Even with the holiday just around the corner, it may be premature for bird hunting enthusiasts to give thanks. But it’s never too soon to take stock.
The first, wild weekend of pheasant and quail season is over. Duck season is in full swing, and geese are just around the corner.
More than two months of the upland bird season remains, three for geese, which is plenty of time to take your best shots. But before you do, it might be wise to consider a blueprint.
First order of business: deciding just how serious you are about this bird hunting thing and what you can do to make it better.
While mapping strategy, a quick survey of the playing field is in order. If you’re among the 3 million or so hunkered along Colorado’s Front Range, then you appreciate the problems too much population can bring. Whether the scramble is for symphony tickets or a little elbow room at a public hunting area, the key to success often hinges on whether you can get a jump on the competition.
To that end, we present our certified road map to hunting happiness:
Plan ahead
If bird hunting truly is important to you, set aside the necessary time to make it work. Collect plenty of chits from the boss. Build up a stack of credits at home. Grease those essential wheels so you’re ready to roll when opportunity knocks. Besides, these adventures always go down better without a guilty conscience.
Hunt early, hunt often
If upland birds are your game, it’s important to hit public places such as state wildlife areas (SWAs) along the South Platte River early in the season.
As hunting pressure builds, pheasants and quail become increasingly wary, often vacating the area entirely. Truth is, upland birds are a front-loaded proposition. Weather aside, they become more difficult to find as the season progresses.
Stay flexible
In the same manner, you might avoid Saturday evenings at the ballet, stay away from weekends and holidays for public walk-in hunts or at state wildlife areas.
There’s nothing more frustrating than being the second, or third, person through a pheasant field or to find someone parked in that special duck blind that collects most of the birds.
You’ll find the best opportunity on public lands during the middle of the week. Wednesdays and Thursdays generally are best, allowing birds time to settle down from the previous weekend. To make this happen, refer to that first item about planning ahead.
Become a sleuth
The most prosperous hunters scope out locations that feature good numbers of birds and not much competition. Ed Gorman, small game coordinator with the Division of Wildlife, is quick to point out that walk-in properties on the fringe of the traditional pheasant zones often harbor birds without the aforementioned problem of trailing after other people.
The same holds for certain SWAs along the Platte that slip under the popular radar.
Don’t forget about cultivating relationships with landowners. It’s generally harder than it used to be, but it still can be done.
Most important, once you’ve developed a network of hidey holes, be careful about giving your secrets away.
Love that pooch
Put simply, success skyrockets with a proficient dog. You’ll locate many more birds and find the ones you shoot.
Maintaining a good hunting dog represents a considerable commitment, not to be taken lightly. Thing is, I don’t know a single dog owner who wishes he wasn’t. Choose the breed that best suits your task and style.
Failing that, make close friends with someone who already has one.
Whether the weather
All things considered, nothing has more impact on hunting success than weather. This particularly holds true as the season grows shorter and birds get smarter.
Want to get the drop on a wise old pheasant? Hit the field first thing after a foot of snow. Chances of pulling a duck to the blind or a goose to the pit increases in direct proportion to the degree of cold and wind.
Waterfowl hunting along the river lights up during intense cold snaps when reservoirs freeze solid, moving birds off in search of open water. In recent years, these freeze-ups don’t last long, all the more reason to keep those planning and flexibility options operable.
It all boils down to this: Be nice to your wife, your boss and your dog – in whatever order you choose.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
