ROAD HUNTER MARCH MADNESS – UPLAND STYLE

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Upland bird hunters have one month left to hit the road on a preserve hunt.

Hunting on licensed private-land venues runs through the end of March in many states, offering loads of opportunities to hunters who don’t want the season to end.

One of the biggest draws of estate-style hunts is they extend hunting opportunities for your dog. Some preserves allow you to bring your dog and hunt alone, while others require hunting with a guide while running your dog. This is to ensure that a guest’s dog doesn’t run wildly around the property, scattering birds in every direction, and that guests don’t cross property lines or accidentally inflict damage on sprinkler lines or other farm equipment they may happen upon.

IF YOU ENDED the regular hunting season with your dog needing some work, preserves are a great place to fix these issues. Having a buddy or two tag along helps, allowing them to shoot while you focus on handling your dog. This lets you devote your attention to what needs correcting, and do it the right way. And the best part is there will be enough birds for you to hunt before the day is over.

Another bonus that preserve hunts offer your dog is multiple bird encounters. One gentleman I recently hunted an estate with said he travels