quail Hunts, Self Guided Pheasant Hunts, Upland Bird Dogs, Upland Bird Comparison, Wild Quail Hunts, Wild Pheasant Hunts, Pheasant Dog Power,) At the other extreme of the highest quality hunts the characteristics that make up this group include: they are more seasoned hunters, dog work above all else is the objective of the hunt, typically hunt alone with fewer dogs than the average hunter and it is the quality of the hunt and enjoyment of the day that is most prized. Even without bird counts being part of their core enjoyment, these hunters do seem to harvest the most birds. Now how to move more hunters from the left to the right side of the bell curve. In this discussion we will group the discussion to include all hunters and no longer separate by tail end bell curve minorities or averages. The most significant action is to judge hunt quality based on more than one hunting experience commonly described as a hunting trip or the first season. The variables to be fully evaluated before coming to a hunt quality decision include a sampling of the varied bird population densities and habitat types. If after trying an upland bird hunt in southern Iowa; north Missouri; north west, north central and south central Kansas the hunter will have experienced the full range of our upland bird hunting varied by habitat type and bird of preference either pheasant or quail. Typically, each hunters find that one bird of preference or habitat of preference is more suited to his hunting style or dog power or both. Those bird densities and habitat types found most enjoyable if hunted more frequently than the less desirable begin to move that hunter from left to right on the bell curve. Prior actual experience to retained memory differential of common bird type experiences is the next common attribute of those more to the left of the bell curve. Retained memories are a powerful force in analysis and decision making. The common human behavior is to retain those memories that are more pleasant than adverse. For upland bird hunters across the range of experiences if let to talk about past hunts the memories expressed are overwhelmingly of good to great hunts. Bad hunts are not described unless specific leading questions are asked of those retelling of past hunts. Adverse hunts include those of extreme weather, vehicle accidents and dog injuries or tragedies. After these bad hunt memories further leading questions to account for limit vice non-limit day ratios further brings clarity. The results were differentiated by total hunting days per year. Those that hunt less frequently than others have more adverse days and those with more field days per year have the fewest bad hunt days. Comparing these filtered past memories to current season experiences may skew analysis from more objective criteria. The short answer to those that want to move from left to right of the bell curve of upland bird hunter experiences simply need to spend more time bird hunting. Through time spent a filed, more of the better memories are acquired, however these better experiences should not be expected immediately or more frequently simply caused by money being paid. Money paid is part of the preparation for the hunt and not the end all answer for the hunt quality itself (see Quail Hunting Quality). The next differential at how to move from left to right toward more of the better field days is to leverage the advantages brought about by Mid-America Hunting Association specific to the land they lease. The worst case approach to MAHA lease land is to simply pick a place to hunt similar to putting all lease maps on a wall and throw darts while blindfolded and after having been spun around in circles to insure a sporadic outcome. A better approach exists. The first step to maximize leveraging MAHA advantages is to seek out their current and past years’ upland bird forecasts (see Upland Bird Forecasts). The current forecast is an obvious starting point for that season’s hunt. Tracking trends from their previous years forecasts provides an evaluative source compared to the hunter’s experience. The observations of the MAHA staff are a means to provide future, out year, analysis of where to hunt based on their observations and their observation accuracy compared to boots on the ground time behind dogs. Further more those in the first critical year of membership should seek their [Association Staff] direct recommendations of where to hunt just prior to the hunt as a means of gaining the most current available information. Finally, each first year member should come with a plan A and B each trip as one may have that bird or habitat differential more suited to the dog power and hunting style that will always be a variable the Association must deal with. When all of the above is combined with the hunter's willingness to walk, shooting ability and dog power there is little else to add to the hunt's quality potential. If accomplishing the above the first season building approach, recognizing that the first season is a break-in year, subsequent hunts should become of a higher quality as that individual hunter identifies more of where and what he should hunt. If this approach alone is accomplished than the rest of the variables will fall in line and hunters will find they are continually moving from left to right on the upland bird hunter bell curve of experiences. What all of our fathers told us as children still applies as adults, if you really want something keep trying, do not give up. |
