Partridge is one of the most common species of game birds in Russia. Partridge hunting in our country has been both a form of fishing and a way of active recreation since ancient times. Today, quail hunting enthusiasts have a large number of ways to catch this bird. You can hunt it with equal success both using firearms and using various homemade traps. The main condition for successful fishing is the correct use of one or another option.
Partridge: what kind of game?
Partridge hunting is an exciting activity, and the meat of this bird is considered quite valuable prey.
The partridge is a small bird, its largest weight is just over half a kilogram. Typically, the partridge has a gray plumage color, with a reddish color on its head. Distinguished by a brown spot on the abdomen. The bird leads a terrestrial lifestyle, flies rarely, but runs quite deftly. It makes noise during takeoff and flight, which can be clearly heard in the video.
In addition to the fact that the partridge is a ground bird, it is useful for the hunter to know the following details of its lifestyle:
- The partridge's main places of spending time are grass and bushes;
- this is not a migratory, that is, a sedentary bird, migrations are possible due to the expansion of numbers and a decrease in the amount of food, which is not associated with seasonal phenomena, with the exception of very cold winters;
- in summer, partridges are active at dawn - in the evening and in the morning, and rest during the day; in winter, the bird feeds during the day, making short flights across the territory;
- these are “family” birds, sociable, live in flocks, spend the night together;
- in early April-May, birds make nests, lay eggs, and both parents take care of the nest and offspring.
All these details are captured on video, which is useful for a novice hunter to watch.
In total, there are more than three dozen species of partridges; they are found in Europe, Asia, and America at different latitudes. Partridges live on the territory of Russia - the most common partridges here are common gray and arctic, distinguished by their winter white plumage. The third species, which is also quite common, is the stone partridge, or chukar.
Description and features
The partridge is most easily described as a small chicken with motley colors. Its weight is 500-700 grams, and its length reaches 40 cm. The round body is supported by strong legs. Males and females have no spurs on their legs.
The general color scheme depends on the habitat and can be brown, brown, red, almost white. The feather cover is not evenly colored; there are streaks of different sizes and colors. The coloring of the bird suggests that the main defense strategy is camouflage.
Birds molt annually. This happens in the middle of summer. Females molt after finishing hatching their offspring. The largest flight feathers fall out first. By the end of summer, the main feathers are completely renewed. In autumn it’s the turn of contour feathers. By the beginning of winter, molting ends.
The white partridge has a pronounced seasonal difference in color . Winter cover is white. Except for some tail feathers. They are black. The rest of the time they are brown, red, with a white lower body.
Sexual dimorphism is manifested in the size of the bird: males are larger. Bettas have slightly brighter colored feathers. Externally, the birds of both sexes are so similar that only a specialist will be able to recognize whether the partridge in the photo is male or female.
Partridge hunting
This type of hunting is considered quite simple, so it is suitable for beginner hunters. A variety of videos on this topic will help them. At the same time, for partridge hunting to be successful, you need to have certain knowledge.
Need to know: The hunting season for this game varies somewhat in different places, but is usually allowed from July to November, for tundra - a little later. Partridge hunting in winter and summer has certain differences.
The most suitable places to hunt are grain fields after harvesting, clover crops, and areas of farmland with thickets of weeds. Partridges are especially fond of buckwheat and millet crops.
Partridge is hunted with a dog, from the approach, a drive, with a decoy, with a gun or pneumatic weapon, and with various traps. All these hunting methods can be learned from video.
- When hunting with a gun, shot No. 5-6 is suitable for partridge.
- When shooting, you need to aim at a specific bird, and not at a group in general - this way you can injure several individuals, but not catch any.
Partridges do not fly quickly; they spend short periods of time in the air, about two minutes on average. Therefore, it is not difficult to shoot them. True, birds can make turns in flight, but some experience will be enough and you will be able to predict their movements. You can get an idea of the flight of birds through videos.
Types of decoys
The decoy is an excellent device for catching many types of game. For successful fishing, you need to choose the right decoy. In addition, you should worry about a good gun and excellent camouflage clothing. Modern industry produces many types of decoys. They exist for every taste and budget.
Among the variety of decoys you can find Russian, Chinese, and European sound devices. Chinese ones are the cheapest, but according to the experience of hunters, the most short-lived. Many fishermen do not trust factory-made decoys and make their own from various materials, in particular, plastic or animal bones.
Decoys can be sound “pipes” or electronic devices. Electronic decoys with a recorded animal voice are not approved for use throughout the world. It has a built-in speaker from which the voices of birds or animals flow.
A well-chosen wind decoy perfectly imitates the voice of a goose, black grouse, roe deer, hare and other animals. This instrument reproduces the voice of an animal using air that is blown out by a person. The skill of working with a decoy is passed on from father to son. This instrument is often called a “pischik”.
Decoy for deer squeaker
The “dudelka” is based on a resonating chamber with an elastic “tongue”. This creates the necessary tonality, volume and accuracy of sound. The sounds should be as close as possible to the squeak of a mouse, the quack of a duck, or the voice of a deer. Despite the apparent simplicity of the device, many fail to reliably reproduce the sounds, and as a result, the result of the hunt is zero.
Wind decoys come in single-tongued and double-tongued types. The first group of “pipes” produce a higher quality and more realistic voice of a bird or animal. Experienced hunters use these decoys. Working with such tools requires a lot of diligence and patience.
Double-tongue ones are considered easier to use, are not sensitive to the level of air supply and are usually used by novice hunters. Both types of wind instruments can be made from acrylic, wood and plastic. The most expensive ones are acrylic ones, but their service life is enormous.
Wooden instruments have the disadvantage of being difficult to maintain. Such a decoy may rot or simply lose its magnificent appearance. Many people buy plastic decoys, which are inexpensive but produce good sound. But they can deteriorate from heating.
Currently, according to Russian legislation, electronic decoys are prohibited for hunting any animal. They are used only by biologists and naturalists. It is also allowed to lure a bird using an electronic device in order to take a photo hunt.
A beautiful photograph was taken, the animal remained alive and ran back to its native forest. Many people criticize the law banning hunting with electronic decoys, but there is no point in turning into poachers. When purchasing any decoy, you should try it in the store to see how it sounds.
The decoy should be easy to control and protected from excess moisture. You can order an individual decoy from village craftsmen. Usually, older hunters from the outback make the most wonderful “doodles” and don’t charge a lot of money for it.
Hunting with a decoy for hazel grouse
Partridge hunting from the approach
In the conditions of a nourishing autumn, partridges sometimes eat so much that they hardly even fly in case of danger. In addition, in such years they reproduce well. This is a convenient time for approach hunting. The time for it is autumn or winter. Usually in the morning the flock comes out to feed, and this is where the hunter needs to hurry. They go around the flock and shoot at one bird on the ground. The rest fly up, here you have to be ready to shoot at the game in the air.
Helpful Hint: In the absence of a dog, binoculars will help to detect flocks and individual birds.
Setting up a hideout
A hunting blind is a structure where a hidden hunter can camouflage himself while waiting for prey. It is a device located either on the ground or on the lower branches of trees. In the first case, a hole is dug in the ground near a frequent gathering place for birds. Its size should be such that it is comfortable for a person to lie in it for several hours, and the depth should be 20-30 cm. The shelter is masked on top and on the sides with branches, and in winter with a parapet made of snow. If there is a suitable tree near your hunting area, you can build a platform on its lower branches.
Mirror blind for the hunter
The next important step is preparing the bait. For these purposes, not far from the site where the ambush is installed, bait is scattered: grains, berries, willow or alder branches with catkins. After finding food, the birds begin to peck at the food. This is the most convenient time to shoot - first at the game sitting on the ground, and then flying in.
Partridge hunting with pneumatics
Partridge is one of the few game species that can be taken with an air gun. Plus, it doesn’t require special permissions.
Partridge hunting with pneumatics is carried out in the same way as a regular one: you need to find the bird, but it is advisable to let it get closer to you. The optimal distance for shooting is about 20 meters, since pneumatics have less destructive power.
Helpful advice: The caliber of bullets for such weapons when hunting partridge is 4.5, 5.5 mm. It is better to choose flathead bullets. An optical sight will also help, preferably with a magnification of 3.5.
How to get closer to a bird if there is no dog to catch it and you are hunting alone? A decoy will help here. By making sounds similar to quails, you can lull their vigilance and get close. And sometimes the quails themselves rush to the call.
When hunting with pneumatics, this technique is also suitable. It is used in the southern parts of Europe. A kite becomes an assistant here, an interesting video confirms this. The snake is made by repeating the image of a bird of prey, which quails are very afraid of. When the kite rises up, the birds press themselves to the ground and remain motionless. Here you can get them.
Partridge hunting with traps
Hunters have learned to use traps a long time ago, and their skill is progressing. It is excellent to hunt partridge with a trap in winter: the grass does not interfere, and tracks are visible in the snow. Birds' favorite paths often stretch along the edges, near bushes, and near trees. In winter, partridges like to feed on buds. You can use this addiction: take birch and willow branches with you, stick them in the snow and set a snare nearby.
Usually, a snow mound with a passage is made in front of the snare; the branches located in front attract birds. You need to check the snares often, and don’t forget to tie them to some kind of stick, tree, bush, so that the prey does not leave with the trap.
There is quail hunting in the form of unusual, somewhat amusing ways of using improvised traps.
- “Cup”: a 250 ml white plastic glass is tied to a support and some grain, berries, and buds are placed in it. You can understand how to do this correctly from the video. Oddly enough, partridges that climb up there upside down get stuck. They cannot get out on their own and become easy prey for the hunter.
- “The hole”: you can also watch the video on how to do it correctly. The point is that a hole is made in the snow. A great way is to use a plastic bottle of hot water. We press the snow down with the bottom, it melts, and a hole appears. Surprisingly, once a partridge gets into it, it cannot get out. Of course, the snow must be deep enough - at least 10 cm, and to lure them, they throw food into the hole.
Hunters usually adhere to the rule of not killing all the adult birds in a flock, so that the young do not die without the older ones. This helps maintain the bird population in the area. If possible, it is advisable not to kill the dominant male if he can be identified. He is the leader of the pack, who cares about preserving the community.
If you follow simple rules and have a good knowledge of the characteristics of the bird, you can hunt partridges effectively and with great pleasure.
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We recommend reading
- Hunting for wild boar in a pen (Useful video)
- Winter hunting for wood grouse - interesting video and useful tips
- How to hunt grouse from the approach and other types of hunting for this bird
- ← What is a woodcock decoy and how to hunt with it
- How to choose a shot for a goose and features of hunting →
Comments
- Zhenya 10/17/2016 at 23:03 Partridge meat is very tasty and anyone who knows how to hunt them will confirm this.
And it is rightly said that you should go partridge hunting, preferably with a dog. You certainly won’t return without a catch. Answer - Alex 10/18/2016 at 14:11
That's for sure! A dog can smell a partridge from a great distance. But we have to admit that this bird is cautious, especially one that has already been frightened. It happens that 80-100 meters away they already sense the approach of danger and fly away.Answer
Sergey 10/18/2016 at 14:40
That's right, partridges are sensitive birds, so you need to hit them with the first shot, after which they fly away. And if you find a herd in the bushes, you don’t need to destroy it all, let the rest breed and multiply so that you have enough for the next hunt.
Answer
Alex 10/18/2016 at 15:06
You're right. There is no need to be greedy in this matter. When hunting, if we catch 9 pieces between three people, then I consider this not a bad result, after which we can “call it a day.” I once noticed that as autumn approaches, there are more of them, so now is the time to hunt.
Answer
This year I hunted partridges for the first time: I went with a friend and his dog. This is really not a difficult task, especially when the dog is trained to pick up birds. They are easy to shoot - they fly really slowly.
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For me, this hunting is like a sport. Firstly, you walk at least 10 km each time, and secondly, you breathe fresh air. Interested to know who cooks what from partridge? My wife makes pickle out of them. Overall it goes great with vodka.
Answer
- Marat 10/18/2016 at 20:40
The most delicious meat is from female partridges. My wife bakes them in the oven as a whole carcass, stuffing the belly with apples and carrots. By the way, partridge cooks quickly, about an hour.
Answer
No, in our family we don’t prepare first courses from partridges. I don't like the taste. But what a delight - baked partridge with vegetables in portioned pots. The stew with potatoes is also very tasty, even at the holiday table it goes with a bang.
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I was interested in the method of hunting with a kite. How effective is it? Who actually tried it and what was the result? All my life, starting from early childhood, together with my father, I hunted partridges, but they never practiced using a kite.
Answer
Pneumatics for hunting can only be used in the fall, since in winter, at sub-zero temperatures, the pneumatic mechanism does not work stably and you can easily miss the prey.
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It is much more convenient to hunt with a dog, but it still depends on how trained the dog is. Therefore, it is better to train your own. It would be very interesting to try the trap, especially in winter.
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Somehow the point was completely missed that hunting for “cups” (completely incorrectly described, by the way), for “holes” (which for some reason was called “pits” and also incorrectly described), with snares, nooses and with pneumatic guns is poaching , unless there is a special fishing permit. But fishing is no longer hunting.
PS Tasty at the beginning of winter, when the maximum weight has been gained since the fall.
Answer
Hunting partridge with a hunting pneumatic is prohibited, and you can’t hunt anything with a sport rifle at all. The author is either faulty or doesn’t understand anything about hunting and just read too much on the Internet.
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It’s forbidden, it’s forbidden, but what if tomorrow they forbid you to breathe? You can hunt game on your own land by any means IMHO, but a ban on hunting or the purchase of any licenses is unnatural. Who should I pay when hunting in the nearest forest? Why on earth? Marasmus.
Answer
In the first photo the hazel grouse is a male, not a partridge.
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Bird search
The success of the hunt largely depends on how successfully the hunter was able to find the broods of the bird. Winter partridge is found in bird feeding areas. If there are berry fields in groves and bush thickets, then most likely birds in winter will also look for berries there, raking snowdrifts. They also look for seeds and grains that have fallen in the snow, and feed on the buds of the lower parts of trees and shrubs. Partridges also visit harvested fields to find grains of cereal crops there.
Summer and autumn partridge are more difficult to find. They live in birch and alder groves, peck buds and catkins there, and leave few traces of their presence. They can be found in thickets of ripe bird cherry, cranberry and some other berries.
They group there and peck berries, insects, and succulent stems. Birds especially love to eat berries, catkins and buds that have fallen from trees to the ground, since they do not have to waste time and energy on flying. And they don’t like to flap their wings too much.
