Hungarian Partridge

[mevertsen]

I got my first Hungarian partridge yesterday.

I've killed many chukar through the years.

Over the last couple years, I've seen more and more huns.

I have a spot marked for my daughter, for next month after she gets her shotgun where I saw a good sized covey in early September.

Questions and thoughts..

This covey only had 4 birds.

I'm not sure if I just got a small part of a bigger covey, some young birds, or what.

I could have easily taken all 4, had I pursued (limit is 4), but only seeing 4, I figured 1 was good enough.

What should I expect if I go investigate further where I got this one.

Size of covey?
Range of the covey?

Its been dry, but there is water in the area, plus we've had good rain lately. Habitat was broken sage and cheatgrass. Lots of green up last couple weeks after the rains we got.

Heres a pic, next to the young chukar I got as well. (Should of had 2 or 3 more chukar, ).

They sure are a pretty bird.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Not unusual but there may be more coveys in the same general area. Need to hit it a few more times to get a feel for what's out there.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I’ve found Huns to be homebodies, find a mesa top or flat ridge top, cheat grass and not too much pressure they will hang around.

 

[mevertsen]

I’ve found Huns to be homebodies, find a mesa top or flat ridge top, cheat grass and not too much pressure they will hang around.

Pretty well describes where these were yesterday

 

[Hunter0925]

I am fairly certain huns are the devil's bird. I don't have dogs but I have better luck killing chukar walking than I do huns. We are covered in the things here and every now and then they make me trickle on myself. They should be wearing devil horns.

 

[El Jason]

Probably a small hatch for them and that’s just what is in the covey.

They tend to hang in the same spots year after year unless you have heavy snow to move them.

They do like gentler terrain

 

[brymoore]

Last year was a record hun year for bird finds. I was finding Hun coveys in areas I’ve hunted for years and never saw a Hun.

I’d guess you found a pioneering group expanding the territory. I read a story that made the argument that Huns were one of the hardiest game birds and have slowly been expanding its territory since its introduction to North America a little over 100 years ago.

I’m not sure if you have a dog. If so, I’m surprised you haven’t found more coveys. As I said, I was having multiple points in virgin Hun territory last year. A nice icing on the cake for a Sage or Sharptail hunt and a quail hunt too.
Huns were everywhere last.

 

[brymoore]

Extra thought. 4 is small. I would have shot in your situation too. A group of four might get a pass from me if I know ahead of time. Small coveys for me usually happen late season and the coveys are getting pounded on by a lot of hunters.

I did get into a coveylast year where the dog pointed a smaller group. After we shot, she found the rest of the covey 150 yards away. Always possible you only caught a part of a bigger group.

 

[Irrelevant]

Last year was a record hun year for bird finds. I was finding Hun coveys in areas I’ve hunted for years and never saw a Hun.

I’d guess you found a pioneering group expanding the territory. I read a story that made the argument that Huns were one of the hardiest game birds and have slowly been expanding its territory since its introduction to North America a little over 100 years ago.

I’m not sure if you have a dog. If so, I’m surprised you haven’t found more coveys. As I said, I was having multiple points in virgin Hun territory last year. A nice icing on the cake for a Sage or Sharptail hunt and a quail hunt too.
Huns were everywhere last.
View attachment 388635

If you find that article I'd like to read it. Chukar are my favorite because of the effort required and that I can work my way to good hunting by going further than others. But huns are my actual favorite, they're the prettiest, hold the best, and I like the dark meat

 

[brymoore]

If you find that article I'd like to read it. Chukar are my favorite because of the effort required and that I can work my way to good hunting by going further than others. But huns are my actual favorite, they're the prettiest, hold the best, and I like the dark meat

It’s been many years ago. Either a government type publication or something from Ben Williams. Huns are his favorite bird. He’s written a bunch of articles and books on Huns.

https://projectupland.com/partridge-species/hungarian-partridge/hungarian-partridge-perdix-perdix-species-profile/

 

[bigsky2]

I would say small covey, unless they were part of a bigger covey that got separated due to a hunter or other predator. I’d leave some for next year.

 

[mevertsen]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll respond to some of the more specifics.

 

[mevertsen]

Last year was a record hun year for bird finds. I was finding Hun coveys in areas I’ve hunted for years and never saw a Hun.

I’d guess you found a pioneering group expanding the territory. I read a story that made the argument that Huns were one of the hardiest game birds and have slowly been expanding its territory since its introduction to North America a little over 100 years ago.

I’m not sure if you have a dog. If so, I’m surprised you haven’t found more coveys. As I said, I was having multiple points in virgin Hun territory last year. A nice icing on the cake for a Sage or Sharptail hunt and a quail hunt too.
Huns were everywhere last.
View attachment 388635

No bird dog.

I have hounds.

Yesterday was opening of chukar and huns. Took the dogs out, tried to find a big buck for a friend, and see if any birds would get in the way of my less than stellar wing shooting.

Birds are secondary for me.

On a side note, I have an old cur/hound cross, and she will absolutely find down birds. She doesn't like giving them up though, lol.

I was cruising along an old 2 track, saw the birds. They got up, landed a bit away, I got out, went over, jumped the 4 up, shot one, and then went back to my Toyota. I didn’t pursue after that.

I might go back to that spot Tuesday and walk around the little bluff more and see if there are more around.

 

[mevertsen]

I would say small covey, unless they were part of a bigger covey that got separated due to a hunter or other predator. I’d leave some for next year.

I was the first person in this spot this year for birds. I'm going with small covey or separated somehow.

Will see what the next few days show.

Agree to leave some for the future. That's why I just shot the one.

 

[mevertsen]

If you find that article I'd like to read it. Chukar are my favorite because of the effort required and that I can work my way to good hunting by going further than others. But huns are my actual favorite, they're the prettiest, hold the best, and I like the dark meat

I think they are a prettier bird.

 

[mevertsen]

Extra thought. 4 is small. I would have shot in your situation too. A group of four might get a pass from me if I know ahead of time. Small coveys for me usually happen late season and the coveys are getting pounded on by a lot of hunters.

I did get into a coveylast year where the dog pointed a smaller group. After we shot, she found the rest of the covey 150 yards away. Always possible you only caught a part of a bigger group.

I think I replied part of this to someone else a moment ago, but yesterday was opening, and no other bird season, I was the first person in there in quite some time.

I'm thinking small part of a big covey, I also am not familiar with them, so more could have been holding a short distance away.

4 seemed real small to me as well.

I saw one covey in September on the other side of the valley that had 15 to 20 birds, and chukar numbers were good as well.

 

[NoWiser]

Man, I wish we had huns around here. I jumped a fair number of coveys a few years back while mulie hunting and I’ve been itching to try to shoot a few ever since.

 

[Flynarrow]

Unless something recently separated the covey I have found the covey regroups in a day or so and stays together and flushes at nearly the same time....far more than chukars. I'm guessing that it is a small covey that resulted from significant mortality of their chicks from eggs to adulthood.

 

[mevertsen]

Man, I wish we had huns around here. I jumped a fair number of coveys a few years back while mulie hunting and I’ve been itching to try to shoot a few ever since.

They've been around here, but numbers seem to being better last 4 or 5 years I would say.

I would see maybe 1 covey over an entire fall/winter. Now, I'm stumbling across a few coveys each year.

I think they are a neat little bird.

 

[brymoore]

My oldest son’s first game bird was a Hun.

We walked into a point of Tess. Huns springboard up together and I shoot a double on the left side of the dog. Son starts yelling that he shot a bird. I go into Dad mode and plan to let him claim one of my birds. Tess brings us two birds and he grabs “his”. As we’ve celebrating his first bird, I look down and Tess is holding a third bird in her mouth for me to take.

Same boy last year. A little older and a Lieutenant in the Army. Still hunting Huns with me wearing my old Filson vest.