Don’t Chicken Out Of Hunting Chickens

Ryan Lynton | All Hunting Articles
Posted 01/26/2025




“Flump! Flump! Flump!” sent soundwaves tingling through my ears, followed by the crack
of a shotgun. The bird tumbled, offering me and my dog a quick recovery. I savored the
moment, gripping this rotund, two pound icon of the west. Its peculiar feather pattern was something novel to me. The barred stripes across its chest was like a jail cell turned sideways. I couldn’t believe it. I just shot my first prairie chicken.



The decision has been made. You’ve blocked off a few days in September, cleared it
with your spouse (if you’re me), and have begun tuning up that bird dog to traverse the vast prairies of the Great Plains. In other words, you’re going after prairie chickens. Only one issue stands in the way: You’ve never hunted them. Perhaps you have read an article or two, listened to a podcast covering hunting tactics, or watched some footage online to get a feel of what it’s like, but you have never made it your own. I see you. I know exactly where you’re at. I will not pretend to be some expert on hunting these birds, but I have learned a thing or two from pursuing them in the early season.

Prep For The Prairie

Let’s face it. If you are hunting prairie chickens, be it South Dakota, Nebraska, or
Kansas, you will burn the boot leather. Chickens are a miles per bird equation, not the other way around. They have an expansive range they call home, making them very hard to locate at times. Put simply, they have the home field advantage. One look at the Flint Hills of Kansas or the Sandhills of Nebraska will win your agreement. Towering hills and draws in places like this know how to chew up and spit out a hunter.



That’s why it’s vital you come into season ready, sturdy in leg and lung. You are going to be covering great distances over hilly country, requiring physical endurance and mental stamina. I’m not saying you must have the physique and endurance of a top-tier athlete to be a successful chicken hunter. However, I do think being in shape breeds confidence, and
confidence is lethal.

Fitness can be achieved in numerous ways. A buffet of options are at your disposal, from a monthly gym membership to your local park. Regardless, what should be a priority is what builds cardiovascular endurance. Think about it. It’s not big muscles that kill birds. Rather, it’s a body that can effectively take in oxygen under high amounts of stress, also known as VO2 max. I personally practice long distance running (somewhat to be in bird-shape but I just like it as well). But cycling, rucking, sprinting, or just walking with intensity are all acceptable methods.



Another thing that must be considered is weather, namely in the early season. Unlike the typical temps of pheasant and quail hunting, early prairie chicken season can be downright hot. Temperatures can reach well into the 80s and 90s by mid-day. What cannot be overemphasized is water. Whatever you think you need, bring more. Dogs, unlike us humans, cannot sweat and therefore can’t dissipate heat the way we do. Give them plenty to drink, but also apply water to their armpits and behind the ears. Don’t be afraid of frequent micro-breaks either.

Arriving at your hunting location before daybreak may be necessary if you can only hunt the first couple hours of the morning. If temps cool off enough, you may be able to squeeze in an hour in the evening. Treat mid-day as time to drive around, scour maps, glass potential chicken habitat, and simply enjoy the beauty of the place you’re visiting.



Find The Cover Within The Cover

If you’re like me and are used to clearly defined objectives while upland hunting, be it a treeline, irrigation ditch, or brushy draw, the vast prairies of the west can be downright daunting. As you scan what seems to be a “sea of sameness”, hopelessness can squash the soul. A bird could literally be anywhere in the ether before you. Instead of looking at the landscape as one singular piece, treat it as many micro pieces in a patchwork that make up the whole. This idea transfers to all gamebirds, chickens no exception. Elevation, sun and wind exposure, and grass type all make up the network of their habitat.



Chickens are high country birds of the plains. Survival, for them, is largely based on their ability to see. Perched near the top of a hillside, they can spot trouble far away in front of them and take flight if something crests the hill behind them. Working three-quarter the way up a hillside is a good tactic for those early season, young of the year birds that tend to hold tight for dogs. Also, being ready every time you crest the opposite side of a hill is notable. Surprised chickens can offer close shots in these scenarios.



Another thing to consider is the type of grass you are hunting in. I’ve heard it said that for prairie grouse, you want to throw a volleyball in the grass and still see the top of it. Leaving the volleyball at home and hunting chin to knee-high grass should do the trick. The main idea is that chickens avoid tall grass. Remember, they like to be able to see for long distances. If what you’re walking has a towering, “pheasanty” feel to it, get to shorter grass.



Action Before Confidence

My mantra is that confidence never precedes action. In other words, just go and figure it out. Are you going to fail, yes (though no outing, in my opinion, is a failure). Are you going to have birdless walks? Yes. Are you going to stumble your way through the prairie before you begin to make some sense of this bird? Yes. But just go. If you’re waiting for a magical moment where you finally feel ready, that moment simply won’t come. Reasoning will always want to weasel its way into our minds and talk us off the ledge. So push through the fog of uncertainty and doubt and get after it. Don’t chicken out, chicken hunter.
 


About the Author : Ryan Lynton
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Ryan Lynton is a husband, minister, writer, and bird dog owner from the rolling hills of Southern Indiana. Not becoming a hunter until his adult years, he’s enjoyed chasing many things with fur, fins, and feathers. However, his favorite place in the outdoors is the intersection between himself, his dog, and a wild bird in a wild place. You can find him on Instagram with this handle @followthedog_outdoors

 
 

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