Bird hunting out west

[GrouseHunter]

I was out in Montana for a couple weeks, lots of wild birds and lots of land.

[mike rossi]

I see you shot a sharptail grouse but I cant tell if those are deer or proghorns out in the grain field?

[GrouseHunter]

They are Antelope I saw lots of them that was a big group that was far away. I saw a lot of deer also but no pictures,

[mike rossi]

Mule deer?

[GrouseHunter]

I think they were mule deer. It was Bow season for deer and antelope while I was out there but I did not see any hunters.

[Doewhacker]

I need more info so I can live vicariously here, rough flush count? Dead bird count? State land or private? Rough estimate of cost?

We are heading for northern Maine next Thursday for ruffies and woodies can't wait.

[GrouseHunter]

Well I did not count flushes but birds are also in covys and we worked a lot of pheasants but it was not pheasant season. I would say I saw birds every day usually one or two covys of sharptails and after the flush you work the singles. I saw covys of Huns about 3 or 4 times and same thing work on the singles after the flush. I would say anywhere from 20 to over 100 pheasants each day. They were young and bunched up. Dogs would point and as many as 20 could come out on the flush fire the gun away from them and move on. I did not kill more birds than I could eat each day because I was camping and could not store birds. This is a trip for the love of dog work and seeing birds and the wide open spaces but if you had a freezer you could fill it, The land was all open to the public and there is so much land you could hunt for years without covering the same ground twice. I never saw another hunter. I do have my favorite spots and the walking is easy. The cost is $110 for the license and gas and food and some campground fees from free up to 35. Camping is the way to go because there arent many hotels and the oil workers are booking them up. I used about 400 gallons of gas.

I would like to hear how Maine is I am thinking of going also.

[Doewhacker]

"This is a trip for the love of dog work and seeing birds and the wide open spaces" AMEN! Both my dogs love to run, especially the Wirehair and I love to just watch them go.

Thanks a bunch for the info, sounds like heaven for wild bird hunting out there.