# Sharp and Hun Hunt in September



## ChukarBob (Sep 4, 2006)

My brother and I will be in ND this September for our first ever September hunt for Sharps and Huns. Although we've hunted upland birds many times in ND over the years (going back to '93), Huns and Sharps have always been ancillary to pheasants and we've mostly hunted in November. We're looking forward to hunting Sharps before they flock up later in the year. We'll have 2 Labs and an English setter leading the charge in our September hunt.

We're aware that bird populations have been hammered the past few years by tough winters and difficult breeding seasons, although the past winter was relatively benign. We've seen fewer upland birds, but especially fewer Huns, over the years.

Questions:
1) What is your projection for the Hun population this year?
2) What numbers are you actually seeing in your activities in ND?
3) Do you hunt Huns differently in September than in November?
4) Is there a certain kind of habitat in which Huns and Sharps overlap? We're aware of the range maps for these 2 species, but I'm talking about habitat type, not ranges.

Any advice offered on making the most of our September hunt will be appreciated. THANKS!


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

CB, the parts of the state hunt I hunt don't have them in the same cover. Western areas might have huns in grass but central and east I see them associated with wheat stubble, alfalfa, beans fields, and usually on the edges. Hope that helps. The farther east you go in ND the fewer huns. I think the wet weather of past years hurt them as much as the winters.

When we hunt early sharptails it is in hay fields mostly. Lots to eat there and the cover is about boot high for easy walking.


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## ChukarBob (Sep 4, 2006)

Thanks, Dick.

All of our hunts but one have been in the NW quadrant of the state, north of Lake S. We had selected this area because it seemed to offer the opportunity for shooting pheasants, Sharps, and Huns. To get a little distance between our hunt area and the oil boom, we recently moved a little further east and south. We're now almost to central ND. We'll work the grass and hayfields next to cropland and look for Sharps on the edges and the Huns around structure.

Regardless, we'll be hunting upland birds in September, something you can't do in our part of the country, Washington and Oregon. Both of us are recently retired and no longer need to count vacation days or rush home to get back to work.


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