# Hungarian (gray) partridge.



## 94NDTA (May 28, 2005)

I will say, with all my years hunting ND for roosters and grouse, I have never seen a hungarian partridge, or at least not to my knowledge. I hd one trip where I believe I may have seen some, but that was it. We generally hunt more on the eastern part of the state. I'm making it my goal to bag one this year. What type of habitat can I expect to see them in? Where are they more prevelant (I don't need exact locations, just north south eat or west will do fine).


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

all the huns I've ever shot were all in MN, and were usually flushed in sparse cover, field stubble, or chisel plowed fields.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Edge cover, around combined fields, native prairie edges. Not that many around in the Bis area, but run across them mostly when chasing pheasants or early season grouse. They just seem yo pop up usually when hunting other game or see them getting gravel on gravel roads towards evening.
I dunno anyone who hunts for partridge specifically, usually an incidental finding when out for other stuff. Sometimes see big coveys sitting in a tight bunch in winter half buried in the snow. Usually well after the season is over! Hah!


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

We see a few coveys around Valley City but they are so rare here I don't shoot them. Up until 15 years ago they were common. I wonder if the wet weather and increased row cropping have hurt them. Or West Nile, like the sage grouse? The guys that upland hunt extreme western ND see a few. And NW ND too. I know a few fellows that go to southern Saskatchewan & NE MT for sharptails and they regularly shoot huns there.


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## mburgess (Aug 11, 2003)

Northern tier of the state where wheat and canola are big you'll find coveys of huns. I find them a lot driving around in the eveings before the last hour and a half before the sun goes down getting gravel on roads. I don't hunt them intentionally and usually get a couple every year chasing sharpies or phez. I got one this weekend hunting sharptails. Dog stuck a nice big covey of 15-20 birds in the middle of hilly pasture land? That is the way it goes, but I've kicked them up in the middle of wheat stubble, along edges of fields, in the middle of dry sloughs, tree rows, you name it they can be sitting in it.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I see them fairly regularly up here in the NE corner of the state. They seem to prefer more of an open space, short grass type habitat than sharptails and seem to tolerate the loss of CRP better than sharpies as they don't seem to be as cover oriented. The last few winters I generally see 2-3 coveys of 8-15 birds on my 4 mile commute to town each day and regularly see another 8-12 on the other end of town. I was scouting geese last night and flushed one sharpie and 3 groups of huns in about and hour. I mostly leave them alone but have vowed not to take more than 2 from any covey smaller than 12 birds and 3 from any covey larger. I'm actually seeing more huns (and sharpies) in this area now than I did in the 80s and 90s. That said, unless your have been in an area where you regularly see them they can be tough to find. Scouting them at least gives you a chance.

Talk to the rural postal carriers and school bus drivers. They can let you know where they are seeing them on a regular basis and give you a place to start.

I like them better than sharpies because the have a whiter flesh more like a ruff grouse.


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