I would like to take up wing-shooting, where should I start?

LAST EDITED ON Dec-27-16 AT 02:26PM (MST)[p]Jonathan M. Bailey, Gun Owners of America Member


I am new to Boise, ID but don't know any hunters here personally yet.

Should I join some local club to begin?

How is a good way to ENTER this sport?

I don't even have a shotgun yet or any wing-shooting training or experience. I have had some past hunting experience with rifles a well as experience w/ military weapons.

I dream of bird dogs and upland fields but not ducks and geese.

Doves, pheasants grouse and other upland critters are what
I have a hankering to shoot. I would be brand new to feathered game though I have had pet Lab retrievers in the past. I have the interest for years but never followed through.

Had a hunting licence w/ hunter safety training in CA in 1996.

I have read some books on the subject.

Army vet age 52.

Plenty of upland bird opportunities around, and you can do it without a dog. Buy shotgun and head out to some of the surrounding lower foothills country. Most brushy draws down low will hold quail, and a few pheasants. Chukar are probably the funniest upland game birds to hunt in Idaho (IMO). For Chukar, head for the reservoirs on the Snake River on the West side of the state, look for steep rocky hills and start climbing. You will quickly understand why they are referred to as devil birds.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-30-16 AT 09:58AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Dec-30-16 AT 09:55?AM (MST)

Jonathan M. Bailey, Gun Owners of America Member

I need shooting lessons to start off with. Shotgun training for wing-shooting locally.

I really would like to start off with DOVES!

As I've said before, I am no athlete and need to stick with low flat land that is not too exerting to walk. A dove hunt on a farm or at a waterhole is what I have in mind.

I would like to meet a guy or two who is an avid dove hunter
and preferably a guy with at least one bird dog.

I would think it it more fun to have both a human and a 4-legged huntin' buddy afield.

I know a man locally who only hunts deer and elk who said hunting birds "is a waste of time and money for the small amount of meat harvested."

I am romanced, enchanted, by the notion of hunting over a dog or two and the fast action of mounting a shotgun and swinging for a hit. The classic "Norman Rockwell" image of birds in farmland warms my heart and that is what I want to enjoy. To make birding interesting to me, canine cronies are a must. No exceptions. I would like a retriever at least to go pick up my downed doves for me.

Sounds like you should go to a "ranch" type of hunt . Not much flat ground and free bird dogs on public land .

Jonathan M. Bailey, Gun Owners of America Member

Ranch, farm, hunt club, leased private land or co-op: yes, all private land and prime hunting.

Where is the best place for a newcomer to meet seasoned bird hunters locally?

I know I will have to pay somebody a fee for hunt privileges but it should be doable.

Lazy Bear Ranch in Weiser, right down the road from my house. Sounds like it would suit you.

I would begin by spending time at each of the sporting clay ranges in the area and getting to know some of the shooters, many of whom hunt upland. This will solve a couple of your problems.

Start with a shotgun. Next a trap or sporting clays course. Blackdog in SE Boise is good. Good place to meet people. Dove season starts Sept first so plenty of time.

If you aren't in walking shape now and your issue is not disability based you also have time to start walking. Access to private ground isn't overly easy but there's plenty of public access for quail, forest grouse, Huns, and eventually chukar. For a few dollars you can buy a pheasant card and hunt planted birds as well.

I have dogs and they are why I upland hunt, but I don't recommend you get one until you learn a bit about it all. Big diff in various dog types and how they apply to what and how you hunt. For example, dogs are mostly useless on Sept 1 dove hunts in a wheat field, but to me priceless on Chukar.

Lastly, I may be a minority, but I don't usually hunt with someone I don't know at all. Need to have some trust to walk around with an armed man. Hence, I suggest the shooting clubs first.

PS. I've hunted the Lazy Bear 4 times with clients. The owner was the Tight End for Chicago Bears Super Bowl team, and has a great facility and provides a great experience, but understand the birds are not wild and it costs a fair amount, though I consider it fair for sure.

Jonathan M. Bailey, Gun Owners of America Member

Yes this is indeed prudent:

"Lastly, I may be a minority, but I don't usually hunt with someone I don't know at all. Need to have some trust to walk around with an armed man. Hence, I suggest the shooting clubs first."

You are no minority. I would not like to hunt with a perfect stranger either.

I need to break into the local hunting community by getting to know folks first.

I can prove I am an honorably-discharged veteran of the American army and have weapons safety training credentials.

I am not like the cartoonish city-slicker idiots that head for the boonies with a gun thinking they know everything.

I AIM to hunt by the law and have the proper safety training for hunting.

Idaho is probably one of THE BEST uplanding hunting states in the country. Its mind boggling that anyone would go to a bird farm in Idaho. I have had 15+ covey days of huns/chukars consistently.

Join some FB groups and upland bird forums and listen and learn. Talk to biologists on habitat preferences for different birds. There are wild birds scattered everywhere in Idaho.