- November 25, 2018
- Hunting
- dgyzi
Hunting upland game is one of the most ancient human activities. During the existence of this type of activity, hunting has undergone significant changes several times in the methods of hunting birds and animals.
Currently, many hunters are amateurs who devote time free from their main activities to sports or hunting.
Some interesting facts
Let's try to understand what belongs to upland game. Hunting requires preliminary preparation. Game of this type has an insignificant specific gravity. Sport hunting plays a significant role. The forests of our vast country are vast and large. The dense taiga is also impenetrable, with centuries-old pine forests, moss swamps, deep ravines, swamps, lush carpets of flowers and berries - this is a real paradise for hunting lovers.
Characteristics of game
Hunting upland game is a favorite pastime of those who prefer walking through the morning forest to watching television programs. Among the oldest birds that attract fans of upland game, the capercaillie should be highlighted.
The bird prefers to nest in moss swamps and in remote areas of the forest. Of interest to hunters is the handsome black grouse, which has a fancy lyre-shaped host.
Hunting upland game in the fall is associated with the hunt for hazel grouse, the search for golden bay woodcock, pheasant, wood pigeons, as well as other birds that live in the forests of our country.
Basic secrets of woodcock hunting
It is better to start this activity no earlier than the first half of September, since it is then that this upland game moves to the edges adjacent directly to winter crops. Towards the end of the month, flocks of northern migratory woodcock join the local birds. Interestingly, during this period the birds gain weight, become very calm and can let the dog approach them.
In hunting practice, there were cases when dogs literally pulled out woodcocks hidden in the bushes with their teeth. It is recommended to shoot autumn birds with shot No. 7 or No. 9.
Interesting facts about wood grouse hunting
Hunting for upland game is considered by professionals to be the most interesting and poetic, multifaceted and exciting. A walk through an autumn forest filled with golden foliage, enjoying the singing of birds - all this is an integral element of the hunt.
In September, the molting of wood grouse ends. Broods disperse, males and females gather in small separate flocks. Birds feed on trees, eating larch needles until they turn yellow.
Autumn hunting for wood grouse has several distinctive features. First you need to identify the places where birds accumulate.
Hunters move through the forest, finding branches that wood grouse have broken off. Birds arrive to feed early in the morning or in the afternoon, staying overnight.
Hunting for upland game is carried out from a hut or by stealth. Hunters who have chosen wood grouse as their hunting object acquire special equipment. The best option for such a hunt would be a bowsight with an optical sight and a rifled barrel, since not in all cases it is possible to get close to the bird for a shotgun shot.
In places where there are large concentrations of wood grouse, you can build a hut made of spruce branches and spruce branches. It should be spacious so that the hunter can turn freely, looking for birds, and not stand out from the general background of the forest. It is necessary to walk slowly, since the capercaillie does not stay on one tree for a long time. Shooting of wood grouse is carried out on aspens, shot 0 or No. 1 is used.
In the daytime, the hunter climbs into the hut and remains in it until dark. If the birds stayed overnight, coming to hunt at dawn, you must move extremely carefully so as not to scare the birds away.
Grouse hunting
In those regions where shooting of this bird is officially permitted, the season opens in the second half of August. Usually by this time the young animals have time to grow enough, and the cockerels change color. Their gray plumage turns black. Professionals advise hunting grouse broods with specially trained spaniels. Moreover, it is better to go out in search of prey from six to ten o’clock in the morning or after sixteen in the evening. On rainy, cloudy days you can hunt at any time of the day.
You need to look for grouse broods in forest clearings and berry fields. Occasionally they can hide in grain fields located in close proximity to forests. Early in the morning, a person comes with a dog to the most likely habitat of broods and sends the dog to search.
It should be noted that grouse hunting in the forest is very different from that which is carried out in open areas. In this case, it is important that the spaniel stays close to its owner. A retreating dog can drive away prey outside the shot. A person moving through the forest should very carefully observe changes in the behavior of his dog, which carefully searches the area. The fact is that this type of upland game makes the dog very hot. A spaniel that has attacked the trail of a black grouse immediately switches to an energetic approach. Approaching the brood, it pauses and rushes forward with lightning speed. As a rule, the old one, which cannot be shot at, takes off first, followed by the young ones. Having picked up the killed prey, you can follow the flighted brood.
Hunting with a dog
Walking hunting for upland game is good with a dog, for example, a husky. Hunting for wood grouse with a pointer is good only at the very end of summer, when the birds feed from the ground. After they move to the trees, the hunting husky becomes an indispensable assistant to the hunter.
Dogs of this breed are universal helpers. If the dog is accustomed to moving close to the owner, young birds can be shot from under the owner. Wood grouse sit on trees, the dog finds and sniffs them.
Of particular interest is the autumn hunt with a husky, along the black trail, until the falling leaves interfere with the search for wood grouse.
The Laika, positioned close to the owner, lifts the bird from the ground and drives it up a tree. The dog sits next to you, barks at potential prey, calling its owner with its bark. When approaching a capercaillie “planted” by a dog, you must be careful, without making loud sounds that could scare the bird.
While the capercaillie is busy with the dog, the hunter must choose a convenient shooting position and fire a shot. You can continue hunting with huskies until snow falls.
Pheasant hunting
Shooting of this bird begins in the second half of August and ends in mid-December. It should be borne in mind that in many regions hunting birds is prohibited throughout the year. Therefore, before you go in search of pheasants, you need to find out whether this is possible.
You need to look for this bird on forest edges located near gardens, grain fields and vineyards. They can often be found in reed thickets. It is best to hunt pheasants with a specially trained dog. At the beginning of the season, the young animals hide, allowing the dog to approach them. Old individuals, hearing the noise, immediately try to run away, standing on the wing only when they realize that they will be caught by the spaniel. Do not forget that they fly quite quickly, so there is no need to hesitate to shoot.
Autumn season
The opening of hunting for upland game in different Russian regions occurs at different times. Hunters look forward to this moment with special trepidation, anticipating another meeting with friends after a long break. Many people are worried about the opening of hunting. Autumn 2021 in many regions turned out to be favorable for hunters. For many of them, it is the extraction of upland and meadow game that is of interest. As a rule, hunting for it with gun dogs opens 2-3 weeks before the official opening of the season for other hunters.
Partridge hunting in autumn
This bird lives in beet and corn fields. In the fall, they gather in flocks and do not let anyone near them. The best time for hunting is considered to be early morning, since it is at these hours that upland game flocks to feed.
In order to achieve the best result, you need to scare off the partridges by sending a specially trained dog to their landing site. When shooting, it is recommended to aim at one specific individual, and not at the entire flock.
About the deadlines for the current year
The rules for hunting upland game establish its timing. Thus, autumn hunting for waterfowl, swamp, and meadow game is allowed from July 25 to December 31. The opening of hunting varies significantly by region. Autumn 2021 was established from August 13 in the Arkhangelsk, Sverdlovsk regions, from August 1 in the Murmansk, Tambov, Rostov, Kostroma, Leningrad, Chelyabinsk, Kirov, Yaroslavl regions.
In the current season, hunting for upland game is allowed from August 5 to December 31. Thus, on August 5, the autumn season opened in the Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, Vladimir, and Leningrad regions. Since August 13, hunting for upland game has been allowed in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, since August 27 in the Sverdlovsk Region.
Opening of hunting for game birds in autumn 2021
Depending on the climatic and geographical characteristics of Russian regions, the opening dates for autumn hunting have some differences.
From August 11 (second Saturday) to November 15, hunting for marsh-meadow, waterfowl, and steppe game is allowed in the following regions: Karelia, the Komi Republic, Vologda, Bryansk, Kaluga, Moscow, Kaliningrad, Oryol, and Pskov regions.
From the third Saturday (August 18) to November 15, permits are valid in the following territories: Chuvashia, Vladimir, Belgorod, Ivanovo, Kursk, Kostroma, Murmansk, Tambov regions.
From last Saturday (August 25) to November 15, the hunting of waterfowl, field, swamp and meadow game is officially permitted in the Arkhangelsk region, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and the Altai Territory.
Types of game
The following birds belong to the swamp-meadow game: turukhtan, great snipe, lapwing, green snapper, snails, crystal, morodunka, rail, turnstone, godwit.
Upland game: hazel grouse, black grouse, woodcock, partridge, wood grouse. Steppe and field game include quails, pheasants, doves, gray and bearded partridges, and wood pigeons. Other game species include cormorants, loons, gulls, skuas, terns, and auks.
Among upland game, black grouse, hazel grouse, and partridge are of particular interest. It is these birds that amateurs mainly hunt, taking their dogs for a walk. Depending on what kind of upland game you plan to hunt, certain equipment is selected. For example, if you plan to hunt game birds, many hunters use self-propelled guns. There are several types of them: cages, loops, nets. Each weapon has its own advantages and disadvantages. For each specific type and time of hunting, certain tools are intended.
Upland game is a favorite object of commercial and sport hunting. Let us note that some of its species are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, and therefore require special protection; hunting for them is prohibited. Among them are the Caucasian black grouse and the Central Russian white partridge. When hunting with rifles, professionals recommend tracking partridges on warm, calm days, as well as with light snowfall.
It is important for the hunter to approach the bird within direct shot distance for the hunt to be successful. We must not forget that hunting upland game is possible only if you have permits: a hunting license, a hunting license. Otherwise, the amateur hunter is considered a poacher and faces a fine.
What to go with upland game?
According to the hunting rules established on the territory of our state, this group of birds includes woodcock, hazel grouse, black grouse, wood grouse, tundra and ptarmigan. In addition, this regulation contains a list of weapons permitted for use. This includes:
- Smooth-bore and rifled firearms, the caliber of which does not exceed 6.5 millimeters.
- Any traps, including cages and traps.
- Combination firearms with a caliber of no more than 6.5 millimeters, including models with interchangeable or interchangeable rifled barrels.
By the way, there are also some subtleties here. For example, woodcock can only be hunted with a smooth-bore firearm, but hazel grouse can be tracked with pneumatic weapons, the muzzle energy of which does not exceed 25 J.
