Upland Birds - Where To Hunt

Hunts

Bobwhite Quail Hunts

Pheasant Hunting

States

For those new central midwest upland bird hunting where to hunt is often a question.

The first part of the answer is to recognize our best pheasant and quail hunting is due to grain crop agriculture. Waste grain as a by product of farming creates a during hunting season food source for birds. Within the central midwest that better bird hunting is within the 45 to 55% agricultural land use region where grain crops and not cattle is the predominate land use. Within most crop fields will be wildlife winter cover habitat. That combination of food source and cover is where to upland bird hunt.

For upland bird hunting corn, soybean and milo provide the most potential for better hunts.

Most crop fields will have grassed waterways providing cover. In this case a mixture of brome, foxtail and Indian grass. The one seen in the far ground (above) runs for a 1/4 mile to a dry drain.

The cover habitat continues beyond waterways and includes much edge cover of varying thickness and cover type. In this case rough ground and a drainage combine to split the corn field.

To answer the question of where to pheasant and quail hunt is to hunt every crop filed running the dog through all cover. The birds will be concentrated where the food and cover are co-located.

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