Does anybody see any significant numbers of Hungarian partridge in Minnesota anymore?
Or for that matter, in the Dakotas?
Given a choice between pheasants and partridge, I’d hunt partridge. Unfortunately, the numbers of the birds have dipped to the point where I haven’t flushed a covey of partridge in Minnesota in the past 10 years.
Is anybody out there seen any partridge anymore?
Grouse
I havent shot at one in years. The last time was ND. I dont remember the last time I saw one in IA or MN.
I do however remember how good they taste.
Used to hunt quite a bit down by windom and flushed a covy about 3yrs ago…didnt shoot unfortunately. Thought they were hens and by the time I realized and shot they caught a tail wind and I had no chance 
When I lived in Marshall, MN 6-7 years ago I hunted 3-5 days per week and there were 2 coveys of 10-12 birds that we flushed fairly often. The areas were 20 miles apart, but they were both similar types of areas where a farm field met a cow pasture and some light grass. They would either get up out of range or next to someone who didn’t know what they were, so we never shot any. A few years ago I was back down there and flushed a covery of 5 in the same area.
The harsh winters in SD have really kicked them in the tail. Growing up, we shot a bunch of them. Now they have all be disappeared. Dad had a small covey 2-3 years ago but they have since disappeared too. We are thinking of trying to raise a few hundred next year and releasing them.
Beautiful, fun wing shooting and great table fare!
Quote:
…didnt shoot unfortunately. Thought they were hens and by the time I realized and shot they caught a tail wind and I had no chance
Yeah, I’ve heard that happens to some guys. Not me, obviously. I mean other guys as in I’m not that guy.
No, no, no. I’ve never stood there with my gun in my hand thinking, “Damn. That’s a huge bunch of really fast hens. And they make a strange noise too. Wow. Look at them go. . . wait. . . “
The last really big covey of partridge we busted got up behind me. I turned around like a complete dope and all the while I was thinking exactly what I wrote above.
Meanwhile, dad picked off two with two shots from his Model 11 16 gauge. Yeah. 
But I’ll bet that was 20 years ago. I miss partridge.
Grouse
Check out the St James, Fairmont, Jackson areas in Southern MN. Saw a few covey’s down there a couple years ago…
If you really want to get serious about them, take a few road trips once there’s some snow cover. They are much easier to pinpoint in the plowed fields – at which point you can mark your GPS for the following year.
Good luck!
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