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Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

Draht guy,

Can I assume by your screen name you hunt DDs?

How about a personal reference for a guide or outfitter that specializes in grouse and huns?

The hunt you want is available in Saskatchewan. Hunting is similar to Western North Dakota, and Eastern Montana. Sharptial and Huns, ( but not pheasant) Wide open spaces, and a huge number of waterfowl as a bonus. hunting south of the #1 highway will generally produce the most upland birds.

I also hunt with a Pudelpointer, they are a fine choice in bird dogs if you pick your spots and hunt smart. Don't try to cover the entire countryside, you'll wear out both you and the dog!

Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 11 Location: Alexandria MN

I think you guys might enjoy a couple of short videos I shot in 2004 hunting western ND on the national grasslands.

Disclaimer: the birds shot in the video were taken with 20 ga O/U shotguns, and this is my very first attempt at video sharing...sorry. I had to use 4 parts because of the size of the files.

The video was shot on the ND opener which usually falls on the second weekend in september. It is usually very hot around 75 degrees or so, but I have also had snow on opening weekend. This area doesn't have very many huns, I usually find them closer to grain crop areas where pheasants also thrive. I like the early season because pheasant isn't open yet and land access is really not an issue. Acutally, we do most of our hunting on public land. I Like the early season because the birds are still in family groups and easier to get close to. When it is hot they won't fly extreme distances and will hold really tight in shady buck-brush areas after they have been kicked up. The downside is it is harder on the dogs and the hunters because we put on so many miles.

On the first segment, I had a really good morning and only had 1 bird left on my 3 bird limit. I decided to carry the camera (very old cannon miniDV recorder) and my brother Mike (in the T-shirt) makes a couple of good shots on a following pair of 1st year birds. Bacon is my vizsla from Busch vizslas and pictured here on her very first hunt at 5 months old. After Mike gets his last 2 birds of the day I steal his gun and get my last bird on a fenceline. If you crank up the volume you can hear the wakawakawaka sounds they make when they get up.

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/mamohr686/?action=view&current=CapturedFile.flv

In the second part (next day) I have a bird get up behind some brush and can't get a clear shot. Soon after, I step on a grouse but it flushes straight towards my brother Mike holding the camera. I wait until the bird changes direction and make a great long passing shot. I usually wear pro-ears to protect my hearing when I'm hunting.

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/mamohr686/?action=view&current=CapturedFile001.flv

In the third part my dad's vizsla skeeter (from rozanek's kennel) is locked up in the brush and I go in and flush the bird. Skeeter is a very very soft dog that won't hunt with an e-collar. She is 10 years old, has arthritis, and a previous ACL repair but still loves to hunt. These issues make it kind of tough for my dad to do much field obedience training. The grouse busts back behind my dad and he hits the bird on the second shot. Most of the time you never get a second chance on grouse. If you rush your shot and biff the first time, the birds motivate so fast that they are usually out of range by the second shot. My dad is a little annoying with the whistle but skeeter eventually makes the retrieve after she gets wind of the bird. All the action was shot late in the afternoon when the dogs were very tired, and scenting conditions were very poor due to the dryspell.

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/mamohr686/?action=view&current=CapturedFile002.flv

In the last part of the video Mike makes a long shot on a young grouse that busts wild at the very end of the brush he starts to push. You can get an idea of the cover we try to hunt, and find most of our birds in. The brush has red berries on them and have 2"+ long thorns on them. The birds love them for the shade and the food. It's hard to tell, but Mike is a long distance from the camera and is not shooting towards our empty suburban. He has a good angle on the bird, and skeeter makes the retrieve. It doesn't take much of a load to take down a grouse, but being able to take some flat long distance shots will put more birds in the bag for you.

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/mamohr686/?action=view&current=CapturedFile003.flv

Thanks. Great video thats the kind of info I was looking for.

Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 11 Location: Alexandria MN

On my video camera it is much clearer but it's still kinda cool. Last year I went to south dakota because I've never had the opportunity for a mixed bag with prairie chickens. Access was much more difficult near pierre, and the grasslands were hunted very hard by other groups. I guess you really don't know how good you have it until you have a couple of tough hunts. I can't wait to go back to ND for the sharptail opener.