Upland hunting is anAmerican term for a form ofbird hunting (fowling) in which the hunter pursuesupland birds includingquail,pheasant,grouse,woodcock,prairie chicken,chukar,grey partridge, and otherlandfowls.[1][2] Unlikeaquatic andsemiaquatic bird species (waterfowls andshorebirds), upland birds areterrestrial and tend to be found strictly on thedry lands above thehigh mark ofwaterbodies, often hidden in heavygroundcover, so hunters generally employ the use ofgun dogs to locate, expose and retrievegame. The average group consists of 2-4 hunters with 1-2 dogs.
Depending upon their method of work, some dogs (pointers andsetters) are tasked to detect game, and some (spaniels) to purposefully startle ("flush") game. When the birds are forced to flee out of concealment and into the open, either by the hunter or the dog, the hunter then attempts to shoot down the birdson the wing, also known aswingshooting. Once downed, the game is usually either incapacitated or immobilized, and is then retrieved with a dog (retrievers) or by the hunter himself.
Upland hunters use all types ofshotguns frombreak-actionsingle-shots tosemi-automatics,calibered from.410 bore through to12-gauge. The quintessential shotgun for upland hunting is adouble-barrel shotgun in a smaller gauge such as a 16-,20- or 28-gauge, usingsmall round pellets known asbirdshots, which are also commonly used induck hunting.
Hunters often wear specializedvests with externalhardpoints and/orhooks to carry collected games, though there is a trend toward more functional technical daypacks specifically designed for the demands of more rigorous upland hunting in remote areas. InNorth America some states such asAlabama andArkansas require upland hunters to wearblaze orange clothing for safety.[3]
Upland hunters work specially trainedgun dogs to find game.Spaniels andpointing breeds are used most often, thoughretrievers are worked with considerable success when hunting pheasant in many areas.
Upland hunters traditionally walk when finding game, though quail hunters in thesouthern states often employbuggies orvehicles due to the sparseness of game. Because of the large area that must be covered in order to findbobwhite quail, many hunters employ specially designed hunting buggies to haul gears andkennels for fresh dogs. On the other hand,chukar andgrey partridge hunters of much of thewestern regions will hunt with one or two dogs on the ground for the duration of the hunt, hiking 8+ miles of steep mountainous terrain in a single hunt with well-conditioned dogs.
Pheasant hunting, the most popular form of upland hunting takes place primarily in open fields which provides cover for birds. Upland birds can be hunted in a wide variety of habitats fromdeserts to high mountain elevations. This variety of locations is part of what makes upland hunting so popular. Some states such asSouth Dakota derive a significant portion of theirrevenue from upland hunters whotravel into the state to take advantage of the idealfauna. Numerous pheasant hunting lodges are prevalent throughout South Dakota, most of them in the eastern half of the state.
Upland birds are found throughout theUnited States and much of the world, although it is most popular (by number of participants) in the United States. There are two different ways that hunters can approach upland hunting, the more challenging way is hunting wild birds in less populated parts of the country especially theMidwest; the second way is huntingfarmed birds.
Popular game birds by region in the United States:
