Don’t Lose Your Birds
It is quite understandable that a bird hunter’s mind and thought “Where will the bird land?” is probably done seconds after raising the shotgun, picking out a particular bird, and pulling the trigger. This self-question is important in locating the downed bird. If shooting in relatively open areas without many distractions (tall grass, plum thickets, trees, etc.), in theory it will be easier to find those shot birds. Where it can become challenging is when birds land in the middle of a blackberry patch, cholla cactus, or thorny thicket. If using a dog, it most likely will retrieve the bird, but if not the prospect of a hunter coming up with the bird is difficult. Bird hunters will surface like they have been through a shredder. It doesn’t help that most upland gamebird species have an intricate patterning of feathers that allows them to visually disappear right in front of the eyes of hunters. Nature provided these birds camouflage like no other.
Another aspect in finding downed birds is when cripples are involved. Areas with sparse or bare vegetation will be easier for the hunter to visually follow up and find cripples. Wing shooters need to remember that cripples will eventually fly or run to the nearest, nastiest cover to evade both dogs and hunters. Trying to answer the question of where birds will land all the while little brown and gray missiles are flying every which way is not an easy task. Whether hunting long-tail roosters or prairie grouse, and every other type of upland bird, by asking where the bird “may” fall, will help improve recovery rates.
A second rule to follow is to mark your bird. Through some simple steps, hunters can improve their marking abilities. Once the trigger is pulled, hunters should ask themselves a series of questions: Is the bird dead? If the bird is still alive, shoot at it again. If the bird hits the ground, DO NOT take your eyes off it. Avoid the temptation of taking another shot at another bird. This is easier said than done. The thrill of the moment will overwhelm most excited bird hunters and shots will ring out at additional birds flying by.
The chance for scoring a “double” is always enticing. Hunters should ask themselves; Is the bird positively dead and is it well marked? If hunters can answer yes to both questions, then the choice becomes whether to attempt another shot at another bird or retrieve the downed bird. Sometimes the wisest choice is ignored, and hunters give in to flurry of feathers.
Hunters should make note of where they are standing in relation to where they observed the bird fall. This will come in handy when the need to replay the scenario again. The location will be a hunter’s reference point for the duration of the search. Mark it with an orange cap, vest, or marking tape. Better yet, you guide your hunting partner to the location where you saw the bird fall. Once the search begins, it is astonishing how quickly surroundings can change. A bush or tree that wasn’t there when you marked it suddenly appears.
Another important reminder hunters should remember is a bird that falls to the ground can hit the dirt running. These crippled birds can disappear quickly. It is amazing how often a “stone dead” pheasant rooster crash lands to the ground, can suddenly be revived and sprints to the nearest clump of grass and magically disappears.
If you are not sure where the bird went down, begin your search by looking near to far.
Once the search starts, hunters should employ their senses and the ability to look for clues to help in the retrieval of downed birds. Eyes should be trained to the direction of the shot. Look immediately for feathers floating in the breeze. Read the direction of the wind. Are feathers blowing in from left to right or vice versa? Once this is determined, use the direction that the bird was shot from and then hunters should align themselves to the direction of drifting feathers with a landmark. Use a tall tree or bush for a marker.
Other clues that can be used to help in locating shot birds are shotgun wads, blood, and even tracks. Tracks can be tricky as they could be old. But taking the time to determine if tracks are fresh could point the hunter in the direction the bird high-tailed it out the area or if it was wounded and able to run. Tracks in mud, snow, or dirt can yield important evidence that can help hunters.
A hunter’s eyes are crucial in finding birds, but don’t forget about sound. Listen for wingbeats or a bird thrashing around on the ground. The sound of crashing or moving vegetation may be an indicator that the bird is still able to move or run, and they’re trying to put as much space between them and the hunter and the dogs that may be on their tail.
Don’t forget, birds that are wounded WILL hunker down. No matter the size of the upland bird, whether it be a large bird such as a sage grouse or pheasant or a smaller bird such as quail or even doves, they will borrow themselves into and under practically anything. Be it windblown corn, milo, or sunflower stalks, holes, animal dens, bushes, or snow. And let us not forget those places that we would never think a bird would be able to hide successfully; patches or tufts of grass that couldn’t hide a field mouse.
When all else fails, hunters need to look up. Hunters should retrace their steps to the point of where the initial shot was taken, all the while scanning the trees and bushes from eye level up. Personally, I have retrieved one duck and a pheasant that had been caught in branches.
As hunters, we are responsible for making a reasonable effort to retrieve all game that is killed or crippled. We are bound by a certain code of hunting ethics and regulations to not wantonly waste a wild animal that has been mortally wounded or killed while hunting. Game should not be left in the field needlessly wasted without attempts to render it for consumption or other use. Hunters hold a moral obligation to the natural resources that we enjoy taking from so freely. Harvested game should be utilized and taken care of. Those that do not follow the laws and ethical side of hunting should have no business participating in the outdoor traditions hunters and outdoorsmen cherish.
This same philosophy of adhering to respecting the game we hunt needs to be embedded into the youth and new hunters and fishermen. It’s important for them to understand the value of each and every creature that is harvested.
About the Author : Edgar Castillo
Visit authors website | View more articlesEdgar Castillo is a recently retired law enforcement officer for a large Kansas City metropolitan agency. He also served in the United States Marine Corps.
Born in Guatemala, hunting was a new concept when Edgar came to the U.S. His passion lies in the uplands as he travels across public lands throughout Kansas or wherever the dirt road takes him…to hunt open fields, walk treelines, & bust through plum thickets in search of wild birds in wild places.
This fervid emotion for the uplands has since blossomed into a SIGNIFICANT social media presence. It has allowed Edgar to share his experiences and connect with other bird hunters through writing.
Follow Edgar’s upland escapades on Instagram at @hunt_birdz
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