Let’s cut to to the chase. I am not the only one out there who hunts without a dog. I am just a lot more vocal about it… and damn-right, PROUD to hunt without aid of Canis lupus familiaris. I have only hunted with a dog on two other occasions… ever. I surely enjoy and admire great dog-work. But in all honestly, it isn’t for me. Now there are two reasons for that. Firstly, I don’t have space, nor do I have resources, nor the time for caring for or training a dog just for hunting. Secondly, I have hunted so long without a dog, that I actually enjoy no other way of hunting birds. That’s the plain old truth.

Owning, caring, and training a very active medium sized dog is just not practical for some people. Some don’t have the space. Some just can’t afford it. Others are just starting out hunting, so a dog is not at the forefront of their plans yet. Whatever the reason, don’t let NOT-having a dog dissuade you from going out after some birds. I have touched on the subject before, but I figure now is a good as time as any to focus on upland hunting without a dog, since I do it often and I get a lot of questions about it. Sit back and lets talk about the pros, cons, the tactics and the joy involved in hunting birds without man’s best friend!

 

Pros

It drives me crazy when I speak to an upland hunter and they get to know my backstory and they jump up before I can even finish and say, “If I couldn’t hunt with my dog, I wouldn’t bird hunt”!

Yikes.

I mean, that’s your prerogative. I get the passion for dog handling. Everyone’s motivation is different. Upland hunting can be more of one thing to another person… but is it really just about the dogs? If that’s the case, why not open your own retired bird dog sanctuary and call it a day? I get the passion, but upland hunting is much more than a singular thing… or about dogs, for that matter. As an upland hunter who primarily hunts without a pooch, I have a unique outlook on our sub-culture and have grown to admire the many different spectrums of upland hunting. I think dogs play an important part of our upland hunting heritage, as do the vintage guns, the land, the comradery, the conservation minded organizations, and the birds themselves. But if you removed the dog from this equation, you could still essentially hunt! Right? At least that is the way that I see it (unless there is some invisible force that disallows you to hunt without a dog… that I am unaware of?). So why would you limit yourself?

Well, I have said my peace and I am sure I will get a bunch of hate mail for that. But before you hit send on that curse-laden message to me, just know that I got your back and fully support your love/idolization/passion for dog-handling. That’s your thing! Rock on. But I am gonna do me too. Just don’t come at me with off the wall stuff, saying you would hang up your boots and shotgun if you couldn’t hunt with Spot. That’s crazy. That’s weak. And we are gonna have a long talk about that if you bring that up! Deal?

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For those interested… there are some advantages to hunting without a dog.

• It is much more cost effective. Most guys I know train their own dogs. But if you don’t know squat about training dogs, or don’t have the patience, it’s going to be pricey to have someone train your dog! Even the guys who train their own dogs are spending several thousand dollars a year on training alone. Essential gear is also going to be quite pricey at the end of the tally.  Vet bills for an active-sporting dog? We haven’t even considered the cost of the actual dog itself! Guys without a dog? They can pocket that money and save it for better shotguns, premium ammo, or more hunting trips!

 

• You don’t have to worry about anyone else, but YOU. That means you do not have to be mindful of a canine companion and their limitations in the field. Like a cranky and hungry toddler in a Costco line on a Sunday, after church, dogs have a limited “shelf life”. That means being mindful of food, water, rest, etc. for ol’ Lassie. That means, when you are still ready to go, your dog might not be. Without a dog, you carry just enough water and snacks for yourself, and you can stay out and go as far as you want… when you want. Oh, and you don’t have to worry about javelina or coyote goring or eating your dog if you don’t have one! That sounds like convenience to me.

 

• You are the active hunter in this, not merely the shooter. What better way to hone your skill than to be your own bird locator, flusher, and retriever… a hunter. I find that some guys lose their “hunter edge” when relying on a dog to do all the work but shoot. When one of those guys is out in the field with me, they are embarrassingly lost without Sparky. As the guy hunting without a dog, all of your own skill and knowledge is required to put birds in the bag. So, does this make you the better hunter than…? Hmm….

Cons

I ain’t gonna lie. There are some disadvantages…

• Surprise! That covey just burst right out of that bush you walked by. You were never ready to take the shot and the sudden rush of wings left you fumbling with your shotgun, and you never even got off a shot! If you had Sadie-Girl by your side, she would have pointed out that covey, giving you more than enough time to set up for a shot and take a couple of birds down.

 

• It’s harder to locate birds, especially birds that are moving. Quail in particular are runners and can be hard to spot when they are running from cover to cover. Without the keen nose of a dog, you are going to rely on your sight and other senses, which are nowhere as good as Fido’s.

 

• Retrieval. If the guys with the dogs have one valid argument against us, it’s retrieval of downed birds. This is an ethical issue we can’t ignore and if we hunt without a dog, we must make very deliberate and conscious shots on birds. Can you easily retrieve the bird when you shoot it and it goes down? Will you be able to “mark” it when it hits the floor? If you can’t, you shouldn’t make the shot. A mindful hunter will also not shoot another bird until the first is retrieved. That isn’t easy when you are beating around the bush looking for a dead bird and more birds are flushing all around you. It takes patience and discipline.

Despite the aforementioned, there are ways to adjust when hunting without a dog…

Tactics

When a person comes up to me and asks how to hunt without a dog, the first and most important thing I point them to is scouting. Without scouting, you are blind. You may as well stay home. To maximize your effectiveness as a dog-less upland hunter, you need to know where the birds are before the season starts. Scouting is going to require gas, cash, time and boot-leather. Pull out the map. Jump on Google Maps. Buy an OnX Hunt Maps subscription. Do your homework. Find some ideal areas to scout and head out. I like to scout for quail around August and September, when coveys are getting ready to congregate.

What to look for? Well, it helps to do some research. Know your quarry and what their behavior is, what type of habitat they like and what they eat, etc. I often find quail just by driving down off-road trails. Why did the quail cross the road? To get to the other side (duh)! Mark that area on your GPS. Jump out of your truck. Bring some binoculars. Yep. Binos. Nocs. Glass. They aren’t just for Big-Game! Glassing is a great way to cover a lot of distance without spooking a lot of birds. Sit on a peak and just start looking. Be patient. Look for subtle movements.

Another tactic you can use just off the road is calling. Most quail species are vocal and there is some kind of call for each species more or less. Stopping and calling out your window and waiting for return calls can be pretty effective, but at some point you are going to have to get out and do some scouting away from the roads.

Looking for sign, such as tracks, droppings, dust-beds, food sources is a good way to know if you are in the right spot. Scout and glass in these areas. Once you locate birds, mark it on your map or GPS and check back every couple weeks, but try not to blow out your area by spooking them. Keep interaction to a minimum and just check enough to ensure that the birds are still in the area. It would be wise to have scouted several areas/spots. Better to have options.

Once you have established where you will be hunting and the season is underway, there will be some new challenges to contend with. Upland Game birds have a few counter-weapons against predators. Quail for instance will flush as a group, which confuses predators and hunters alike. They also have a varying degree of patience to hunker down and not budge until the last minute. I advise you to always be vigilant and always be ready for the flush. Keep your head on a swivel and don’t get tunnel vision. Look around and don’t miss those birds flushing behind you!

I do a lot of (literal) brush kicking and backtracking to get birds in the air for a shot. This gets birds nervous enough to flush as a last resort. Zig-zagging and thoroughly combing through an area and taking your time usually gets the best results. Listen for birds. As mentioned, quail are pretty vocal. I often will hear quail start nervously pipping before they take off. This gives away their location, giving me ample time to position myself for a shot.

For stubborn birds, I will throw a stick or small rock into the “thick-stuff” in an attempt to get them airborne. In extreme cases, a safely aimed shot over the birds hiding spot is sure to get the bird moving into the air if all else fails.

Once birds have flushed, make mental notes of where they land. You can work your way to those spots. Move smart. Use the terrain to cut them off. If they land close enough, you can rush in in an attempt to get them back in the air. No two scenarios are alike, so you will have to play around with these tactics to see what works best on any given day.

For vocal birds like quail, I like to hunker down and use a quail call. For the upland hunter that is not using a dog, I highly recommend a call when hunting Valley and Gambel’s Quail in particular. I can usually get birds to either give up their positions (by responding to my call) or even creep back my way. It is not uncommon for me to sit down for about 10-15 minutes after busting a covey, start calling and when I stand up, a single will be just feet away. I get many birds this way.

Once you get birds into the air and you make that shot, be ready to mark where the bird lands and make your way to it. Never take your eyes off of that bird. Be ready to shoot again, just in case it was crippled. Better to ground-swat a crippled bird, than risk it getting away. I mentioned earlier, that it is your responsibility to ensure that you make every reasonable effort to ensure that you not only recover downed birds, but that you make disciplined and ethical decisions before taking any more shots. By no means should you be shooting at other birds before you claim your first downed bird.

I recommend using heavier loads as well. I find that heavier loads limit cripples in the field. A good hard hitting load usually puts birds down quick. I prefer #6 shot, 1-1/8 loads for quail.

 

The Joys of Hunting without a Dog

Whatever your situation or reason for not hunting with a dog, upland hunting can still be an enjoyable activity that allows you to reconnect with nature and admire some wildlife. The journey and the adventures you experience in the uplands will change you and your character.

Spend enough time in them and the uplands will shape you. You’ll grow as a person. You’ll evolve as a hunter. Some people… maybe yourself, have just started in upland hunting and you are biding your time and saving for that Setter or Pointer for next season. You are gaining experience as a bird hunter before you make that long commitment of dog ownership/training. Or perhaps you are like this gentleman I spoke with, who hunted all his life with dogs. His last was his best and it was deeply loved by him. After his beloved pointer made the trip over the rainbow bridge, he decided to take a break from raising and training dogs. He continues to go upland hunting to this day, but not with a dog. He says he might pick up another pup someday, but not this season. Maybe next.

Maybe you’re a little like me. When I hunt… and I mean when I hunt without a dog, I just get a sense of accomplishment. It’s challenging, but the time, the thought, the dedication, the hard work, and the bird in hand at the end, is all worth it to me. I get to know myself and my limitations and what I need to do to improve.

I beat the odds. I did it. I did it the hard way. I am an upland hunter without a dog and I like it that way. I cherish the moments and the birds more than I could if I did this with a canine companion. I enjoy it! I am able to connect so much more with nature, the land and my God when it’s just me and the uplands. I am much more connected with myself. Grounded. No distractions. No worrying. And maybe that’s just me. Maybe I like doing things the hard way. Maybe it just appeals to me because I am weird and I have always been a non-conformist. Maybe I do this just to shut up the naysayers and to give the upland hunter with no-dog some encouragement. What does it matter?

No dog? No problem.

 

 

God Bless & Happy Hunting!

J.R.

 

 

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