How to hunt partridge in winter? Features of autumn partridge hunting Partridge hunting in autumn

It is best to hunt gray partridges with a gun dog rather than with a self-propelled gun. Partridge hunting in most regions begins in late August early September and continues until the first snow falls. Partridge hunting usually takes place throughout the day. It is worth looking for partridges in their habitats; partridges live mainly near grain fields, in potato fields, hiding in the surrounding bushes, thickets of weeds and the edges of deciduous small forests, along ravines.

Shooting while hunting partridges

Partridge hunting requires patience from the hunter, as the partridges rise at once, with great noise. Many, seeing a dozen birds flying up in front of them, simply shoot “at the herd.” In fact, it is necessary to target one specific partridge, then the result is better. Therefore, the main task when hunting partridge is to split the brood into separate pairs or triplets of birds. As a rule, a herd of partridges disintegrates after the second rise.

Shooting gray partridges is not particularly difficult. The flight of birds is fast but straightforward. The brood, as a rule, rises in an open place, so it is possible to release the bird at the desired distance, calmly aim and fire. After shooting, it is very important to monitor not the falling birds, but where the rest will fly. The further success of partridge hunting will depend on this.

Gun and cartridges for partridge hunting

On this hunt you sometimes have to walk quite a bit. Therefore, it is advisable to have a gun for partridge hunting with a small weight (up to 3.2 kg). It should not only have a certain fight, but also have a good weight distribution. There are enough modern models of 12-gauge weapons with a small mass, but most of them have a very mediocre fit, since the barrels are overweight for the sake of the possibility of using magnum cartridges and the fashion trend for an increased bore diameter (18.7-18.9 mm) . In light 12-gauge weapons, the increased bore diameter, long projectile transition from the chamber to the barrel, and long interchangeable chokes make this weapon universal and adapted for cartridges with steel shot.

To understand in practice what posadism is, it is enough to hold it in your hands and compare the sensations of such semi-automatics as MAROCCHI SI 12 and Beretta AL391 Teknys Stonecoat, not to mention the Benelli Montefeltro Beccaccia 61. Among double-barreled guns, this clearly explains the feeling of, for example, such shotguns like the Beretta Ultralight and Darne.

In a double-barreled shotgun, it is better to have choke constrictions of 0.25 and 0.5 mm. If a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun is used for partridge hunting, then it is advisable that its weight be no more than 3.2 kg. It is better to have a muzzle constriction of 0.25 mm, and the cartridges should be both with a container and without containers, since shooting is carried out at a distance of 15-35 m. Different cartridges will allow you to make full use of the capabilities of the gun; it is always easier to change a cartridge than a muzzle constriction. If you hunt partridge with a 20-gauge weapon, you should not use choke constrictions greater than 0.25 mm at the beginning of the season and 0.5 mm at the end. When shooting at the end of the season (in the snow) in 20 caliber, it is quite possible to use magnum cartridges with a load of shot No. 6-5 32 g (Fetter, Azot, Glavpatron). The Mirage cartridges with 28 g shot load No. 5-4 will not disappoint you either. In Italian cartridges, the shot numbering differs from the Russian one.

In 20-gauge, when shooting at a distance of up to 30 m, it is better to use a shot one number less than in 12-gauge to obtain an approximately equivalent shot pattern; When shooting at a distance of over 35 m, it is advisable to use magnum cartridges. If you frequently use 20-gauge magnum cartridges, you must remember that even shotguns from well-known brands do not always (without consequences) cope with these cartridges. Of the 20-gauge double-barreled shotguns on the market, the models MTs 105-20x76 and SKB 605 and 705 series are best adapted to magnum cartridges. A 20-gauge semi-automatic is more suitable for such cartridges.

The shot characteristics of a 12-gauge cartridge on a 16-lobe target should be approximately the following:

• Accuracy - 55-60%
• Thickening coefficient - 1.5
• Scree uniformity:
• Inner circle - 1:1.3
• Outer ring - 1:2
• Distance - 35 m

Most 16-gauge shotguns are suitable for grouse hunting, but very few gun companies have produced them lately. It’s a pity, 16-gauge weapons have always enjoyed success in Russia as the most universal.

After the herd of partridges is broken up, the hunt for individual birds begins. Remember that partridges sink hard. Therefore, for the first shot you can use a cartridge of the “dispersant” class, shot No. 9-8, for the second shot a cartridge in non-container equipment may be suitable. There is no need to worry that after the first partridge rises, another one will immediately fly up. The partridge in this sense is the complete opposite of the black grouse.

Sometimes it happens to find a brood of partridges in the bush. In this situation, it is better to use “dispersant” cartridges with shot No. 8-7 and, if possible, release the bird at a distance of 15-20 meters.

Gray partridge is perhaps the only game that can be successfully hunted with a dog until the snow hits. With a good cop and excellent shooting training, you can easily kill almost the entire herd found. There is no need to do this, since it is not in the interests of the hunter himself. Always think about the future. It is better to look for another brood and continue hunting partridge in another place. Vladimirov A.

Gray partridge is not very large (up to 500 g of live weight), but is not a bad prey. Partridge hunting in winter can be more productive than in warmer seasons. This is due to the peculiarities of the bird’s lifestyle.

In addition to gray partridges, larger ones – white partridges – are also caught.

About winter partridge hunting

In winter, the main food of gray partridges are tree buds and grass seeds. When food becomes insufficient, birds move closer to human habitation: here they have the opportunity to find food near granaries and livestock farms. The birds spend the night in bushes near the feeding area.

You can determine whether there is a bird near a populated area by the characteristic tracks in the snow that partridges leave in places where they search for food and spend the night. Birds live in flocks, in winter they feed throughout the daylight hours, and when they find food in any place, they visit several times, which allows hunters to track game and even lure it to where it is hunted.

Partridge hunting from the approach

This option is carried out according to the same principles as in the fall: having found a feeding place, the bird is first beaten on the ground, and after rising on the wing, it flies. The difference is that in winter you will have to wear skis and a light suit, which will allow you to get within shooting distance of the bird.

When shooting in-flight, you should not hit the entire flock at once. Aiming and shooting are carried out at an individual bird.

Partridges don't fly very far. By following the flight direction of the flock, you can try to find it again after the trophies have been collected.

Hunting with decoy

The decoy imitates the voice of a male calling birds. The females included in the flock respond to his voice and fly closer to his intended location. Hunters use this instinct, calling hens when they are not visible or they are in an inconvenient place to shoot. When using a decoy, you can detect a previously unnoticed flock by the fluttering of individual individuals and voices.

Hunting with decoy is carried out at the beginning of winter, when the bird, which has fattened up in the fall, practically does not fly. You can find trails along the edges of fields, near forest belts, but sometimes it is difficult to spot the game itself.

Hunting with a dog

A hunter's best assistant is a dog. A specially trained animal uses its tracks to find where partridges feed or spend the night at the beginning of winter. The following dog breeds are suitable for hunting small game:

• pointer;
• cop;
• spaniel;
• drathaar or kurtshaar;
• sometimes they hunt with a husky.

Hunting with a dog resembles the approach method, but the search for the pack is carried out by a four-legged assistant. The dog may find a wounded and unnoticed bird that did not fly away with the flock.

Hunting with snares and traps

You can take loot even without a gun. Partridges are careless and, at the sight of food, easily fall into set traps. It is most convenient to set a snare on a path trampled by birds at the edge of the field. To guide them to the right place, snow is raked up, blocking the birds' path, and a passage is made in the embankment, behind which a snare is placed.

You can also attract a bird with the help of food: stick willow or birch branches with buds into the snow, scatter some grain, etc. The snare must be tied to a stationary object (a bush, a stake stuck deep in the snow, etc.). If the snare is not tied, the entangled bird will escape.

Sometimes icy holes are used as an improvised trap.. They are made in winter, in deep snow (at least 10 cm) and good frost. To make a trap, make a hole in the snow by pressing down the snow with a bottle of hot water. The melted snow freezes, forming a slippery ice crust on the walls of the trap. The bird is unable to get out of it or take off. Any grain is used for bait.

Sit-down

If the hunter has discovered a place where partridges spend the night: small holes in which the birds slept, an abundance of tracks in the snow, then it is not necessary to look for feeding places for the flock. A village resident can lure a flock to a place of his own choosing and hunt quite effectively for 1-2 days in a row.

Before making a hide, partridges are fed in a convenient place where there is shelter for the hunter. Grain or mixed feed is scattered over the trampled snow (1/3-½ bucket daily is enough). Baiting is continued for 3-5 days, and then the time for hunting is chosen. You need to arrive at the shelter in the dark, because... The bird begins to feed as soon as it gets light. Having scattered the bait, the hunter hides in hiding and waits for the arrival of the flock. Such hunting is not carried out on snowy or blizzard days: the bird may not appear.

When the partridges arrive, they are shot from cover and then the trophies are collected. If you hide in hiding again, the flock will return (or another one will arrive). The shooting is repeated and the dead game is collected again. This can be repeated throughout the day while the bird is feeding. After 1-2 days of hunting, the disturbed flocks are left alone, continuing to feed them. A new shooting can be done in 4-5 days.

The nuances of hunting partridge with pneumatics

A spring piston gun with a power of 7.5 J is suitable for shooting partridges, it is cheap and can be used by beginners. The disadvantage of the rifle is the need to reload the weapon after each shot. In order to hunt small game, you need to know the features of hunting and several rules:

1. The destructive power of an air rifle is much lower than that of a firearm. When trying to catch even a small bird such as a partridge, the game has to be lured or allowed within a distance of no more than 20 m. This complicates hunting from the approach, but allows you to use a decoy and ambush with bait, the drive method.
2. It is important to choose the correct caliber and shape of bullets. For pneumatics when hunting partridge, take bullets of 4.5-5.5 mm caliber. When shooting from long distances, preference should be given to bullets with a hemispherical head. At short distances, projectiles with a sharp head are more often used.
3. Aiming must be accurate, and the shot from a gun must be effective. Modern pneumatic shotgun models have an optical sight that will make hunting easier. The best killing zone is the head, and when shooting at the body you can only wound the partridge. It is difficult to detect a wounded animal in the grass where it hides. Due to its low killing power, the risk of injuring a partridge is quite high, so if possible, it is better to hunt with a pointing dog.
4. Working with pneumatics requires compliance with the same safety rules as when using firearms.

You can hunt partridge with a pneumatic weapon using the driven method. This requires a group that is divided into shooters and beaters. When they discover a place where game spends the night, the beaters go towards the shooters, driving the partridges under the gunfire. Some birds fly in, but the bulk of them move along the ground, because the low noise level when using pneumatics practically does not frighten birds. The peculiarities of hunting partridge from the drive are based on discipline and good relationships in the group.

Ptarmigan hunting

The white variety of partridge is found only in the northern regions. The birds are larger than their gray relatives: their weight is sometimes about 900 g. The most obvious difference between the species is the change in plumage: in winter the bird becomes snow-white.

Game habitats are the outskirts of moss swamps in the northern forest-tundra. Under these conditions, birds settle in thickets of low-growing willow and birch. The main food is wild berries and tree buds. Ptarmigans do not approach human habitation. Hunting for forest inhabitants is allowed in the same time frame as for other upland game: from mid-late August, when the young animals grow up.

Sometimes a snowless autumn provides hunters with a chance to easily find bright white birds that have moulted and stand out against the background of vegetation. But most often they hunt from the approach or with a dog, killing the game as it flies. Over low swamp vegetation, such hunting turns out to be the most productive and simplest.

A flock of white partridges that have flown over can be found and shot again. But unlike gray ones, they are able to change the direction of flight, hiding behind any obstacle. To find a lost pack, you can use a decoy or hunt with a pointing dog.

After the establishment of permanent snow cover, the main method of hunting is through powder. You can determine where you will spend the night by looking at tracks and holes, since all the irregularities stand out in the freshly fallen snow. When a person approaches, birds are in no hurry to take off and allow the hunter to get close enough.

To hunt white partridges, they use the driving method, decoys, and use dogs. The techniques are practically no different from the catch of gray and bearded species; fishing with a force or loop is allowed. Prohibited methods include catching with nets (venterem, tent, donut, etc.) and hunting by light.

Weapons and cartridges for partridge

To catch partridges, in addition to pneumatics, smooth-bore and rifled weapons are used. Particular attention is paid to the choice of caliber and equipment of cartridges:

1. In smoothbore shotguns, it is allowed to use cartridges with shot charges No. 5-7. The most commonly used fraction is number 6. A universal caliber can be considered 12 mm. The weight of the gun should not exceed 3.2-3.5 kg, since the hunter will have to shoot often.
2. In some cases, they use more powerful weapons of 16-20 caliber and use cartridges with 32 g (No. 5-6) or 28 g (No. 4-5) shot. It is advisable to have cartridges with or without a container: the difference in distances to the target can range from 15-35 m.
3. Rifled weapons are rarely used. It requires more precise aiming. But given the available capabilities for aimed shooting, it is permissible to use a carbine with a caliber of 5-6 mm.
4. When finding partridges in the bushes, it is better to use cartridges filled with larger shot (No. 7-8).

You cannot kill all the adults in a brood. Experienced hunters also leave behind the leader of the herd: the dominant male. You can identify it by its habits and call, to which the flock gathers and moves along the route.

The partridge, like the quail, is a land bird. She spends most of her time in the grass or bushes. The partridge runs well, maneuvering excellently among the stems of vegetation. But the partridge flies very rarely, only in cases of danger or when flying to feeding places. It takes off quite noisily and flies also making a certain noise.

Unlike geese or teal, the partridge is a sedentary bird. The only cases when it can migrate are when its numbers increase, and therefore food decreases, as well as very cold winters in the nesting areas.

The favorite habitats of partridges are fields with field crops in combination with various steppe or forest-steppe vegetation.

Partridges change their daily activity depending on the season. In summer they are most active at dawn and in the evening. During the day, partridges behave calmly, resting in the grass, caring for their plumage. In autumn and winter, birds fly short distances in the morning to feed, and back in the evening to rest.

Partridges are very sociable birds that love communication. Throughout the year they live in “families”, which consist of 5 to 20 birds. They are very peaceful and friendly. Often partridges even spend the night in their own groups, huddled close to each other. During resting and feeding, several guard birds are always present, ready to sound the alarm at any moment.

The partridge prefers a vegetarian diet of various seeds and plants. Animal food supplements their diet exclusively in the summer months.

Partridges, like geese, are very caring parents. Unlike male pintails or pheasants, male partridges carefully guard their nest while incubating their chicks. And when the offspring are born, they take an active role in their upbringing.

Partridges begin to form their pairs in February. The female lays eggs either at the end of April or at the beginning of May. Birds make nests either under a bush, a hummock or in tall grass. When all the chicks hatch and dry out, the female takes them away from the nest, to which they never return. The chicks are born very mobile and already on their first day they are ready to walk up to 200 m in 2 hours. The brood of chicks does not break up until late autumn, or even throughout the winter, until the mating season.

Partridge hunting

Partridge hunting in Ukraine is carried out everywhere, thanks to its widespread distribution in our country.

Partridge hunting is permitted from August to December inclusive.

Shot for partridge hunting requires No. 5 or No. 6.

Partridge hunting with a dog

The main way to hunt partridge is to hunt with a dog. Unlike quails, partridges take off in a flock and after a short period they also land together.

Partridge hunting This method begins in August, usually in the morning. But if there is no sweltering heat and the weather is pleasant enough, then you can hunt throughout the day. The hunter, together with his assistant - the dog, goes around the habitats of these birds. Partridges very actively run away from dogs, rising into the air. Since the flock takes off at once, hunting partridges requires considerable attention, concentration and composure. The main thing is to immediately break up the brood with a shot, and then the dog will help find single birds.

Partridge hunting from the approach

If the year turns out to be successful in terms of food and weather conditions and the partridges have reproduced well, then hunting them is also possible from the approach.

This partridge hunt is usually carried out in autumn and winter.

Partridge hunting begins in the morning, when the flock goes out to feed. When the game is already visible, it is best to go around it rather than go straight at it. It is good to fire the first shot at the bird that is sitting, the rest at the partridges in the air.

Any partridge hunt requires patience and care. Since partridges blend very well with the surrounding nature, you need to look out for them carefully. The ideal option is to have good binoculars.

Partridge hunting At first glance it may seem simple, but this is only the first impression. On this hunt, you need to know a few basic rules that will help the hunter catch a sufficient number of partridges in one outing.

The grouse hunting season begins mainly with the beginning of autumn, which is why this hunt is often called autumn hunting.

The gray partridge is a cautious bird and will do everything to avoid meeting a hunter, so it is advisable to take a dog with you for hunting.

You can watch the video of partridge hunting now.

Despite the fact that there was no shot from a gun in this video, it clearly demonstrated that the presence of a dog during partridge hunting increases the hunter's chances many times.

Partridge hunting in autumn

It is in the fall that the most exciting and multifaceted bird hunting begins, and partridge is no exception.

You need to look for partridges near food fields, in grass or weeds, as well as near bushes.

There are frequent cases when partridges bathe in dust along dirt roads in the morning and evening hours.

The rise on the wing of partridges occurs mainly at a short distance from the hunter, so that sometimes you have to let them go a few meters and only then take a shot.

Partridges can fly quite well, but prefer to escape by running and take off only as a last resort.

During take-off, partridges make a characteristic noise that cannot be confused with any other.

Some hunters are confused by this noise, and they rush to shoot without aiming. Because of such hasty shots, misses are very often made. I've been through similar situations myself, so I know what I'm talking about.

The flight of a partridge is straightforward, so absolutely nothing prevents the hunter from taking the bird at gunpoint.

You need to shoot partridges with shot No. 6 or No. 7. In late autumn, shot number 6 is best suited.

Partridges live in flocks, which I also call herds. Immediately after the first rise, the partridges fly away to a distance of 200-350 meters and land. You need to carefully notice the landing site and go there.

You should not hope that it is at the landing site that you will raise partridges again. They almost immediately run several meters to the side.

There may be two or three such rises, and then the partridges scatter individually or in pairs, that is, the herd scatters.

Now It can even become ideal if you attract a hunting dog of a pointing breed, which will individually look for partridges and lift them onto the wing.

With the help of a dog, you can shoot almost the entire herd of partridges, but this should not be done.

Partridge hunting in winter

In winter, this hunt does not have any special differences from autumn, but there are still some peculiarities.

In winter, partridges can be approached within shooting distance when they are feeding. The snow cover allows them to be seen in the snow. The second shot has to be fired at flying birds.

With the presence of snow, partridges make holes for themselves and rest in them. With the advent of severe frosts, it is difficult to approach the birds at the optimal shooting distance.

In general, partridges become more cautious in winter, unlike in the autumn.

Partridge hunting with pneumatics

Shooting partridges with pneumatics requires good optics, because without it it will be quite difficult to catch this bird.

In addition, such hunting can be carried out mainly only in the fall, since the presence of frost affects the spring mechanism of the rifle itself.

It is best to approach the flock and aim at sitting birds. This will significantly increase the chances of success.

Among all types of bird hunting, there is such an exciting and interesting .

This cute, well-built, round, beautiful bird is familiar to many legging hunters and almost all rural residents, young and old, without exception. After all, the gray partridge lives practically side by side with humans, populating all agricultural land suitable for it.

Flocks of these birds can be found immediately outside the village outskirts, and in harsh, snowy winters - in gardens, vegetable gardens and, sometimes, even on rural streets, where partridges, suffering from lack of food, try to find at least some food for themselves. Knowing how poor these birds are in severe winters, real hunters always come to their aid, feeding them with grain until spring comes. The result of such care becomes obvious already in the fall, when in the lands in which the partridges have successfully wintered, the hunter’s four-legged assistant every now and then raises flocks of these fast birds, which so excite the hunter’s heart with their always unexpected, noisy takeoff, to shoot.

With a husky for prey

The female gray partridge is very fertile. And if at least one pair has survived in the places where you hunt, then under favorable conditions by the beginning of the hunting season, a flock of partridges can number up to fifteen or even more birds! With an abundance of partridges in the area, hunting for this magnificent game is very exciting and sporty.

Partridge is usually hunted with pointing dogs of all breeds. The beautiful work of an experienced, well-staged pointer and the shooting of these birds from under the rack are very impressive, spectacular and emotional. Hunting can also be successful with a tireless, gambling spaniel. Yes, and “little hunters” should not leave their pointy-eared assistant at home and give up hunting this game! Being an ardent fan of the “pointers”, I have always very successfully hunted partridges with them and caught no less of this beautiful game, desirable for any hunter, than the “leggers” and “spaniels”! In this case, of course, the husky needs to be introduced to partridges and the areas where they live. And how and where to look for birds, how to interact with the hunter, your clever Laika will figure out very quickly after going out into the field several times. You will have selectivity of search locations, an acceptable working range of the dog, and, if you wish, a shuttle! With a good husky, you will never be left without a trophy. Agile, hardworking and energetic, the husky will quickly find you such delicious-smelling game! Laikas have an excellent upper sense, which allows them, without digging into the rocks, to quickly and directly lead the hunter after the fleeing birds and raise them under the shot.

When hunting partridges, you must always know exactly where your trusty husky is at the moment of the shot. If the partridges, after rising, went too low, just above the ground, and your husky chased, it is better to avoid a tempting shot, so that, God forbid, you accidentally hit the dog.

Where does the partridge sit?

The favorite habitats of partridges are vast open spaces with flat or hilly terrain, cut by a network of ravines overgrown with weeds and bushes. This can be either cultivated agricultural land sown with various, mainly cereal, crops, or abandoned fields overgrown with weeds with islands of shrubs and small forests, old dry reclamation canals and forest belts along their perimeter.

If the area where you have come to hunt is unfamiliar to you, it would be a good idea to inquire about the favorite habitats of partridges from local villagers. As I said above, these birds very often catch the eye of people. Meetings with them cannot go unnoticed, since partridges running along the side of the road, feeding, or their noisy rapid takeoff at once in a whole flock of grass or grains always attract human attention.

In weeds, bushes or tall, but not very dense grass, you can sometimes stumble upon a bird roosting site. It is a small patch, up to half a meter in diameter, with trampled grass. Gray partridges sit in a circle for the night, with their tails inward, closely huddled together. The more birds in the flock, the larger the diameter of this area. In the center there are many sausages of droppings and feathers left by partridges during the night.

Near puddles left after rain on roads passing through fields, partridges often leave their tracks, similar in shape and size to those of hazel grouse.

At dawn, it is sometimes possible to hear the voices of partridges calling to each other as they move to feed and spend the night. Their voice sounds like a two-syllable cry: “Chirrr-rek! Chirr-rek!” If the feeding areas are close to the birds' resting places, partridges take walks. When the feeding sites are located at a considerable distance, the entire flock rises to the wing at once and, stretching out in a wide front, makes the flight.

In the right place, at the right time

So, having found out where encounters with partridges are most likely, you go to those places. It is best to arrive at the site before sunrise so that you can be there at dusk. It is at this time that a flock of partridges goes to feed after a night's rest.

In the invigorating autumn coolness of the morning, the east lights up like a fire. The reflections of its glow browned the clouds hanging at the zenith. The hillocks flashed, the ribbon of the distant river turned red. The October sun, a yellow shiny ball, lazily floats out from behind the horizon, casually shooting its golden arrows across the squares of compressed fields. The colors of the heavenly fire are gradually fading.

Having loaded the gun, you let your impatient assistant off the leash. Laika immediately rushes into the search, methodically combing the low thickets of weeds as you move, not depriving attention of the narrow green strip of alfalfa stretching across the entire field, bristling with a stiff brush of stubble. Sometimes she looks around, monitoring your location and direction of movement. Carefully observing the dog's work so as not to miss signs of changes in its behavior when it gets used to fresh brood or the smell of the partridges themselves, move forward with a gun at the ready.

A wall of bushes appeared ahead, separating the field from the wasteland, pierced by long tentacles of shallow ravines. At the next turn, the husky suddenly stopped suddenly all along and, tilting its head to the ground, began to sniff. Spinning on a small patch and barely noticeably wagging the steering wheel, she ran back and forth with her muzzle raised, deeply inhaling air through her nose, made a wide arc and, again burying herself in the ground, quickly led in a straight line. This time her tail worked more intensely. Trying to keep up with the dog. And she, having caught the intoxicating smell of birds above, quickly moves forward, slightly adjusting the direction.

Now her movements slow down, become smooth, her tail unwinds halfway. Squatting slightly on its legs, extending its muzzle parallel to the ground in line with its body, pointing its alert ears straight forward and staring somewhere at one point known only to it, the husky approaches an area with low, sparse grass. You look at the dog in bewilderment and, slightly relaxing, lower the gun. After all, according to your understanding, there can’t be any trace of partridges here, otherwise you would have noticed them long ago!

Full bag

But you shouldn’t have trusted your assistant’s instincts! There follows a second stop and a quick throw forward. A brood of partridges, a dozen and a half, with a loud crack of wings and characteristic hasty cries of “pi-lick, pi-lick, pi-lick”, abruptly breaks away from the “empty” place! How could they take refuge here?!

In the first moment from the unexpected stunning takeoff of the “red-tailed rockets” you forget about the gun. Partridges, often fluttering their wings, round balls, quickly move away from you in a straight line. You shake off your numbness, and finally, there’s a butt in your shoulder. Quickly aim and pull the trigger. The partridge, turning over in the air, falls, and at this time your finger again presses the trigger! One bird, folding its wings, falls like a stone into the withered grass, and the other, losing its feathers, gliding on outstretched, motionless wings, descends into the weeds near a noticeable bush. Having noticed the place of its landing, keep an eye on the flock, which, stretching along the front, crosses the field and, having described an arc, disappears behind a hill three hundred meters from you.

The dog, running up to you with a partridge in its teeth, places it at your feet and, without hesitating a second, disappears again into the grass. Soon the second chicken migrates to your bag. Having praised your assistant, you quickly move to the place where the wounded animal landed. Here is the landmark - a bush. Laika, without a command, finds the strong-smelling trail of a bird and quickly takes you further and further along the grass in small zigzags. Fifty steps have already been taken, seventy... Turning sharply against the wind, the dog poked its front paws and muzzle into the grass. Here's the third trophy!

Secret of success

The basic principle of hunting gray partridges comes down to two conditions, which ultimately make up success. First condition. After discovering the brood and rising to the wing, you need to try to use targeted shots to break it into separate groups and single birds, so that the partridges, scattered in a wide fan, all land in different places. In this case, hunting for a relocated, fragmented flock is greatly simplified. Singles, pairs and threes of birds hide tightly and take off almost from under the dog’s nose, or right from under the hunter’s feet!

To break up a brood, shooting as accurately and frequently as possible is necessary. The multi-shot “semi-automatic” used in this hunt has an undoubted advantage over double-barreled weapons, and even more so over single-shot weapons. The rule here is: don't skimp on shots! The shots that follow one after another and the shot whistling near the birds frighten them and bring confusion to the flock. After a burst of “self-loading,” the brood can almost always be broken up. But this does not mean that the hunter should “shoot into the white light like a penny” - shoot excessively, at random, without aiming, just in the direction of the flying flock. Such shooting, with rare exceptions, will not bring you the desired trophies, but it can cause wounded wounded animals! It just seems like the birds are flying in a crowd! In fact, when taking off, they fan out, so that almost always the intervals between partridges are still significant.

When you target one specific bird, it happens that you manage to knock out four or even five birds from a flock with one shot! Especially when you are shooting at partridges moving away from you at an angle. This has happened to me more than once! You need to be able to quickly take aim, transfer fire from one target to another and immediately stop shooting as soon as the partridges fly beyond the killing range of your gun. For shooting partridges on the first rise, when the flock usually takes off at a distance of a medium shot (depending on the degree of maturity of the brood, the density of vegetation at the place where it rises to the wing, the disturbance factor of the birds in the area), I use cartridges loaded with shot No. 6 or No. 5 .

It is not always possible to break up a brood the first time. It’s easier to do this the second time, but only if you manage to get within range of the birds for a sure shot. This is especially true when approaching a flock of moving partridges during late-autumn hunts, when the mature birds can be strict, and the withered, fallen grasses, not providing the partridges with sufficient protection, force them to rise on the wing long before the hunter approaches to shoot.

Little tricks

To be sure to break up a moving brood, you need to approach the hidden birds in such a way that they are in a “vice” between you and your dog. If your dog does not have the ability to bypass a hidden flock and approach fleeing partridges, you can try to do this trick yourself by quickly running in a wide arc around the place where the brood is supposed to be located, as soon as you understand that the dog has scented well from fresh tracks and the birds are where -nearby.

The second condition for successful hunting is tracking the flock that has moved after taking to the wing. Usually the terrain allows this to be done. Partridges move no further than six hundred meters. Usually 300-400 meters. You need to carefully, with all your eyes, not paying attention to the birds that have fallen into the grass after your successful shots (if such happen, your dog will certainly find them!), monitor the moving brood and remember as accurately as possible the place of its landing or the landing places of individual birds, if the brood still managed to break up.

Having remembered the landing sites for individuals and small groups, you need to move in that direction as quickly as possible. Otherwise, after a little sitting, the partridges, calling together, will gather together again and all your efforts will be in vain!

If partridges descend in a flock, all in one place, you should not rush to approach. You need to wait 20-30 minutes. This time is often enough for the birds to calm down, give the trail necessary for your dog to work, and, probably, allow you to shoot.

If the brood is broken

When shooting a broken brood, that is, at single birds, you can safely load with a “eight” or “seven”, and preferably with a “dispersant”. In most cases you will have to shoot short. Partridges are not tough to wound. Shooting them presents no difficulty even for a mediocre shooter. Usually you have to shoot in an open place, at a hijack, at birds flying in a straight line, not high above the ground - approximately the height of a person. The most important thing on this hunt is not to get excited!

Sometimes a single partridge, picked up by a dog in tall grass or forced to fly through a forest belt, and even if it is repeatedly pursued, can fly almost vertically to a height of up to ten meters, no worse than a pheasant or teal, only then switching to a rapid, descending flight. A shot at such a bird can be very beautiful and will be remembered for a long time.

It is rare that you have the opportunity to shoot at the side, and even less often at an oncoming bird. This usually happens when your dog, sensing birds above and catching air currents, goes around or flanks lurking partridges.

The only difficulty, in my opinion, in shooting this game is that partridges raised on the wing very quickly fly beyond the correct shot, since they have fast flight with a high starting speed after an always unexpected, powerful jump from the ground!

You can hunt partridges throughout the day: either by catching them in the morning or evening while feeding, or by finding a flock and lifting it on the wing from its daytime resting place. It's easier for a dog to work in the morning. Birds, scattering widely, moving from one place to another, leave a trail. In addition, at the beginning of the hunting season, when fine and sunny days are not uncommon, the heat does not exhaust the hunter and the dog so much. Partridges feed on stubble, preferring tall stubble overgrown with sparse grass, as well as on clovers, along blemishes and the edges of weeds. In thick, intertwined and tall grass, on fatty grasses, you don’t have to look for a brood. It is difficult for partridges to move there, so they avoid such places. A broken brood, single birds, when pursuing them, often descend and hide in precisely such places!