Where and how to hunt Canada’s 4 most popular upland game birds

Early one mid-October morning, I was wading through knee-deep fescue with my hunting partner Don and his one-year-old fox-red Labrador retriever, Ruby. The cool, crisp air made hiking at a brisk pace enjoyable, and Ruby, eager and focused, immediately got to work. Nose down, she diligently scoured every inch of ground, never straying out of shooting range.

Then, several hundred yards to the south, we heard the unmistakable raspy chatter of a ring-necked pheasant. Cresting a rise, we spaced ourselves out and sent Ruby ahead. After spotting a rooster in the tall grass 30 yards away, we saw Ruby scent the bird and close the gap. With explosive wingbeats, our first flushed bird of the day burst into the air. We both shouldered our guns, and Don folded the finely coloured bird with a well-placed shot.

One of the pleasures of upland bird hunting is watching well-trained pointers and flushers work the ground and retrieve downed birds. In her glory, Ruby raced into action, clutched the rooster in her mouth and eagerly retrieved it. By mid-morning, we had flushed five roosters and taken our limit of two apiece—all with Ruby’s help.

If you’re new to hunting for upland game birds, it’s this type of exciting interaction that makes the pursuit so rewarding. And with opportunities across much of Canada, it’s also an accessible and typically affordable hunt, too. Here’s what I’ve learned about hunting for some of our country’s most widely available upland game birds: ring-necked pheasants, Hungarian partridge, sharp-tailed grouse and ruffed grouse.

GEARING UP

Forget those images of regal hunters dressed in gentlemanly garb and carrying high-end doubles. In truth, hunting for upland game birds requires minimal investment. All you really need are a shotgun, shotshells, hiking boots, a hunter-orange vest, and upland pants with reinforced lower legs to protect against prickly shrubs and thorns. Of course, a well-trained pointer or flushing retriever is also a great asset, but it’s not an absolute necessity.

As for the guns and ammunition, either a 12-, 16- or 20-gauge shotgun is best. Most upland game bird hunters prefer an over-under or side-by-side, but semi-autos, pumps and single shots are also used. Depending on the size of the bird, go with anything from small #7½ loads to #5s or #6s for bigger or fleeing birds. Where regulations allow, a .22 rimfire rifle can also be used to harvest grouse, as can a .410 shotgun.

RING-NECKED PHEASANTS

An exotic species introduced from Asia in the 1800s, ringnecks are smart birds, often able to elude predators by running and hiding under grasses and shrubs, or by bursting into flight and coasting to safety. For pheasant hunters, few experiences compare to following and watching a seasoned gun dog work as it locates a rooster and either locks up on point or immediately flushes the waiting bird.

The flushes are exciting, demanding quick reflexes to first confirm the identify of the species—and its sex—before acquiring the target and getting off an accurate shot. That’s a large part of the reason many wingshooters consider ringnecks to be at the pinnacle of upland game bird hunting.

WHERE

Ringneck pheasants are now widely distributed throughout most of southern Canada, where limited populations have taken hold. Wingshooting opportunities for this colourful sporting bird can be found in the lowlands of B.C., the grasslands of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and varied agricultural regions from Manitoba to the Maritimes. In classic grassland habitat, look for pheasants in treed or shrubby cover along rivers, streams, farmsteads and abandoned railway lines.

Most gunning opportunities are through put-and-take hunts. There are pheasant hatcheries across the country, and many private shooting operations offer hunts, charging by the bird or by the day. Some provincial governments also release pheasants at designated sites throughout the fall to ensure ongoing hunting opportunities.

As with most upland game bird species, populations ebb and flow in correlation with predator numbers, winter severity and the amount of spring precipitation, which can affect nesting success. In provinces with open pheasant hunts for licence holders, harvests are managed for population sustainability.

HOW

Along with the right habitat, a good dog and a keen eye are essential for hunting pheasants. Typically roosting in lower trees and shrubby cover, ringnecks make unmistakable “cock, cock, cock” vocalizations, often at sunrise, which give away their location. Seasoned hunters get an early start and zero in on these calls.

Pheasants can sometimes be taken when you’re hunting on your own. More often than not, though, they evade hunters by slipping into cover, where they hold tight. That’s why the most effective way to hunt ringnecks is with a dog. While many breeds can make for good upland partners, the most popular pointing and flushing dogs are shorthaired pointers, spaniels and Labradors.

When the dog does its job properly, the birds burst into flight. But their telltale raspy, squawking wingbeats only last for a brief time, giving you just moments to take the shot. If all goes well, and the gunner is on, a rooster goes down and the dog is rewarded with the opportunity to retrieve. And when the dog brings the rooster to hand, it’s a great feeling—the culmination of fine training and skillful execution.

HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGE

Originally introduced to Western Canada from Europe in the early 1900s, the Hungarian partridge, or Hun for short, is a fast flyer that explodes into flight when flushed. Also known as grey partridge, these speedy and skittish birds are among the most sporting of all upland species.

WHERE

Huns favour semi-arid grasslands and shrubby areas. They’re traditionally found in variable abundance in the classic prairie land of southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, but they can also survive and thrive in agricultural areas of parkland habitat. Creatures of habit, Hungarian partridge are typically found in coveys of eight to 20 birds, lingering in familiar territory. Once disturbed, they can usually be found again in the same general area, from just hours to days later.

HOW

A proven hunting tactic for Huns involves spotting them, then closing the gap on foot, at the ready for a sudden flush. Experienced partridge hunters know this bird is notoriously skittish, typically flushing once you approach to within approximately 30 metres. It’s exciting to watch, since they usually issue a warning squawk just before bursting into flight. Most often, the whole covey will fly at once. If you’re lucky, one or two stragglers might stay grounded for a few more seconds, allowing a do-over for any missed shots. Huns will only fly a couple of hundred yards after flushing, so savvy hunters let them settle, then try moving in again for another round. With a little luck, you can get a second chance, but rarely a third.