Among the many highly successful hunters I know, one thing they all have in common is great hunting instincts. Yes, they also have sharp skills and deep knowledge, but more importantly, they can recognize an opportunity and seize it without hesitation.

They have an ability to anticipate what’s going to happen, and they’re able to react without over-analyzation. Often, this results in meat in their freezer when others would go home empty-handed.

The good news here is that we can all sharpen our hunting instincts, however, this is no easy task.

Watching Instincts Develop

Hunting instincts play a role in a variety of different ways, but shooting scenarios are the most obvious. Watching the development of my oldest son, who I’ve taken grouse hunting since he was three years old, has taught me a lot about a hunter’s instinct. I started him on a Savage Rascal .22, and he first learned to shoot with a red dot scope.

He’s progressed to become proficient with iron sights and magnified optics, but his grouse gun is still that little .22. He often accompanies me to the shooting range and will constantly pepper my 100-yard targets with .22 holes. He thinks it’s a gas. As staple of boyhood, he got his first Red Ryder this past spring, and we set up a backyard range for him, where he tears through bottles of BB’s ventilating aluminum cans suspended by strings. But this is more than just fun and games, he’s learning every time we shoot.

My son has always been a quick learner, and now he’s becoming a crack shot before my eyes. He’s been shooting red squirrels with his small hand-me-down compound bow since he was five. A few days ago, we followed a pair of grouse into a black spruce thicket, and when I could see a bird ducking and bobbing his way toward a tiny window through the tangled mess of dry, gray limbs and alder branches, I set the tripod we use and pointed his rifle toward the opening.

He quickly got behind the rifle and had only a couple seconds before the bird walked into the opening. Bang! The grouse dropped. We continued, and he got another one in the same manner. It was our first grouse hunt in a while, and the first time I’ve seen him shoot with such decisiveness. These weren’t lucky shots made in haste; they were intentional and accurate. He prepared quickly and took his opportunities as soon as they appeared.

We Aren’t Born with Hunter’s Instincts

I’d love to believe that the secret to being a great shot on wild game is simply flowing within the Freel family bloodline. And it’s nice to think that we all have hunting instincts and skills hardcoded into our DNA from ancient ancestors who chased down wooly mammoths with bows and spears.

But, unfortunately, that’s not how it works in the real world. Of course, some people have natural abilities (like keen vision or good hand-eye-coordination) that help them become better hunters, but a true hunter’s instinct isn’t something you’re born with. Hunting instinct is cultured and learned.

I’ve been crazy about hunting for as long as I can remember, but that didn’t mean I was always good at it. When I was 12 years old, my dad and I started calling coyotes together. I loved it, but I don’t remember killing a single coyote that first winter. Over several years, we got better, learning from each coyote we called in. We learned to predict what they were likely to do, we learned when to shoot and when to wait. As our experience and skills grew, so did our instinct for it.

We had to see a lot of hunts play out and we also mess up on a lot of coyotes before we really had the right instincts. All those experiences informed future hunts.

You Can’t Buy Instinct

Shooting animals ethically, effectively, and decisively, is a learned skill. That skill can’t be bought, and neither can good shooting instincts.

In the materialistic and hyper-marketed world, we live in, it’s easy to fall for the notion that you can buy yourself better results with better gear. While accurate rifles, quality ammunition, and precise optics do provide tangible benefits, they don’t mean shit if you don’t know how to use them. Competency takes lots of practice, and yes, some failure, too.

Based on the nature of many posts and conversations I’ve seen, I’d say it’s easy for many new hunters to be paralyzed by indecisiveness—afraid to just go, try, and even fail on their own. Many want to be told everything from where to go to which type of bootlaces they need to be using. The best advice is to simply get out there and learn as you go.

Likewise, even many experienced hunters put too much emphasis on gear and not enough emphasis on time in the field.

How to Develop a Hunter’s Instinct

The best route for developing a deadly and efficient hunting instinct is, quite simply, to spend a lot of time hunting. To get good at recognizing shot opportunities and to capitalize on them, you need to get many of animals in front of you. And to do that, you’ve got to spend serious time in the woods.

But range time matters too. I started my son out with a red dot scope because it made for one less complication to the shooting process, and he could see success and improvement. It made shooting fun. With thousands of repetitions, he’s become comfortable, quick, and decisive in his shooting. When starting with iron sights this summer on his BB gun, he was frustrated and shaky, shooting off a bench. Now he can make those tin cans dance shooting offhand better than Chuck Connors. That snappy decisiveness translates to hunting.

Experienced hunters can sharpen their instinct by practicing with a shot process. This means executing the exact same steps in the same order before every shot (this gets written about a lot in archery, but it’s important for any type of shooting). Drilling a shot process might seem counter intuitive at first, because the whole point of going on instinct is to not think about it, right? That’s true, but first you’ve got to build solid fundamentals. By practicing with a shot process, you drill those fundamentals into your subconscious. Soon, you won’t be thinking about the steps in the process, you’ll do them automatically. When a shot opportunity presents itself on a hunt, you’ll shoot the exact same way you do in practice.

It’s amazing to watch son develop his skills and hunter’s instinct. But it’s important to remember that the focus of any hunt should never be only on killing something. After all, you’ll learn more from missed opportunities than successful ones. I know I must be patient and have him only take good opportunities and ethical shots, but more and more he’s recognizing those opportunities on his own.

The post The Best Hunters Go on Instinct. Here’s How to Sharpen Yours appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Dove hunting is one of the most popular wingshooting sports in the U.S. Each season 1 million hunters spend 3 million days afield to shoot between 15 and 20 million mourning doves, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife. And 40 of the lower 48 states have established dove hunting seasons. In Texas, where 250,000 people dove hunt, the opener might as well be a state-wide holiday. That’s because dove hunting is fun, relatively accessible, and doves make excellent table fare.

Finding access to dove hunting can range from easy to difficult depending on where you live. In states like Texas, the birds are abundant on many properties. If you don’t have your own property to hunt them on, there are public-land hunt to be had in the southern part of the state. You can also pay a day rate for as little as a $100 to go dove hunting in Texas. In other parts of the country birds and access can be sparse, but if you scout hard or have a few acres to plant a dove plot in the spring, there’s a good chance you can locate enough birds for a favorable shoot.

Finding doves and having access to them are the two main hurdles to clear, but there are a few more things to consider, like where to setup, which shotgun gauge to shoot, and managing hunting pressure. To have a prosperous dove season you need to take all of these variables into account and balance them equally. In our ultimate guide to dove hunting, we’ll cover the following. Read straight through, or click on a section to jump in.

1. How to Find Doves
2. How to Plant Your Own Dove Field
3. How to Set Up on a Dove Hunt
4. Dove Hunting Decoys
5. Dove Shooting Tips
6. Dove Hunting Shotguns, Chokes, and Loads
7. Managing Dove Hunting Pressure
8. Hunting the Late Season

1. How to Find Doves

Locating doves in late August is paramount. Plenty of hunters will simply show up to a sunflower patch on the dove opener and expect to shoot 15 birds. Get an edge on the competition by scouting several locations in the days leading up to Sept. 1. This is critical especially if you hunt public land, but it’s also worth finding private, fresh-cut agricultural fields. When you find birds on private land, knock on doors and ask for permission to hunt. Look for recently burned wheat fields and fields that have been disced.

Water sources, gravel roads (more on this later), and power lines are also good places to find birds. Doves must drink, they use grit to properly digest their food, and perch on the lines. If all three elements exist in one location, you’re likely to find good numbers of doves.

Once you locate the birds, don’t just call it good. Spend time studying their flight lines, that way you can get under the birds before the flight begins on opening day (you may have to arrive several hours before legal shooting time on public land to claim your spot). — J.G., M.P.

Natural Food Sources Are a Good Place to Locate Doves

Given the chance, doves will concentrate on natural foods such as foxtail, ragweed, wild sunflowers, and any native grass that carries a head of small seeds.

Monocultures—areas that are dominated by a single plant species—can provide doves with abundant food, but areas dominated by a single food source generally offer a boom-or-bust proposition for birds. When seeds are mature and available the birds will have plenty to eat, but when the crop is cleaned-up the birds will largely vacate the area. Wildlife biologists know this and generally plant dove fields with a variety of mixed seeding plants including browntop millet, barley, grain sorghum, and sunflowers. A good dove hunting tip is to pay special attention to areas where there are a variety of seeding plants in proximity to one another when you’re scouting. These areas will attract birds throughout the season.

Most hunters recognize agricultural crop fields will attract birds. However, if you understand which native plants are most attractive to doves, you’ll be able to identify a potential hotspot that might be overlooked by others. Doves feed on a variety of native and non-native plants in the fall, and very few hunters can recognize all of them. Pay particular attention to stands of barnyard grass, ragweed, Johnson grass, lespedeza, poke weed (identifiable by its purple berries and stems), sedges, and wild peas. All these plants are very attractive to the birds—and largely ignored by other hunters. —B.F., M.P.

Water and Grit Are Key Factors to Dove Hunting

Water is critical for dove digestion, and the birds will not nest or roost far from a suitable water source. In dove terms, a “suitable” source of water is one that has little vegetation around the shore to obstruct the birds. It’s not uncommon to see doves watering multiple times a day, especially during periods of warm, dry weather. Doves tend to seek out water more often during the morning and evening hours, so hunting near an open water source late in the day is oftentimes a great way to shoot a limit. Ponds and rivers will attract doves if their banks aren’t too steep and there’s little vegetation, but seeps in pastures, small creeks, and even puddles are all favorite watering points for birds. Set up well away from the water’s edge and use natural terrain to conceal your location. Oftentimes doves access water from the same direction when they come for a drink, and once you identify the flight pattern you can set up accordingly.

Mourning doves have crops, which are essentially enlarged muscular pouches that extend from the bird’s esophagus. Crops store food while the birds are feeding (one reported dove crop held over 17,200 bluegrass seeds) and, in the case of doves and pigeons, create “crop milk” which is a rich source of nutrients for nestlings. To help digest the seeds in their crop, doves swallow small stones known as grit. Grit is often collected along the sides of gravel roads, so these areas attract birds and can offer a hot shoot. Just make sure if you set up in a fencerow near the road that it is legal to do so. Some states allow you to hunt the ditch on either side of the road, others strictly forbid it. —B.F.

2. How to Plant Your Own Dove Field

Sunflower and wheat are the two most common fields I see hunters shooting doves over, but you can also plant sorghum, millet, milo for dove hunting success. But for now, let’s focus on sunflowers and wheat.

The good news is that you don’t have to plant a very large field for good hunting. A quarter acre or less is often enough to draw doves.

The bad news is that planting can be tricky in the spring. This varies every spring due to weather (rain, snow, and cold), but if you’re planting a sunflower field ideally you don’t want to get sunflower seeds in the ground any later than the second week of May. Sunflowers have about a 100-day gestation period, so to get a good, full-grown head on the flowers (which means more seeds for the doves to feast on), you need to get them in by then. I try and plant in April (I live in Illinois), if possible, but in the Midwest you can get a freeze or even snow that time of year, so it’s important to keep an eye on the forecast. Folks in southern states can typically plant earlier without worrying about frost.

My recommendation is that when you have the chance to plant, do it. Don’t wait for a dry weekend. Take a day off work and get after it because the weather is volatile in spring. Our last few springs here have been especially wet, and I’ve learned the hard way you must plant at Mother Nature’s convenience or there won’t be a healthy crop come August.

Planting a wheat a field is much easier than sunflowers, because you can plant as soon as the ground is workable. Wheat seed is more like grass seed—it’s hardy and will grow whenever there is precipitation followed by a warmup and it won’t die off even if it gets buried under a foot of spring snow. If you want to spend less money (and time), broadcasting red spring wheat seed is the way to go.

Sunflowers take more time and money. To plant sunflowers, you will need to apply a chemical burn down on the field before the seeds germinate. This helps keep the field clear of weeds, which will stunt the growth of your sunflowers or choke them out altogether. Doves also like feeding in a clean field, not a weed patch, so you must use a burn down to have good hunts in September. You also might have to kill off your sunflowers in August to dry them out so the seeds will drop from the heads. That’s another added expense.

With spring wheat, all you need to do is get the field worked, spread the seed and some fertilizer, and cover it with dirt sometime in March or April. Then in August, you burn the field so all the seeds drop to the ground—doves love it. —J.G.

3. How to Setup for a Dove Hunt

Find the Right Hide

Doves have incredibly good eyesight so they can find tiny seeds while flying at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. Doves are good at spotting movement and avoiding predation, but research has also shown that doves may be able to see color, and the birds may avoid any hues that look out-of-place in their environment. This means that hunters need to take extra steps to conceal their location and most importantly, remain still.

Using natural vegetation is the best way to conceal yourself, so tucking in behind a screen of ragweed or goldenrod will make for a more successful hunt (provided you aren’t allergic to either plant species). You can also find a shady spot along a treeline with the sun at your back or use camo netting affixed to stakes and place it in front of your shooting position. Doves aren’t as wary as a late-season mallard, but they will avoid your field if you don’t conceal yourself. —B.F.

4. Dove Hunting Decoys

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Dove decoys will help distract the birds. Stationary decoys and spinning-wing dove decoys will put the doves at ease and bring them in close for a shot. Clipping stationary decoys to standing sunflowers, fence wires, and tree branches will help make your setup look more realistic. I’ve hunted many fields that had 15- to 20-foot wooden posts dug in the ground and a wire attached to either end to offer doves a comfortable landing spot before they feed. If you have a private dove field, I suggest taking the time to erect a wire in the middle of your field. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Any kind of long wooden or metal posts with sturdy enough wire or rope will suffice.

Motion decoys work well the first few shoots of the season but eventually, doves will become wise to them. As the season rolls along, watch how doves react to the spinners. I always start off the hunt by using a spinner or two, but if doves shy away from them, I either turn them off or pull the decoys completely. —J.G.

5. Tips for Shooting Doves

Mourning doves are among the fastest and most acrobatic birds we hunt. They are agile enough to make even the most seasoned wingshooter curse their way through opening day. These birds dive, twist, change speed, change direction, and rise and drop so quickly and effortlessly that it sometimes seems impossible to intercept passing targets with any regularity. However, if you learn and practice the fundamentals of wingshooting, you’ll shoot more doves with fewer shells.

Keep your muzzle moving. The muzzle of your shotgun must be in motion before, during, and after the shot. One shotgun instructor that I trained with described it as stroking a paintbrush across the target rather than shooting the bird. This is the most fundamental principle for killing more doves, because if you stop the gun, you’ll shoot behind the bird every time.

Establish a solid cheek weld. Do this by bringing the gun to your shoulder and cheek as opposed to lowering your head to the gun. Practice mounting and swinging your (unloaded) gun prior to the season opener.

Your upper body and gun should remain fixed. Lateral muzzle movement is accomplished by rotating your hips left or right, and muzzle elevation should be controlled by flexing or extension of the back. When standing, keep your weight noticeably forward but not so much that lateral movement is impeded. If you typically shoot while seated, then take the time to practice standing up from a seated position and moving the gun. The neighbors may wonder what you’re up to, but you won’t get skunked on opening day.

Don’t worry about the bead on your shotgun. Your eyes need to be fixed on your target, and your gun should be moving with your body as you track the bird (this is why proper posture is so important). When you aren’t actively on target, practice “soft eyes” by relaxing your focus to scan a wide portion of open sky. You’ll pick up birds more quickly and will have more time to get on target as they approach.

Perfect your trigger pull. A bad trigger pull is often the result of choking the trigger with your shooting finger, flinching, or pulling the trigger at an angle—can move the muzzle enough to cause a miss. To remedy this, place a snap cap (they cost about $20 and quickly pay off) in the chamber of your gun and trace along the top seam of a wall, pulling the trigger as you do so. Pay close attention to the degree the bead deviates from the seam when you pull the trigger; ideally, the muzzle will keep moving on the exact same line as the trigger breaks.

Practice! You’ve heard it before, but here’s how to make your shotgun practice dove-hunt-­specific: For the price of a few trips to a high-end sporting clays range, you can purchase an electronic target thrower and position it on your range or property so that all the targets are angled shots or crossers, the primary presentation for most shots on doves. Having an electronic target thrower will help you keep up with practice year-round—and they’re also a lot of fun. —B.F.

6. Dove Hunting Shotguns, Chokes, and Loads

Shotgun Gauges for Dove Hunting

The gauge of shotgun you pick for dove hunting isn’t as important as making sure you shoot the gun you are most comfortable and accurate with. Opening day of dove season is no time to try out a new smoothbore you haven’t shot a single round of skeet with. Doves are some of the toughest birds to hit, so you want to use a shotgun you are confident with.

Doves are difficult bulls to hit, but not tough birds to drop. In fact, some hunters will say a 12-gauge is too much gun for doves, but a 2¾-inch 1- or 1 1/8-ounce load of lead No. 7s, 8s, or 9s is fine. Sub-gauge guns like 20-gauges and 28-gauges are also great choices for doves. But whichever gauge you choose, be sure to pair it with the proper payload and shot size. —Joe Genzel

Best Load for Dove Hunting

A 2¾-inch lead shotshell with shot sizes from No. 7s to 9s will get the job done on doves, regardless of gauge (a .410 shell is going to be 2 1/2 or 3 inches). For steel loads, you can move up to a No. 6 shot size if you want (a few manufacturers make 2¾- and 3-inch loads in this variant for teal season). Personally, I wouldn’t spend the extra cash on a bismuth load for doves. Same goes for tungsten. TSS is overkill on a dove. Where non-toxic shot is required No. 6 steel will do just fine. —Joe Genzel

Best Choke for Dove Hunting

I typically shoot an auto-loader with a skeet, improved cylinder, or improved modified choke depending on where I am hunting. If you shoot a double-barrel shotgun, that will give you the option of using two choke constrictions, which will allow you to pair your choke to the shot presentation. Small fields lend to offer closer shots; big fields, longer ones, so take that into consideration before the hunt and swap chokes accordingly.

However, every shotgun patterns differently, and no two shooters swing a shotgun the same. You must decide what works best for your style of shooting. The only way to do that is by patterning your gun on paper and shooting clay targets. Shooting skeet and five-stand are the best ways to replicate the shots you will take on doves. It’s worth spending time at the range with the gun, load, and choke you intend to hunt with. —J.G.

7. Manage Dove Hunting Pressure

Doves are not particularly sensitive to hunting pressure, but you can ruin a hunting area by taking limits from it day after day. By the end of the first week of dove season, most popular public fields will be shot-out and the remaining doves in the area will have decided to look for food elsewhere. But, don’t quit on public fields later in the season because most hunters will have moved on, and the birds might return. Or fresh doves may migrate in and utilize the fields.

 If you only have one field to hunt, then do so sparingly—allow a full day of rest before hunting again for optimal success (two or three days is even better). If you have multiple fields to hunt, then rotate between them so you don’t burn your best one. Sure, you might have bagged a limit on successive days in your honey hole, but it’s better to let the area settle before another shoot. Don’t exclusively hunt feeding areas either. Divide your time between feeding locations, grit sites, and water sources.

You can also extend dove season by limiting the amount of time you hunt. If you shoot 10 birds in an hour, get out of the field, and let the dove’s feed. That way they feel more comfortable and are apt to return. It’s the same philosophy some duck hunters use for late-season mallard hunts by shooting birds that are coming in to roost early—from 1 to 3 p.m.—and then pulling stakes to let the bulk of the birds return without hearing a gun shot. —B.F., J.G.

8. Dove Hunting the Late Season

At some point during the season, a cold front will come through and most dove hunters will move on to other game birds.

But don’t overlook dove hunting the late season. Somewhere to the north of you, hundreds of hunters are probably experiencing the same thing. That means the birds they’ve lost are likely headed your way.

Finding yourself in the middle of a good dove migration can mean seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of birds. I’ve had hunts with morning limits pretty much filled before the first rays of sunlight covered the cornfield we were hunting.

One mid-September afternoon, four of us surrounded a small water hole on the Kansas prairie and watched as a massive cold front with heavy rain came in from the northwest. For two hours there was never a time when there weren’t southbound doves in sight. Limits of 15 came so fast. The last five minutes of legal shooting light, guns already cased, I counted more than 100 doves that passed within shotgun range.

But migrating doves aren’t prone to hanging around long, so don’t waste time. If your mid- or late-season scouting turns up a flock covering a field of freshly cut corn on Sunday night, you’d better call in sick on Monday morning. —M.P.

Dove Hunting Q&A: Your Dove Questions, Answered

Why is dove hunting so good in Argentina?

Doves thrive in Argentina because the country is full of perfect habitat for them. The brush country of Argentina provides ideal nesting cover. The expansive grain fields provide plenty of feed. The mild winters make it easy for doves to survive.

How many doves are there in the U.S.?

There were approximately 194 million doves in the U.S. as of 1 September 2020, according to the USFWS.

What is the best food plot for dove?

Sunflowers and wheat are the two most common fields that dove hunters plant, but you can also plant sorghum, millet, and milo for dove hunting success. A lot of hunters favor sunflower plots because they are easy to grow.

The post Dove Hunting Ultimate Guide: Tips and Tactics for Bagging More Birds appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Side-by-Side		CZ Bobwhite G2 Project Upland	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary A classic frame with upgraded furniture.
Best Semi-Auto		Browning Maxus II Hunter	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary A reliable autoloader for those who want more than two shots.
Best 20-Gauge Over/Under		Weatherby Orion I	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary A reliable o/u at a fraction of the cost of competitors.

Upland bird hunters are blessed with lengthy seasons, liberal bag-limits, and endless opportunities to chase a wide variety of species across every state. No matter the pursuit, one piece of equipment remains a necessity for upland hunters—a reliable shotgun.

Whether you fancy your favorite upland scattergun as a work of art or a tool of the trade, its intended purpose remains the same. For this review, I included a rundown of the best shotguns for bird hunting to cover a variety of budgets and styles.

• Best Overall: Browning Citori Gran Lightning
• Best 20-gauge Over/Under: Weatherby Orion I
• Best Budget Side-by-Side: Tristar Bristol SxS
• Best Side-by-Side: CZ Bobwhite G2 Project Upland
• Best Pump: Remington 870 FieldMaster
• Best Beginner: Benelli Nova
• Best Semi-Auto: Browning Maxus II Hunter
• Best Sub-Gauge Semi-Auto: Benelli SBE 3 28-gauge
• Best Bang for Your Buck: Winchester SX4 Field
• Best Youth: Mossberg International SA-20 Youth

Methodology

Asking someone to pick their favorite gun is similar to asking someone their favorite breed of bird dog; at the end of the day, it is all subjective. Having spent the past 20 years chasing upland birds across the country I know what does and does not work for me. But this list also continually evolves. For this review, I drew on my own personal experiences as well as other experienced hunters I know and respect. While this list might not be absolute, there were hundreds of days spent afield that helped me arrive at these picks. I did my best to include shotguns for every action and price point so that everyone, no matter your budget or style, could find a gun that best fits them.

Best Overall: Browning Citori Gran Lightning 

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Key Features

• Break-action O/U
• Gauge: 12, 20, 28, .410
• Finish: Blued
• Weight: 8 pounds (12-gauge)

Why It Made the Cut 

Browning’s Gran Lightning Citori is as visually striking as it is deadly in the field, earning best pick for its performance and upland aesthetics.

Pros

• Well balanced
• Easily interchangeable chokes
• Comfortable rounded pistol grip and forearm

Cons

• Steep price tag
• The 12-gauge is a heavy field gun

Product Description

Browning’s lineup of Citori shotguns has reigned supreme for over and under enthusiasts for decades. I recently had the opportunity to take the Gran Lightning Citori on a traditional, southern bobwhite quail hunt where it quickly gained my utmost respect as one of the finest shotguns that I have had the pleasure to shoulder. The Gran Lightning that I hunted with was a little 28-gauge and boy did it wreak havoc on buzzing coveys of quail. For the majority of upland hunting, especially when hunting over pointers, it is tough to beat the 28-gauge’s knock-down power combined with its almost non-existent recoil.

The Gran Lightning features a stunning oil finished grade V/VI walnut lightning style stock with a high-polish blued barrel and engraved receiver. It is one of those shotguns that is almost too pretty to take to the hills, but that is exactly where it belongs. It also sports a rounded pistol grip and forearm for a consistent and classic feel when shouldered.

Best 20-Gauge Over/Under: Weatherby Orion I

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Key Features

• Break-action O/U
• Gauge: 20
• Weight: 6.2 pounds
• Barrel length: 26 and 28 inches

Why It Made the Cut

Weatherby’s Orion I 20-gauge over and under provides upland enthusiasts a reliable stacked barrel option at a fraction of the cost of many others on the market.

Pros

• 3-inch chamber
• lightweight
• Incredibly comfortable to shoot

Cons

• Only comes in 28-inch barrel length for 20-gauge

Product Description 

Weatherby is most well known for their cutting-edge centerfire rifles, but their line of shotguns shouldn’t be overlooked. The Orion I 20-gauge isn’t flashy, but don’t let that fool you. This shotgun has been put through the ringer by many who swear by its fit and reliability. The slimmed receiver combined with the oversized forearm is both comfortable to carry and easy to shoot. If you are in the market for a workhorse 20 over and under that won’t break the bank, the Orion I should be at the top of your list.

Best Budget Side-by-Side: Tristar Bristol SxS

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Key Features

• Break-action side-by-side
• Gauge: 12, 16, 20, 28, .410
• Single selective trigger
• Weight: 5.24 pounds (28-gauge)

Why It Made the Cut 

The classic look and feel of the Bristol SxS combined with its extremely affordable price tag makes it a no-brainer for first time side-by-side shooters.

Pros

• Several gauges to choose from
• Ability to interchange chokes
• Classic look and feel at a fraction of the cost

Cons

• Some might prefer a traditional double trigger

Product Description 

Side-by-side shotgun aficionados are a special breed, taking their love and fascination of these shotguns to extreme levels, my own father included. Knowing the price tags for many vintage side-by-sides, I never indulged in their mystique. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered there are many affordable options for new side-by-sides that are visually appealing work horses in the field, and most importantly, extremely affordable. Enter front and center stage Tristar’s Bristol.

When I first got my hands on a 28-gauge Bristol side-by-side, I was impressed. The wood-to-metal fit was satisfactory (the Turkish walnut English stock is nothing fancy but certainly clean), and the case-colored receiver added a classic, rustic touch. Another benefit of a new side-by-side is the ability to interchange chokes when needed. The Bristol side-by-side comes standard with five Beretta style chokes (skeet, improved cylinder, modified, improved modified, and full). With a price tag below $1,200, this is a perfect shotgun to break into the wide world of side-by-side shotguns.

Best Side-by-Side: CZ Bobwhite G2 Project Upland

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Key Features

• Break-action side-by-side
• Gauge: 12, 20, and 28
• Chamber: 3-inch
• Weight: 6.2 pounds (28-gauge)

Why It Made the Cut

CZ’s Bobwhite G2 Project Upland side-by-side shotgun incorporates the classic Bobwhite frame and reliability with upgraded furniture and details.

Pros

• Double trigger
• Case-colored receiver
• Comfortable straight English stock

Cons

•  $1,700 is pricey for a Turkish-made SxS

Product Description

CZ, in collaboration with Project Upland, designed the Bobwhite G2 Project Upland shotgun. This modern side-by-side is built on one of the best shotguns for bird hunting–CZ’s classic Bobwhite frame–with some upgraded lavish details that add both character and appeal.

The Bobwhite G2 Project Upland side-by-side features a beautiful straight-English stock made from select grade Turkish walnut, encased with a decoratively engraved case colored receiver. Side-by-side purists can also breathe easy with the traditional double trigger and case colored manual tang safety preserved in this modern play on a CZ’s classic side-by-side. A wise man once wrote, “Life is too short to shoot an ugly gun.” I couldn’t agree more. And luckily, this gun’s performance matches its looks.

Best Pump: Remington 870 FieldMaster

Cabelas

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Key Features

• Action: Pump
• Gauge: 12 or 20
• Weight: 7.5 pounds (12-gauge)
• Better metal finish than discontinued Express model

Why It Made the Cut

Many Remington 870 models are legendary for unwavering reliability. Whether you are a first-time buyer or a seasoned veteran, everyone should have a Remington 870 in their gun collection.

Pros

• Unmatched reliability
• Easy to breakdown and clean
• Rust resistant finish

Cons

•  No shims or spacers for stock adjustment

Product Description 

With over 11 million shotguns sold since its introduction in 1950, the Remington 870 is the best-selling shotgun of all-time. The 870 FieldMaster internally mirrors the Wingmaster model but externally features a rugged corrosion resistant finish on the barrel and receiver to combat the abuse hunters put their shotguns through. Also, as of this year, the FieldMaster officially replaced the 870 Express. If a pump-action scattergun is your preferred shotgun of choice, it is tough to overlook the versatility and dependability of the Remington 870. It’s not flashy, but no one will argue that it will get the job done.

Best Beginner: Benelli Nova

Cabelas

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Key Features

• Action: Pump
• Gauge: 12 or 20
• Weight: 8 pounds (12-gauge)
• Barrel length: 24, 26, and 28 inches

Why It Made the Cut 

With a sub $500 price tag, this is the most budget-conscious shotgun on the list, and most importantly, it provides reliable cycling and consistent performance. These two variables make it the perfect shotgun for those wanting to dabble in upland hunting without a substantial financial commitment.

Pros

• Budget friendly
• Extremely reliable
• Multiple barrel length and color options

Cons

• Recoil is stout

Product Description 

Any shotgun displaying the Benelli name merits consideration. The Benelli Nova pump-action shotgun provides bird hunters a very affordable option for a well-made, reliable firearm that can tackle just about anything you can throw at it. The synthetic stock is especially nice when hunting the rugged mountains that chukars call home where dings and scratches are proudly worn like battle scars. The ability to have four shells in the magazine (where legal) is also a huge advantage when a staggered covey of birds gets up and three or four opportunities arise without having to reload. You won’t turn any heads with this finish, but if you’re testing the upland waters to gauge your interest, the Nova is a great, versatile shotgun that you won’t regret buying even if you decide that wingshooting isn’t your style.

Best Semi-Auto: Browning Maxus II Hunter

Cabelas

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Key Features

• Action: Semi-Auto (Gas)
• Gauge: 12
• Barrel length: 26 and 28 inches
• Weight: 7 pounds

Why It Made the Cut

The Browning Maxus II Hunter is a reliable semi-auto shotgun made for upland bird hunters who want more than two shots.

Pros

• Reliable Power Drive Gas System
• Adjustable LOP, cast, and drop with adjustable shims
• Fiber-optic front sight

Cons

• Only available in 12-gauge

Product Description

Browning hit a homerun when they launched the original Browning Maxus over a decade ago. The Power Drive Gas System proved its worth in the original Maxus and continues to be the driving force in the Maxus II. This gun also incorporates several cosmetic changes as well as a stock redesign, which makes shouldering it comfortable and easy. And the Inflex recoil pad eliminates a lot of the recoil, which you’ll want with a 12-gauge, and makes for quick follow up shots. And while some purists might shudder at this option, the Invector-Plus choke system makes this a versatile shotgun for other pursuits.  

Best Sub-Gauge Semi-Auto: Benelli SBE 3 28-gauge

Sportsmans

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Key Features

• Action: Semi-Auto (Inertia)
• Gauge: 28
• Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Barrel length: 26 or 28 inches

Why It Made the Cut

The Benelli SBE3 28-gauge shotgun is the finest sub-gauge semi-auto I have ever shot. It is also chambered to shoot 3-inch shells, which allow payloads similar to a 20-gauge but with the small frame and minimal recoil of a 28-gauge.

Pros

• Minimal recoil
• 3-inch chamber
• Lightweight

Cons

• Availability (for now)

Product Description 

Few trends have gained as much recent notoriety as that of sub-gauge shotguns. Manufacturers have taken notice, and Benelli was one of the first to answer the call with the launch of their Super Black Eagle 3 28-gauge shotgun. Needless to say, they set the bar high. This gun is made for hunting flighty coveys of quail and chukar when multiple shots and staggered coveys are a given. While the recoil of a 28-gauge is minimal, the Comfort Tech stock makes it even less noticeable, especially for follow up shots. 

With a well patterned lead load, you can easily reach out to 50 yards on most upland species and knock them out of the air with a good 28-gauge payload. And with the 28-gauge, depending on the load and choke combination, you can have similar performance to a 20-gauge without the recoil and added weight. Once you shoot a 28-gauge you may just fall in love. You have been warned.

Best Bang for Your Buck: Winchester SX4 Field 

Winchester

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Key Features

• Action: Semi-Auto (Gas)
• Gauge: 12, 20
• Barrel length: 26- and 28-inch
• Weight: 6 pounds, 12 ounces (12-gauge, 28-inch)

Why It Made the Cut

The SX4 Field is a no frills, classic upland take on the proven SX4 platform. And with a price tag just below a grand, this shotgun is easily the best bang for your buck.

Pros

• Ambidextrous safety
• Comfortable pistol grip
• Reliable with a wide variety of shells

Cons

• Bolt can be sticky, tough to open
• Load gate is also stiff, makes loading a chore in the cold

Product Description

The classic matte-black receiver, combined with the satin oil finished walnut stock gives the SX4 a classic upland look, but this gun also performs reliably and isn’t picky when it comes to payloads. Winchester incorporated an oversized safety and bolt release which makes handling with gloves a breeze. Recoil from the SX4 12-gauge is minimal, thanks to the Inflex Technology Recoil Pad. The smaller pistol grip is comfortable and provides plenty of grip for hunters with smaller hands but should still feel just right with those who have larger hands. If $1,000 is your top budget, you can start and end your search with the SX4 Field.

Best Youth: Mossberg International SA-20 Youth

Mossberg

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Key Features

• Action: Semi-Auto (Gas)
• Gauge: 20
• Chamber: 3-inch
• Weight: 6.25 pounds

Why It Made the Cut

The lightweight SA-20 Youth shotgun from Mossberg is the perfect first shotgun for your favorite little hunting buddy. All they have to worry about is barrel control and flipping the safety off.

Pros

• Compact
• Comfortable for youth
• Low recoil

Cons

• Fixed LOP means they’ll eventually outgrow it

Product Description

Passing on hunting traditions to younger generations is crucial to the survival of this sport. And one of the best entries into this sport is bird hunting. Youth specific shotguns, such as the SA-20 Youth, offer a lightweight, low recoiling, and comfortable option for young hunters interested in bird hunting. Its reasonable price tag makes it money well spent to get your little ones hooked on hunting. It does have a fixed LOP, so your young hunter won’t be able to grow with this gun, but for their early years, this compact wingshooter is more than enough to get them started and hopefully coming back.

FAQ’s

Things to Consider Before Buying a Shotgun for Bird Hunting

Budget

Purchasing a new shotgun is an endeavor worthy of your time and research. The first thing you should decide is how much you are willing to spend. When it comes to hunting gear and firearms, I generally try to abide by the “buy once, cry once” mentality as you almost always get what you pay for. Setting a budget from the beginning will set parameters on what shotguns to research and help you get the most out of your hard-earned cash.

Style

The second variable to consider when picking the right upland bird hunting shotgun is what species you plan on primarily chasing and what action style will be most conducive to that endeavor. For example, if pheasants or grouse are your primary target, an over and under or side-by-side is perfect for shooting a single or a flushing pair. However, if wild coveys of chukars, quail, or Hungarian partridge are a staple, you may want to lean toward a pump or semi-auto that offers the ability to send a third round down range. There are some purists who might argue that anything with the ability to shoot more than two shots is a blasphemy to the sport, but no one needs that kind of negativity in their life. Plus, what better excuse to buy a new shotgun.

Gauge

The third and final variable that must be considered when buying a new upland shotgun is the gauge. Personally, I have used a 20-gauge shotgun for most of my life and for that reason have a bias towards it. I am also a big proponent, depending on where and what I am hunting, of the 28-gauge. More on that later. Everyone’s trusty 12-gauge will get the job done—and with authority—but usually winds up being overkill on most upland species (outside of pheasants). Additionally, there has been a resurgence in recent years of the 16-gauge. It is a sweet little gauge, but ammo options and availability are sometimes limited.

Final Thoughts

Performance and reliability wise, these are some of the best shotguns for bird hunting. When it comes to individual performance, what works best for me might not work best for you. Still, any of the options on this list are more than capable for bird hunting. Find a shotgun that falls within your budget, become proficient with it, and hit the fields. The killing of a bird is inconsequential compared to everything else that surrounds the hunt, but when you work hard for that opportunity, be sure you are shouldering a shotgun you have complete confidence in.

The post The Best Shotguns for Bird Hunting of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Multi-Purpose		Danner Grouse	SEE IT
Most Comfortable		Meindl Vakuum Hunter	SEE IT
Best for Late Season		LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro	SEE IT

As an upland bird hunter, I don’t mind dropping cash on a pair of well-made hunting boots. I’ve hunted upland birds for more than 25 years, and I’ve worn through my fair share of treads. One lesson I’ve learned is that cheap or ill-suited boots can derail your hunt faster than anything. Don’t let a subpar pair of boots be the reason for cutting your hunts short this season.

Whether you’re chasing birds on the prairies or across rugged mountain sides, make sure your boots are best suited for the terrain and conditions. To help you do that, I’ve compiled a list of the best upland hunting boots to keep you in the field longer no matter where you hunt.

• Best for Western Hunts: Crispi Wyoming II GTX
• Best Multi-Purpose: Danner Grouse
• Best Casual: Irish Setter Wingshooter
• Most Comfortable: Meindl Vakuum Hunter
• Best for Late Season: LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro

Best for Western Hunts: Crispi Wyoming II GTX

Crispi

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Why It Made the Cut

Crispi’s Wyoming II GTX boots provide serious comfort, support, and breathability in a reasonably lightweight boot that’s perfect for chasing birds in rugged terrain.

Key Features

• Weight: 3.9 pounds (size 10)
• Gore-Tex lined
• Non-insulated
• Shock absorbing Vibram Sole
• Removable Crispi Air Mesh insole

Pros

• Comfortable
• Substantial ankle support
• Minimal (less than 5 miles) break-in
• Waterproof and breathable

Cons

• Expensive

Product Description

Besides your trusty bird dog or your best shotguns for bird hunting, Crispi’s Wyoming II GTX boots will be your best friend in the field. These boots provide plenty of comfort and support for your feet and ankles even for those days when you log double digit miles. I immediately noticed how comfortable these were when I first tried them on. As far as a break-in period, these were good-to-go after I wore them around town for a day. Even when I did break them out on the trails, I was impressed with their breathability, especially on the hottest summer days. After several hikes with them, my feet didn’t sweat excessively, and I didn’t notice any hotspots.

It is worth noting that these boots have a fairly stiff sole, which I prefer in terrain with drastic elevation changes. But if you’re hunting gently rolling prairies or fairly monotonous terrain, these might be unnecessary. The Wyoming II GTX boots come with a steep price tag, but if you cover plenty of rugged ground, these are hard to beat.

Best Multi-Purpose: Danner Grouse

Danner

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Why It Made the Cut

The Grouse boots from Danner have the quintessential fit and feel of an upland hunting boot but still provide support and comfort for long days in the field.

Key Features

• Weight: 3.87 pounds
• Full-grain leather and cordura denier nylon upper
• Gore-Tex lined
• Danner Bob outsole
• Uninsulated

Pros

• Waterproof
• Comfortable
• Great traction

Cons

• Expensive
• Longer break-in
• Slightly narrow footbed

Product Description

With a name like Grouse, these boots set high expectations for me. And they delivered. The impressive grip on the Bob outsole provided great traction while I climbed steep, rocky sidehills. And the durable, full-grain leather works great in a variety of conditions, and it should also expand the life of these boots as well.

Danner advertises that these boots run narrow. My feet are stuck between too wide for some regular width boots and not wide enough for most “EE” footbeds. I chose the regular footbed for these, and they were a tad tight when I first put them on. After several mountain miles they stretched slightly, but they’re still a bit narrow. If your feet lean more towards a wider footbed, go with the “EE” width for these. 

Best Casual: Irish Setter Wingshooter

Irish Setter

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Why It Made the Cut

An upgrade on Irish Setter’s classic upland boot, the Wingshooter is completely waterproof, and the 9-inch version gives excellent ankle support. Best yet, these stylish boots look great whether you’re trying to flush a bird or grab a casual dinner. 

Key Features

• Weight: 4 pounds
• Waterproof
• Steel shank
• Removable insole
• Uninsulated

Pros

• Durable, abrasion-resistant leather
• Affordable
• Doubles as a great work boot

Cons

• Substantial break-in process
• Gets steamy on long walks

Product Description

There’s a reason upland bird hunters have been wearing these boots in the field longer than I’ve been alive. The Wingshooters are an affordable, comfortable, and durable upland hunting boot. While all-leather, waterproof boots have their advantages, they can struggle with breathability. Unlike the Crispis I tested, these boots made my feet constantly sweat on warm days. You’ll definitely want to save these for late season roosters, especially if you get the insulated version. But in reasonable temps, these boots will do just about everything you ask of them and more.

Most Comfortable: Meindl Vakuum Hunter

Meindl

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Why It Made the Cut

The Air-Active insoles in Meindl’s Vakuum Hunter boots mold to your feet for an extremely comfortable fit.

Key Features

• Weight: 3.87 pounds
• Gore-Tex lined
• Nubuck leather upper
• Air-Active insoles
• Vibram Alpin outsoles
• Uninsulated

Pros

• Extremely comfortable
• No break-in necessary
• Waterproof

Cons

• Slightly stiffer outsole

Product Description

The Meindl Vakuum Hunter boots are the most comfortable boots out of the box that I’ve ever tried on. They required a zero break-in period for me. I just put them on and didn’t have any issues or noticeable hotspots even after trekking several miles in them. If comfort keeps you in the field longer, these are the best upland hunting boots for that purpose.

The Vakuum Hunters feature an aggressive Vibram Alpin outsole that provides great traction when you’re pursuing that next covey in steep country. Like the Crispi Wyoming II GTX boots, these feature a slightly stiffer outsole than you might need if you’re hunting primarily flat terrain. The Vakuum Hunters come with a hefty price tag, but these boots are so comfortable you’ll be lacing them up to chase other game too.

Best for Late Season: LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro

LaCrosse

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Why It Made the Cut

For those cold, late season hunts, LaCrosse’s Alphaburly Pros will keep your feet dry and toasty.

Key Features

• Weight: 5.2 pounds
• EVA midsole
• Embossed neoprene liner
• Insulated and non-insulated options available

Pros

• Comfortable
• 100 percent waterproof
• Aggressive traction
• Adjustable gusset

 Cons

• Not the best for all day hunts

Product Description

LaCrosse’s Alphaburly Pros are my go-to rubber hunting boots for chasing wily roosters in everything from swampy cattail bottoms to snow drifted plains. These boots come in various insulation options that range from uninsulated to a whopping 1600 grams of Thinsulate. So, whether you just need to keep your feet dry or from going numb, there’s an insulation option to fit your needs. 

The Alphaburly Pros might seem like overkill, but a lot of other upland hunting boots might not cut it when you’re trudging through ankle-deep snow. I definitely leave these at home if temps and conditions are mildly nice, and their weight makes them less than ideal if you plan to cover a ton of ground. But for the die-hards who want to kick up a few no matter the conditions, these boots can make sure you don’t miss any days in the field.

Things to Consider Before Buying Upland Hunting Boots

Where and when you hunt plays an important role in determining which boots best fit you. A long day chasing birds will quickly tell you if you have the correct footwear. To make sure you don’t learn that the hard way, here are a few things to consider.

Terrain

This might be the most important factor to help you find the best boot for your needs. I hunt upland birds across the rugged mountains of the West. My main concern is support and breathability because I know I’m going to cover several miles on any given hunt. A lightweight, breathable boot like Crispi’s Wyoming II GTX provides plenty of support, yet they won’t make my feet sweat like a heavily insulated boot.

But if you hunt pheasants and quail in the Midwest plains, you can probably get away with the Irish Setter Wingshooters or a pair of rubber boots like the Alphaburly Pros. 

Insulation

If you hunt the West or early season birds, an uninsulated or low insulation number will suffice. But for late season roosters or frigid temps, consider an insulated or rubber boot that will keep your feet dry and warm.

Cost

The truth is, good boots aren’t cheap. If you have the extra coin, solid boots are a great investment, and you’ll save money in the long run instead of buying cheaper pairs that don’t last long. Even worse, cheap boots can ruin a hunt. It’s also worth having multiple pairs, so you’re covered for a variety of weather conditions, especially if you hunt various regions of the country.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

When you’re buying a pair of the best upland hunting boots, it’s best to try them on if you can. Pick the one that can handle the conditions you hunt most and provides you with maximum comfort. Those two factors are a recipe for long, memorable hunts, and if your boots can give you that, they’ve outdone their job.

Methodology

To test these boots and the best upland hunting pants, I spent this summer hiking in them through a variety of terrains, especially where I’m likely to encounter birds this fall. By covering terrain I’m likely to hunt, I was able to give an assessment of how each of these boots would perform.

• Best for Western Hunts: Crispi Wyoming II GTX
• Best Multi-Purpose: Danner Grouse
• Best Casual: Irish Setter Wingshooter
• Most Comfortable: Meindl Vakuum Hunter
• Best for Late Season: LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro

The post The Best Upland Hunting Boots of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best All-Around		Pyke Gear Dakota Upland Brush Pants	SEE IT
Most Comfortable		KUIU Attack Pants	SEE IT
Best Brush Pants		Orvis Missouri Breaks Field Pants	SEE IT

When it comes to upland hunting pants, what works best for chasing flighty chukars in the early season won’t fly in frigid temps when you’re pursuing late-season roosters. While there are some pants that allow you to hunt the full range of seasons with proper layering, a lot of options are more season specific. I’ve been upland hunting for more than 25 years and having the right pants can give you more time in the field, while the wrong ones can send you packing early. For this review I tested the best upland hunting pants to cover a variety of hunting scenarios, regions, and temperatures and hopefully help you bag more birds.

• Best All-Around: Pyke Gear Dakota Upland Brush Pants
• Most Versatile: SITKA Harvester Pants
• Most Comfortable: KUIU Attack Pants
• Best Brush Pants: Orvis Missouri Breaks Field Pants
• Best Casual: KÜHL Rydr Pants

Methodology

For this review, I used 25-plus years of upland hunting experience and the opinions of other seasoned upland hunters to arrive at this list. I considered fit, function, comfort, durability, and hunting applications to determine which ones made the cut. While I tested these outside of hunting season, I wore and hiked in them extensively in a variety of upland bird hunting terrains to determine how they would function while chasing birds.

Best Upland Hunting Pants: Reviews & Recommendations

Best All-Around: Pyke Gear Dakota Upland Brush Pants

PYKE

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Key Features

• Weight: 20 ounces (Size 36)
• Breathable, waterproof brush guard facing
• DWR treated upper

Pros

• Comfortable
• Waterproof
• Great for variety of upland hunting scenarios

Cons

• Expensive

The first time I put on these pants, I knew the Dakota Upland Brush Pants were designed for the hardcore upland hunter. These pants feature an abrasion resistant, DWR treated upper that has a three-layer waterproof, breathable brush guard. Pyke also increased the height of the brush guard facing to add additional protection for your legs. Other features include articulated knees, an elastic stretch waistband, and intuitively placed front and rear pockets. 

These features are great, but the weight (or lack thereof) is the most impressive feature of these pants. Most pants with brush guards typically come with excess weight, but Pyke created a pair that provides plenty of protection without slowing you down.

Most Versatile: SITKA Harvester Pants

SITKA

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Key Features

• Straight leg fit
• Additional secure leg pocket
• Cotton, spandex blend

Pros 

• Comfortable
• Allows full range of motion
• Deep pockets
• Protects legs from most grasses and thorns

Cons

• Not a hot weather pant
• Dries slowly when wet

SITKA’s recently launched Harvester Pants are a fantastic option for upland hunting. The fabric initially reminded me of a lightweight canvas, so I was skeptical at first. But after testing them in a variety of terrains and weather conditions, I can confidently say these are not your traditional canvas-style pants. Imagine them as a rugged, beefed-up pair of comfortable jeans.

The Harvester Pants contain enough spandex to make them extremely comfortable to wear without hindering any movement. And the heavier material also fends off most grasses and briars, while deep pockets provide ample room for gear or other necessities. However, the heavier material makes these a cold-weather option. So, these might not be the best pair to sport on opening day.

Most Comfortable: KUIU Attack Pants

KUIU

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Key Features

• Weight: 18.5 ounces
• Vented hip zips
• Water resistant/DWR treated

Pros

• Comfortable
• Plenty of ventilation
• Easy to layer
• Versatile

Cons

• Doesn’t endure briars and thorns well

KUIU’s Attack Pants are not specifically designed for upland hunting but are a favorite among bird hunters across the country and for good reason. They’re hands down the most comfortable and some of the best hunting pants I have ever worn. And the vented hip zips are a game changer for warm early season hunts. I also appreciate the Primeflex Polyester fabric, which flexes with your body and doesn’t constrict leg movement.

Though these pants are comfortable, they’re not the most durable when it comes to briars or thorns. I’ve yet to rip a hole in them, but my Attack Pants wear briar scars like a badge of honor. If you want a versatile pair of hunting pants, KUIU’s Attack pants will quickly become your favorite.

Best Brush Pants: Orvis Missouri Breaks Field Pants

Orvis

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Key Features

• Water resistant
• Reinforced canvas brush guard facing
• Gusseted crotch

Pros

• Durable
• Upper features a comfortable built-in stretch fabric
• Bomb-proof briar protection

Cons

• Fit slightly off
• Lacks breathability

The reinforced brush guard facing of the Missouri Breaks Field Pants is impressive and provides protection from the most wicked thorns. These pants are ideal for hunting the briar choked thickets of the South for bobwhite quail but may not be the best option when you’re hunting the wide expanses of the West. In fairness, it was hot (80+ degrees) when I tested these pants, but they did not provide the breathability of other upland hunting pants on this list. Forty to 70 degrees is probably the sweet spot for hunting in the Missouri Breaks Field Pants.

These pants also didn’t fit true to size. The waist ran a little small, and the rise seemed shorter than most pants should fit. I’ve never been accused of having a large rear-end, so this is worth noting. However, if you want some of the best upland hunting pants that can handle the nastiest brush or briar thickets, you’ll want a pair of these.

Best Casual: KÜHL Rydr Pants

KÜHL

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Key Features

• Reinforced pockets and bottom cuff
• Scuff guards
• Exclusive Eurotwill fabric

Pros 

• Comfortable
• Durable
• Variety of color options
• Double as a casual dress pant
• More affordable than others

Cons

• Dries slowly when wet
• A little baggy through thigh section
• Slightly undersized

KÜHL doesn’t tailor their pants specifically to hunters, but their Rydr Pants deserve consideration. Though not canvas, these pants feature a fairly heavy Eurotwill fabric that’s ideal for those brisk October morning strolls through the hardwoods. I also found that these ventilated surprisingly well when I tested them in extreme summer heat, but they would not be my first choice in temps over 75 degrees.

I’m not a fan of skintight pants. However, the Rydr Pants are too baggy through the thigh section. If you don’t skip leg day, this won’t be a problem. If you have runner/hiker legs like me, make sure you try them on before buying a pair.

Things to Consider Before Buying an Upland Hunting Pant

Upland bird hunters can experience the entire weather spectrum depending on where, when, and what they hunt. While pants might not seem as important as the best shotguns for bird hunting, try wading through a patch of briars in just any pair of pants and see how many birds you bag. 

Insulation

First, you’ll want to consider the climate you hunt most. The pants you wear hunting quail in the deep South will not be the same pants you wear chasing roosters across the plains of Montana in December. Nothing is more miserable than sweating through your pants or realizing that you didn’t layer properly. If you pair the best base layers for hunting with pants like the KUIU Attack, you can hunt with them in a wide range of temperatures, and you can likely get away without buying multiple pairs.

Brush Guard

Many upland birds thrive in dense vegetation, complete with thorns of every shape and size. Others survive on the barren ankle-high cheatgrass slopes in the mountains. If you are hunting in thick cover, upland pants with a built-in brush guard are a necessity. But if you spend most of your time in the high mountains of the west pursuing chukars and huns, you’ll want a comfortable and breathable set of pants that provides you with a full range of motion, when you’re putting miles on your best upland hunting boots. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts

The best upland hunting pants will make your time in the field more enjoyable if you find the right ones for your hunting style. Everyone has a different fit. What works for me might rub you the wrong way (literally). So, no matter what upland hunting pants you go with, just make sure that opening day isn’t the first time that you try them on.

• Best All-Around: Pyke Gear Dakota Upland Brush Pants
• Most Versatile: SITKA Harvester Pants
• Most Comfortable: KUIU Attack Pants
• Best Brush Pants: Orvis Missouri Breaks Field Pants
• Best Casual: KÜHL Rydr Pants

The post The Best Upland Hunting Pants of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

EVERY DOG STORY ends the same way. (Spoiler alert: The dog doesn’t make it.) So why do we do it? Why do we intentionally introduce heartache into our life when we introduce a puppy into our home?

The easy answer is that the rewards—in companionship and hunting success with a canine partner—far outweigh the regret. Besides, if you are a dog person, not having a dog in your life is unthinkable, even though you have a pretty good idea of what will happen 12 to 14 years into the relationship.

I suppose I knew how Willow’s time with me and my family would end when she joined us as a pup. But those early days seemed blissfully endless. My kids were young, and they grew up with a puppy who was polite, obedient, intense in the field, and alternately frolicky and floppy in the house.

Once, my young son asked why Willow was so well-behaved. “Because she has a black mouth,” I answered blithely, without thinking about the implications. “All good dogs have black mouths.”

Then, as he spent the next months inspecting the mouth of every strange dog he encountered, I had to back off my pronouncement lest he get bit by a bad dog with a black mouth.

Willow grew into our family, becoming a talented bird hunter and a gentle presence in our lives. She would happily hunt with anyone, and did—accompanying my kids and scores of my friends to their first roosters and honkers. She hunted with senators and neighbors, pointers and setters, and plenty of fellow retrievers. She started to slow down a couple of years ago, but she responded by hunting smarter. She knew where birds would hold, and she’d dismiss marginal cover in favor of spending her time in these prime spots. And more often than not, her efforts produced a bird, or three.

For the past year, I’ve been wondering how Willow’s end would come. I expected it would arrive at the end of a veterinarian’s needle, and I dreaded the decision that would be mine to make: When is it finally time? What if I wait too long? Our final hunt (see “The Slough,” below) decided the matter for me, and as hard as it was, it was a relief, too. She died doing what she was meant to do. How many of us have wished for the same mercy?

Months on, I still wake up expecting Willow to be there by my bed, staring at my closed eyes and waiting for me to rouse. But we have a new puppy in the house. She’s a yellow Lab—just like Willow—and she’s birdy, mischievous, promising, impulsive. Her name is Nellie. And her mouth is pink. —Andrew McKean, August 2017

The Underdog

The runtiest of runts makes a heroic big-water retrieve / Tom Dokken, as told to Tony Peterson

There was only one female chocolate Lab in the small litter of six pups, and she was a runt. But not just any runt. She was the weakest runt I’ve ever seen. Not only was she about three-quarters the size of the other pups, she also had an underdeveloped back leg. But my wife, Tina, wanted her anyway. I was sure that even if the little runt survived, she wasn’t going to be a hunting dog. The decision, however, wasn’t mine to make. We named her Sage.

The other puppies bullied Sage, so we pulled her from the litter and bottle-fed her. With special care and attention, Sage survived, and soon it was time to start training.

Training any puppy is a gentle process. With Sage, it required all of the patience we could muster. It took her a year to get through the training that most of our dogs accomplish in months. But slowly her leg healed, and we coaxed her out of her shell.

Against all odds, Sage went from being the weakest puppy I’d handled in decades of dog training to an all-out bird-hunting machine. I have a lot of good memories of Sage, but one stands out as the greatest big-water retrieve I’ve ever witnessed.

Tina and I were hunting a 2,000-acre lake in South Dakota during the late season. It was chilly (probably in the mid-30s), and the wind was whipping at 35 mph from the north. The main part of the lake was rolling with 3-foot whitecaps, so we set up in a small bay.

Before long, Tina shot a drake wigeon and she sent Sage out for what we thought would be a routine retrieve. But when Sage was just about to reach the duck, the drake sprang to life. Sage was too close for us to swat the duck, so we just watched as the drake swam out and then dove. He popped up farther away, and then he dove again. And again. The crippled drake led Sage out of the bay and into the big rollers on the main lake. We could see Sage for a second through the whitecaps and then she’d disappear behind the crest of another wave.

At that point Sage was a few hundred yards out, with the wind blowing her and the duck even farther to the middle of the lake. She couldn’t hear our whistles over the wind, and our concern switched from losing the duck to possibly losing our dog. I took off running in my chest waders for our boat, which was a few hundred yards away. But when I reached the boat, I heard Tina yelling and saw her waving wildly at me from back in the blind. I looked way out into that gray, rolling water to see the white belly of a wigeon in Sage’s mouth as she paddled back toward us against the chop. Somehow I had underestimated Sage yet again.

Cold Case

A veteran blood-tracking hound goes to work / By Alex Robinson

By the time Sean Timmens got his Bavarian mountain hound, Kieler, to the hit site, it had been 41 hours since the bowhunter had put an arrow in the buck.

At six years old, the hound was a veteran tracker who had successfully recovered more than 100 deer, but everything was working against him in this case. The shooter, Wisconsin bowhunter Justin Peak, had arrowed a nice buck during the afternoon of November 8. Peak tried to blood-trail the deer that evening but called it off later that night. The next morning, he went back with buddies and they searched for seven hours, running extensive grids across the property. Then they called Timmens, who runs Kieler after mortally wounded deer for $100 a pop.

This was a worst-case scenario for a blood-tracking dog. Generally, 48 hours is the maximum amount of time in which a dog can pick up a scent trail, Timmens says. And the hunters had tromped all over the property, unknowingly spreading tiny blood spores and scent from the deer’s trail to the vegetation around it.

But if there was any dog in the area that could find the buck, it was Kieler. Timmens, a veteran bird dog trainer, got the hound from Poland as a puppy, specifically to be a blood-tracker. Right away he was amazed by Kieler’s combination of easy-going personality and impressive athletic ability.

“He’s the most laid-back people dog I’ve ever had,” Timmens says. “But, he’s also 52 pounds of pure muscle and surprisingly agile. Out in the yard, he outruns my shorthairs.”

Kieler wears a harness that attaches to a 30-foot lead that Timmens holds as they work through the woods. When Timmens gets to a hit site, he gives Kieler a single command: “Let’s go to work.”

When he’s hot on a track, Kieler keeps hard, steady pressure on the lead, his nose vacuums the ground, and he snorts the whole way like a pig.

So when Kieler pulled Timmens from the hit site down a steep ridge, through a mixed hardwoods, and then toward a big draw, keeping his nose to the ground the entire time, Timmens knew his dog was nailing the track. Instead of going up the draw, Kieler veered right and headed into a thicket of chest-high briars and honeysuckle. The hound disappeared into the tangle, and seconds later Timmens could hear him thrashing around and chewing the dead buck’s hind legs.

They had traveled 600 yards and found the buck in just 15 minutes.

“I called back to the hunter, who was about 20 yards behind us: ‘You want to see your buck?’ ” Timmens says. “And he was just in total awe.”

The Slough

The retriever road, a dozen years and hundreds of roosters long, ends with a final pheasant hunt in a favorite place / By Andrew McKean

We’ve been here a hundred times, you and me, hunting the old slough behind the line of rattle-branch cottonwoods. We stay away during deer season, but only partly because we both think a big old Milk River buck might show up someday and we don’t want to scare him off. The main reason is that the pheasants don’t pile into the slough until it starts getting cold, in December. After the ice freezes the black water, the roosters tuck into the cattails to keep warm and digest crops full of barley and wheat, and that’s where we find them on afternoons like this, the wind cutting through our coats and fresh tracks in the new snow.

We both know where the old roosters are holding, and we don’t have to trade looks or commands as we round the willow stand and head toward the swamp. We’re going to the same place we have hunted together a dozen times a year over a dozen seasons, and we walk side-by-side, taking our time. The long-spurred cocks are tunneled into the thickest cattails in the rotten heart of the slough, where they can hear the two of us now, crunching on the just-frozen ground.

They’re nervous, like the phalanx of twitchy hens in the orchard grass that skirts the slough, but instead of coiling to flush as we approach, the cagy old cocks resist the urge to fly and instead go lower, crouching into the murk to hide their gaudiness in a shadowy maze of standing stalks.

Their location will be betrayed, as ever, by their putrescence, and we will follow intensifying hits of tangy scent to its source. If we each do our job, the roosters will flush at the very last possible second, shattering cattails as they tower and cackle into the pewter sky. If we each do our job, the shot will be good, the retrieval uncomplicated, and by sundown another limit will be cleaned on the frosty tailgate of the old pickup.

We both know some hunts are not straightforward. Sometimes the ice isn’t good and we can’t reach the best spots. The rooster sometimes runs instead of flies, the shot sometimes is not good, and birds with ruined wings but uninjured legs sometimes get away. Those are the times we trade sideways looks at one another, silently blaming each other for the lost rooster. A disgusted glance says more than a shout or a growl ever could.

Each day we have hunted this slough over the past 12 years has been different, and today is different, too. The ice is so new that the stringy old roosters may not all be concentrated in that half acre of matted cattails. There may be some easier ones today, in the thinner cover. And today the wind is out of the east, so we circle wide in the alfalfa before entering the slough’s west edge. This never changes: We are both shivering with expectation as we stop and assess the conditions.

You don’t spend 12 years with a hunting partner and not know their abilities as well as their shortcomings. We are both smarter hunters than we once were, but we’re also stiffer and slower, expectant but cautious, a counterbalanced helix of thrill and apprehension. We are both nervous about the thickness of that ice, which is why we don’t charge right into the slough.

Retriever Roadtrip

Just three weeks ago, in South Dakota, we hunted a different, unfamiliar type of cover. Grainy milo fields and waving bluestem hid the scent of a different kind of bird. Prairie chickens look and smell like sharptails, but they flush wild like Hungarian partridges, in coveys, with one or two stragglers that hold too long, and those are the birds we carry in our mouth and game bag. The mid-November days in Dakota were different from our home in Montana, unseasonably hot and dusty, and both of us hunting at our best in the first and last hours of the day, when the scent hung like honey from the grass and the long light somehow made the shooting easier.

We camped on that trip, sharing our space with Otis and her Alex, who drove in from Minnesota. Our buddies Mark and Bill traveled with us in a motor home that had a bed in back and, up front, our bearskin rug, brought from its place in front of the fireplace at home. In Pierre, we met up with Uncle Ken and his two trip-wire Griffs, Cooper and Cider. We flushed pheasants and grouse around abandoned homesteads that smelled like cats. We slept out on the Fort Pierre National Grasslands, under the purple Dakota sky, and cooked and ate the birds that came from the prairie all around us.

That trip was one we had promised each other for years, a week of hunting in the crucible of America’s upland country for ringnecks and grouse and maybe even ducks. Those other birds are fine, but it’s pheasants that have always quickened our blood. Maybe it’s because we live so closely with them on our place in Montana. Either of us could walk out from the house and flush at least one rooster almost any time we wanted in the brushy ditches and grassy fence lines around the fields. But we don’t. We hunt together, because a bird we team up for counts for more than one that we get on our own. A bird from the slough counts for even more, maybe because we’ve hunted here together so often that it seems like the very source of our bond. It’s where we learned each other’s talents and limitations, commands and responses, and where we’ve lain together in the cured grass, watching the autumn sky change as a limit of birds cools between us.

In Dakota, we were both younger. Maybe it was hunting new country, with new company. Or maybe it was the painkillers—ibuprofen and Rimadyl—that loosened our limbs and opened our gait. Or maybe it was playing with our younger companions during breaks for water and shade. But now, after a long day in the office and low clouds bringing another winter, both of us are creaky. So we wait on the edge of the slough, sniffing the wind and deciding whether to trust the ice.

The Flush

A bird makes the decision for us. A rooster can’t stand the gathering suspense and flushes wild.

So I go, like I always go, nose down on a hot scent that reels me into the reeds. I’m close—so close—to a bird I can almost grab with my mouth when my feet stop working. Suddenly I’m wet and cold, looking up at the sky through the spiky cattails, broken ice all around.

A rooster explodes ahead just as I break through the ice. Cold water pours over my boots, but I’m just a few feet into the slough, and I stagger backward to solid ground. I can’t see Willow in the cattails, but I hear her, snuffing, filling her nose with the heavy wet smell of a huddled rooster. Just as I realize that the ice is too thin for her, I hear her break through, too.

I hear myself whine a little. I can’t keep my head up, but maybe if I swim under the ice I’ll find him. I always find him.

I hear a feeble whine from Willow. I throw down my vest and gun, calling her name, and charge into the slough, breaking ice as I go. I’ll find her. I always find her.

When I finally find her, she’s just a couple of feet from shore, trapped under ice so thick I have to hammer it with my shotgun stock to break through. I pull her up, through the rotten cattails and icy water into the weak light, but she’s already gone. I hold her yellow head. For the first time in a dozen years together, I’m the only one who is trembling.

Scratch, the Unkillable

A death-defying GSP makes the ultimate comeback / By Scott Linden

Scratch hunts as if every day were his last, perhaps because he has already faced off with the Grim Reaper—twice.

The massive German shorthaired pointer weighs 75 pounds and can easily rest his head on the dining room table. His lanky, long legs are always reaching as he runs all-out, to hell with trees, briars, barbed wire, or other dogs.

Scratch’s owner, Nancy Anisfield is the polar opposite of her dog—calm, level-headed, and a careful hunter. But she lets Scratch run big. He’s a three-ring circus of trips, stumbles, cuts, and head bumps.

On his very first quail hunt, the 11-month-old Scratch was run over by a Jeep. It was one of those fancy big rigs that some quail plantations use, with platforms for hunters and boxes for the dogs. But Scratch was too big to fit in the dog box, so Anisfield had him riding up front. He slipped off the Jeep platform and fell beneath the wheel. He was degloved—the skin was peeled off his entire leg.

Scratch underwent a major surgery and five days of hospitalization. Some might argue that the surgery wasn’t worth it, and the dog should have been put down because, even if he did recover, he’d never be the same. But Anisfield never entertained that notion.

One hundred stitches and six weeks later, Scratch was in the hunt again. As soon as he was let out, he peed on a truck tire and bolted toward a scrubby patch of loblolly pine, where he came to a quivering point. Then, finding his footing, Scratch leapt skyward, flying higher than a dog should be able to, stretching for a chittering bobwhite as it flushed. In one incredible leap, muscle, bone, and heart functioned at maximum capacity. This was not the move of a finished pointing dog, but it made a bold statement: Scratch was back.

The pointer found himself in trouble again just weeks before the 2013 North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association test (a highly esteemed invitational hunt test). While retrieving a bumper, Scratch’s stomach twisted, which is usually a fatal affliction for a hunting dog. During the scramble to the vet, it un-twisted, but the vet performed a preventative surgery to avert another episode. Incredibly, three weeks later, Scratch ran the NAVHDA course, but he botched a double-mark retrieve and failed.

There are no mulligans in NAVHDA, so it was back to training for Anisfield and Scratch. Over the course of two years, Scratch pointed hundreds of birds, covered thousands of acres, and completed dozens of water retrieves. He stumbled, suffered cuts and bruises, and worked through snow and heat. The work paid off and in 2015, Scratch requalified for the big invitational.

Just 90 dogs had qualified, and typically only about half pass the test.

During the final leg of the test, Scratch churned through 80 yards of open water and made quick work of the ground search. With a bold splash, he started back with a pheasant gripped softly in his mouth. He had given it his all, but was it enough?

It was crickets as Scratch’s scores were announced. The versatile dog training circle is a small one, and most in the crowd knew what Scratch and Anisfield had been through to get this far. Then at last the scores were totaled and the crowd heaved a collective sigh of relief.

Scratch was finally a champion.

The Heart of a Turkey Dog

A pup earns his keep on his first night home / By Gerry Bethge

I entered the peculiar turkey-dog universe when a little puppy named Jake arrived via U.S. Air on a snowy January afternoon in New England.

I got the dog from renowned turkey-dog breeder John Byrne, and his last bit of training advice was this: “Just give Jake some access to turkeys. The rest will take care of itself.”

The nor’easter intensified on the ride home from the airport, and by the time I reached hunting camp, more than 6 inches of snow had fallen atop the foot we already had. While my 10-week-old pup chased my giggling 3-year-old daughter, Amy, around the kitchen, I busied myself with the woodstove.

Then, I got a gift from the turkey gods.

Through the thick condensation of the front-door glass, I could make out three dark forms walking down the driveway toward the house. I wiped away the fog to see three adult gobblers standing just 20 feet away in the blowing snow. Not expecting much, I picked up Jake and headed out into the storm. By the time I got out the front door, the toms had gained 50 yards on us and were at the wood line. Jake hit the ground running, though it was more hopping between chest-deep snowdrift plunges. Puppy legs churning away, he followed the tracks precisely, first to the wood line, and then on up the hill directly behind the now-out-of-sight gobblers. I foundered in the snow, too, with admittedly more quit than Jake. I called off the chase after 300 yards. I didn’t want to lose this puppy after only a few hours of owning him.

Soaked and shivering, Jake was a mess. So I tucked my new little turkey dog into my coat and headed back to camp, already thinking ahead to fall.

Lacey and the Lion

A rookie redtick goes head-to-head with a monster mountain lion / By Brad Fitzpatrick

Dry-land mountain-lion hunting requires a special hound—a dog with stamina, a good nose, and, most important, a drive that will carry her over rough terrain behind a trail of evaporating scent.

The Uncompahgre Plateau of western Colorado, where Cliff Carney guides lion hunts, is a landscape that will test even the most experienced lion dog. It consists of rimrock canyons, cedar forests, and rocky draws. It’s tough country, and it’s where Carney’s one-year-old redtick pup Lacey would get her first test.

Lacey showed promise early on. She was eager to learn and easy to handle, and she developed a strong bond with Carney. So, naturally, he wanted to get her on a hunt and have her learn from his veteran dogs.

Lacey and the rest of Carney’s pack (a mix of blueticks and bluetick-Walker crosses) struck the trail of a mature tom during Colorado’s spring season. Judging by the size of the lion’s paw print, Carney and his best friend, Shawn Tyner, had a good idea they were on a very big tom. The dogs ran behind the cat all day, crossing broken scrabble and sheer rock. By late afternoon, the hounds were exhausted, so Carney called off the chase for the day.

Just after dawn the next morning, they picked up the track again. Lacey sat out this hunt because Carney didn’t want to put too much pressure on his promising young dog. Again, the dry air and heat were too much for the fatigued hounds, and Carney made the call to abandon the hunt.

By the third day, the dogs were rested but not at full capacity, except for Lacey. But Carney and Tyner decided to try once more, and they headed for the roughest strip of country in the area.

A flock of crows alerted Carney to a dead cow elk. Not far from the kill, they cut a cat’s track, and they suspected that it was the big tom they were chasing. The hunt was back on.

Throughout the morning, Carney watched on his GPS tracker as his dogs dropped from the race. First was his hound Jet, who became trapped on a ledge and needed to be rescued. Then his old, experienced hounds, Sam and Stoker, slowed and dropped from the hunt. Before long, only a single blip on his GPS was still pushing the trail. It was the redtick pup Lacey. She was running the lion solo.

This was a problem. If Lacey managed to catch the lion by herself, she’d likely be killed. A pack of hounds can keep a lion at bay with relatively little risk. But a single dog, especially an inexperienced pup like Lacey, was an easy mark for a big tom. As the signal from her collar traced a path directly through the roughest canyon country in the Uncompahgre, the hunters set out at a lung-bursting pace.

They followed Lacey through big canyons, the sound of her raspy bawls echoing against the rimrock. Finally, the two hunters followed the GPS signal up a ridge to a narrow ledge that dropped 300 feet to the canyon floor below. There at the edge stood Lacey, eye-to-eye with a furious tom.

The older dogs, Stoker and Sam, caught up then, and the three hounds stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the cat, their howls booming off the rock walls. Tyner quickly killed the lion, bringing the three-day chase to an end. The massive tom weighed almost 200 pounds.

But for Carney—a lifelong houndsman—there was something much more rewarding than a trophy cat at the end of the track. When he cut Lacey loose, she was a promising but untested pup. Now she was a true lion hunter.

This story, Wonder Dogs, originally ran in the August 2017 issue. Read more OL+ stories.

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Archaeologists have found a collection of prehistoric flutes in northern Israel that could provide some insight into how early humans hunted birds. In a paper that was published in Scientific Reports this month, researchers conclude that the 12,000-year-old flutes were made from duck bones and were used to imitate the calls of certain birds.

“…these objects were intentionally manufactured more than 12,000 years ago to produce a range of sounds similar to raptor calls,” the study’s authors write.

The authors suggest that the flutes could have been used to communicate or played as musical instruments. But there’s a third explanation, which is that humans used these tools as rudimentary calls for bringing birds into hunting range.

Turning Duck Bones into Flutes

The flutes were discovered at a cultural site in Israel’s Hula Valley known as Eynan-Mallaha, which was home to the Natufian culture. The Natufians lived in modern-day Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and Syria approximately 11,000 to 15,000 years ago, and they were “the first hunter-gatherers in the [region] to adopt a sedentary lifestyle,” according to the study’s authors.

A previous excavation at Eynan-Mallaha in the early 2000s yielded more than a thousand individual bird bones, many of which were found in dwellings and gravesites. This indicated that the Natufians hunted birds—particularly waterfowl—for food and other uses.

The ancient people subsisted off wintering waterfowl and also hunted “birds of prey for their talons,” the authors write, adding that the talons “might have been used as tools or for ornamentation.”

It wasn’t until archaeologists re-evaluated these bird bones last year that they made a new discovery: some of the bird bones had holes bored into them. They identified one intact wing bone and six other fragments of worked wing bones that featured mouthpieces and multiple finger holes. All of them had signs of wear indicating they had been used, which led the authors to identify the tools as “aerophones,” or wind instruments.

The instruments were all less than three inches long, and further analysis revealed that the bones came from Eurasian teal and coots. The Natufians evidently hunted for these ducks along with “other, larger species, such as birds of prey, larger waterfowl (geese, swans), and especially the mallard,” the authors explain.

Read Next: Archaeologists Discover Ancient Arrows and Hunting Blinds as Glaciers Melt in Norway

“They are probably some of the smallest prehistoric sound instruments known today,” lead author Laurent Davin told LiveScience. “Because of residues of ocher, we know that they were probably painted [red]. Because of the use-wear we think they might have been attached to a string and worn.”

Calling in Birds

So, how did the Natufians use these small wind instruments that they wore on lanyards around their necks? To find out, researchers made replicas of the flutes using mallard bones. They reproduced “high-quality and high-pitched notes” with the replicas, which led to their ultimate hypothesis: “that the purposes of the sound produced were to imitate bird calls.”

When they analyzed the notes, however, the authors concluded that they weren’t meant to imitate ducks, after all. Instead, they found that among the 58 bird species found at the site, the frequencies produced by the flutes were most similar to the calls of two raptor species.

“We, therefore, believe that the aerophones were made to reproduce the calls of the valued Common kestrel and Sparrowhawk,” the authors write.

The authors believe the prehistoric birds calls were likely used as instruments, which reinforces the idea that our understanding of music evolved as hunter-gatherer cultures adopted more sedentary lifestyles and established villages. But these bird-bone flutes might have also played a valuable role in hunting.

“The Natufian’s manipulations of sounds might have functioned in various aspects of their socio-cultural lifeways, either for hunting, communication, or ritualised behavior,” the authors conclude. “They could have been meant as a decoy used to lure the Common kestrel and Sparrowhawk to facilitate their hunting (i.e., luring birds within shooting distance by imitating their sounds).”

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While many state agencies reported a welcome bump in hunting-license sales in recent years, the so-called Covid-19 bump in hunting participation has flattened out. Hunting license sales have returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report from the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports. Overall, sales were down 3.1 percent in 2022 compared to 2021.

CAHSS began tracking hunting license sales during Covid lockdowns, when anecdotal reports indicated there were more hunters in the woods. State agency data backed that up: hunting license sales jumped by nearly 5 percent in 2020, a deviation from the decades-long decline. Here’s a glance at the last three years of overall hunting license sales in the U.S.

• From 2019 to 2020, hunting license sales increased 5 percent
• From 2020 to 2021, hunting license sales decreased 1.9 percent
• From 2021 to 2022, hunting license sales decreased 3.1 percent

This year’s survey indicates that the modest gains made during the pandemic era have mostly subsided. Just six of 46 states saw an overall increase in hunting licenses sold in 2022 when compared to 2021. CAHSS did not make public which six states saw increased license sales due to privacy agreements with state agencies; Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, and Montana did not provide data for this year’s report.

Still, we do know that hunting license sales were down overall in all four geographical regions: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West.

Why Are Hunting License Sales Down?

The report from CAHSS only analyzed license data provided by state agencies and did not examine potential causes of the decline or survey hunters. Still, there’s one major difference between 2020 and 2022 that could explain the return to pre-pandemic hunting license sales.

“Probably the biggest factor that we were dealing with through the pandemic was time. A lot of people started working from home,” says Swanny Evans, director of research and partnerships at CAHSS. “And we’ve seen people get back to work, we’ve seen travel pick up. We’re back in the real world, kind of, and I think time has become a constraint once again.”

While the pandemic was indisputably a tough period for many Americans, hunters were often able to embrace lockdowns. The conferences and work travel that normally filled Evans’ own schedule vanished. Suddenly he had more time to turkey hunt.

“But everybody else had a lot of time to turkey hunt, too,” says Evans. “And I could attest to that from not only the sign-ins on public land in Georgia that year but also the harvest on public land, and the anecdotal evidence of seeing people everywhere.”

There are plenty of tactics that R3 professionals (folks whose jobs revolve around recruiting, reactivating, and retaining hunters) can do to encourage hunting participation, but troubleshooting what could be the main culprit of these declining license sales isn’t one of them.

“When you start asking people about why they don’t hunt or they don’t hunt as much as they want to, time is the number one factor,” says Evans. “And it’s something that we can’t control. We can try to improve access and we can try to reduce hunting regulation complexity. We can try to make sure that more opportunity is there, that [would-be hunters] have the knowledge to hunt—whatever it is. But we can’t give people more of their own time.”

Another factor could be a more stable supply chain. Surveys and anecdotal evidence revealed that nearly half of “Covid-bump hunters” were motivated to secure their own meat at a time when it was difficult to find in grocery stores.

“For the overwhelming majority of hunters, one of the primary reasons that they hunt is for the food,” says Evans. “During the pandemic, people kind of saw that as an opportunity. ‘If we’re gonna have supply chain issues, I want to be self sufficient. Maybe I should give this a try, or maybe I should get back into it.’”

Yes, Nonresident Hunting License Sales Are Declining, Too

While nonresident hunting license sales were up nearly 13 percent in 2021 compared to 2020, they’ve mostly declined in 2022 with an overall drop of 3.1 percent. (Coincidentally, overall resident sales also dropped by 3.1 percent.)

Three out of four U.S. regions saw declines in nonresident licenses last year, with the West leading the pack at a 7.2 percent decrease from 2021, followed by a 2 percent decrease in the Southeast and a 1.5 percent decrease in the Midwest. Only the Northeast experienced a modest increase of 1.4 percent.

The surge in 2021 nonresident licenses tracks with national trends at the time, when many states had relaxed Covid-related travel restrictions, but plenty of would-be hunters hadn’t yet returned to their places of work.

CAHSS is working to collect additional data about hunting license sales to better understand hunter participation, including digging into common complaints about overcrowding on public lands and excess hunting pressure. Investigating these trends is tough work considering it requires wrangling 50 state government agencies, all of which sell hunting licenses slightly differently.

“It’s important to keep in mind that unfortunately we don’t have any perfect data sources when it comes to counting hunters,” says Evans. “A license sale doesn’t necessarily equal a participant for a variety of reasons. And then when we start looking at resident versus nonresidents, well, how many people are hunting numerous states each year? So looking at these overall license sales, we’re going to see fluctuations. We try to track them as best we can and we use that as an indicator of participation. But it’s not exactly a hard metric for what’s going on with hunting participation.”

The post Hunting License Sales Have Fallen Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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A LONE DOVE soared over us, and Kent abruptly stopped his Tacoma on the side of a dirt road. He and I debated whether to get out. We’d hiked 5 miles that morning in futile pursuit of doves and jackrabbits and were about ready to call it a day.

But then the dove landed atop a Joshua tree, maybe 50 yards away. We didn’t want to leave empty-handed, so we grabbed our shotguns and stepped out to turn that symbol of peace into an afternoon snack.

We spread out and moved on the dove. As we drew closer, I casually clocked Kent’s location on my right. Finally, we arrived in range. Kent gave me a thumbs-up. I clicked my safety off, took a few more steps, and checked Kent’s position once more.

This time, an extra set of eyes stared back.

A Chance Meeting

I’d met Kent Kachigian about a month before, on the last day of California’s 2022 quail and rabbit season. I can only describe our introduction as a redneck meet-cute. I was headed to a spot in the Angeles National Forest about an hour from my apartment in Los Angeles. I saw Kent’s truck parked where I’d intended to hunt, so I went elsewhere. When I returned later to hit the spot, Kent was sitting on his tailgate with his retriever, Rosie. I introduced myself. We had plenty in common.

I live in L.A. Kent owns property there. I drink Tecate. Kent keeps limes in his truck. I wanted more hunting buddies, and Kent did, too.

We chatted, drank a beer, and exchanged numbers. He told me he’d invite me the next time he went out. And as a new hunter in a state where less than 1 percent of the population hunts, I was thrilled.

All of that is to say, when we went hunting on March 13, 2022, we didn’t really know each other. We arrived in the Antelope Valley, about an hour and a half outside of L.A., around 9 a.m. Kent was bummed to find that most of the farmland where he’d once chased jackrabbits had been overtaken by solar farms.

After driving the area, we finally settled on a large swath of untouched land dotted with Joshua trees and scrub brush. It didn’t take long before we were bumping black-tailed jackrabbits and missing shots on Eurasian collared doves, two species that can be hunted year-round in California.

We eventually returned empty-handed to Kent’s truck to drive around the area. We’d barely made it another couple hundred yards down a sandy road when that lone dove flew over.

A Skull in the Desert

That second set of eyes that stared at me weren’t eyes after all. They were hollowed-out eye sockets on a human skull, lying on its left side in the dirt. I got this sick feeling I hadn’t felt since I worked as a crime reporter in New Orleans in my 20s. It’s a mixture of adrenaline and nausea. I used to experience it so regularly it had stopped bothering me, but now it was back in full force. Kent could tell something was wrong.

“What?” He asked.

“There’s a skull.”

Kent nodded, like Cool, sure.

“No really. There’s a human skull.”

Again, Kent looked at me like I was an idiot. I’d later learn he did, in fact, think I was an idiot in that moment. He figured I’d seen a cow skull.

“I’m serious.”

I walked toward the skull, and my impression was confirmed. It’s hard to tell how long it had been there. It was fleshless and picked clean by scavengers, yet its teeth were still intact. I had the feeling if I put my face close enough, it would have smelled.

We knew we had to call it in. We also knew our hunting trip was officially a bust.

As we walked back to the truck, a few details began to stand out: There was a walking cane and a wallet on the ground near a pile of tattered sweatpants. I knew not to touch the wallet with my hands, so I used the barrel of my Remington 870 to nudge it open. It was packed with credit cards and a driver’s license, half-hidden in the folds. Knowing the cops would likely fingerprint it, I resisted the urge to investigate further.

When we reached the road, I texted my fiancée about our macabre discovery. She immediately responded, suspicious of my new hunting partner.

“My fiancée is asking how well I know you,” I told Kent, grinning nervously. He had his shotgun cracked over his shoulder, his own cell phone in hand.

He looked back at me. “My wife’s asking the same thing.”

An Enduring Mystery

“How do you know it’s a skull?” the deputy on the phone asked. Kent and I looked at each other, dumbfounded by the question.

“Uh, because it is,” I replied.

“Can you send a picture?”

“Sure,” I said. The deputy gave me his number, and I texted him a photo. He went silent.

“Okay, yeah, I’m sending guys out now.”

Considering we were in the middle of a desert, Kent and I figured “now” meant somewhere in the next hour so we hunted another area nearby (again to no avail), then cracked a Tecate. Eventually, two L.A. County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived, and we walked them to our discovery.

“Yeah, that’s a skull,” one said, still sounding dubious about the legitimacy of our claim. They called in additional units. I thought we might be questioned as suspects. Instead, the deputies asked if we wanted to canvas the area with them.

We obliged. The deputies were short on words while we searched, but they did mention the area we were in is a frequent dumping ground for L.A. gangs: Gang members will kill someone in the city, drive them out to the valley, and bury the body in a shallow grave. Coyotes eventually dig up said grave and scatter the body parts.

His point was proven moments later when we found a human spine maybe 50 yards from the skull. The ribs had been chewed away, but we could tell it was human by the purple metallic pins in the lower lumbar area. The deceased had undergone back surgery at some point.

The deputies took our names then, and when their crime scene crew arrived, they kicked us out of the area. We left, anxious to see what news reports would reveal of the incident.

To my surprise, there was nothing. In my experience reporting crime, law enforcement agencies generally send out a press release within hours of a discovery like ours. There would be scant information in the presser—the time and place the body was found—but at least there was something.

The Sheriff’s Department released nothing that day. Or the day after. Or the week after.

My curiosity compounded to the point I called the Sheriff’s Department one afternoon to ask. A public information officer told me there had been nothing new so the agency didn’t release any information. That seemed weird to me, because they had talked to the media in similar past instances. I tried calling again for this story—twice—and was transferred to the assigned detective, but he hadn’t returned my calls as of publication.

Kent and I often text about our theories. He thinks workers building the solar fields found the body during construction and relocated it to avoid the delays an investigation might cause. The screenwriter in me was fascinated by the possibility of a more far-fetched story, one that would be better suited for TV: alleged notorious gangs within the sheriff’s department were behind the murder, and they kept it out of the media when we found the remains.

A friend of mine who’s a former Los Angeles police officer reminded me the truth may be more mundane and distressing: Cases of elder abuse and neglect in desert communities often end with dumped bodies.

Regardless of the circumstances, I hope those remains will be identified one day, and that our discovery will bring some closure to their family.

In the meantime, they say tragic experiences can bring people together. That proved true in my case; Kent and I are now good friends. But we have yet to bag a dove.

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The post This Happened to Me: I Found Human Remains While Rabbit Hunting appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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FOR MOST upland hunters, Alaska’s winter effectively puts an end to their season long before regulations do. Some hunters turn to snowmachines, which are loud and cumbersome; others resort to snowshoeing, which is exhausting and inefficient. Peter Wadsworth spent 10 years skiing Vermont’s backcountry before moving to Anchorage seven years ago; he knew there was a better way.

At the time, Wadsworth wanted to use his skis to access ptarmigan country. Old-timers and newer locals alike told him the same thing: “You can’t hunt on skis. It doesn’t work.” 

Most Alaskan skiers don’t hunt on skis, so the ones he chatted with didn’t have any suggestions. The long, skinny cross-country skis and old-school backcountry setups in their garages simply wouldn’t work to navigate the deep powder and steep terrain he had in mind.

So Wadsworth, now 44 and a full-time adventure photographer, drew on his extensive ski touring background—and plenty of trial and error—to find the right ski setup that could take winter bird hunters up where they needed to go, fill limits in snow up to 10 feet deep, and get them back down in short order. He experimented until he came up with the perfect recipe.

His unique kit includes a pair of thick, short skis (better than long cross-country skis for maneuvering tight terrain) with lightweight bindings and ski mountaineering boots (a hard boot with more flex than the kind worn at a ski resort). Wadsworth has shared his setup with other hunters, and it’s gotten popular enough that a local ski shop immediately recognizes a Wadsworth disciple when someone wanders in to ask for this strange setup.

The real magic, however, happens with the final piece of gear: climbing skins. Most downhill skiers rely on chair lifts at ski resorts to carry them effortlessly up the mountain; obviously such luxuries don’t exist in the backcountry. Willow ptarmigan, Wadsworth’s main quarry, live in the snowy valleys outside Anchorage, but he can still gain up to 2,000 vertical feet on a hunt. Without skins, he wouldn’t be able to climb even 5 feet without sliding backward into creek bottoms or drainages.

Besides his own buddies, Wadsworth knows very few skiers who hunt like he does. (Scandinavians traditionally ski-hunt for ptarmigan, but they use .22 rifles and don’t run dogs.) He’s gotten some interest from hunters on his Instagram page, but estimates just 10 people ski-hunt like he does in the Anchorage area. Which is a shame, because not only is his method a ton of fun, it’s also incredibly effective. Instead of a brutally hard hike, Wadsworth’s hunting party glides up the terrain for half the journey and slides down the second half, allowing them to stay out longer, travel farther, and find more birds.

The post These Renegade Hunters Are Skiing into the Backcountry with Their Bird Dogs appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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