# Hungarian Partridge



## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

Anyone on here ever hunt these things? From what I'm seeing and reading it seems like extreme northern Utah is the only real place to do so. I'm heading up there either this weekend or next but I was curious about public land. I do show some BLM land up there but a lot of what I've read says it's all private. Anyone have any insight on that? They look like a blast to hunt.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I don't hear much about them anymore. There were some on the DLL and Crawfords in the 80s and 90s. Some on the Utah/Wyoming border at the Bear River by the Session Cedars too. We would get some incidental to duck hunting near the UT/WY border. That was quite a while ago though. Picked up a few on the Christmas Bird Counts...15 to 20 years ago though.

I grew up with Hungarians. They were tougher to hunt than Bobwhites. They would get up and fly a long, long way and trying to find them and then get them up a second time was tough. They're all gone now back home; farm chemicals, pesticides mostly.

Private land may be the best option. I would look for wheat fields with some P.I.K. ground nearby. 

Good luck.


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## Dodge360 (Nov 2, 2014)

I've been told the only ones left are in the very north part of the state where Utah meets Idaho... but I've never gone after them


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

Huns in Utah are like flat land chukar I've heard stories but never been blessed to partake of them


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The last ones that I saw were on the west side of Mt Ellen down on the Henry Mountains. They surprised me at a waterhole on Apple Brush Flat.


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## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

chukarflusher said:


> Huns in Utah are like flat land chukar I've heard stories but never been blessed to partake of them


That's what it seems like to me, too. I've been walking fruitlessly in the hills anyway, might as well walk fruitlessly on the flats for a bit.

Thanks for all the replies! Once I make it up there I'll be sure to post my findings. My real concern is that we'll make the drive and then not be able to access that BLM land.


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## jeff788 (Aug 7, 2009)

Huns are my favorite bird to hunt, but unfortunately, they are a tough bird to hunt in Utah. They are decent populations in northern Box Elder and Cache county, but in Utah most of the good hun habitat is private, or landlocked by private land. That being said, I've ran into a few on public land while hunting sage grouse in a place I didn't expect them. When the covey first flushed I didn't even shoot because I had no idea what they were. Then my pup and I had a blast chasing down singles and doubles for a couple of hours. That was my pup's first hunt, so it is a very fond memory.

For most people huns are birds of opportunity taken while in pursuit of other species. The reason is, that over most of their range the population density doesn't seem to be very high in most places, and they can turn up in the most unexpected places. But in general, they'll be fairly close to grain fields, especially later in the season. Take a good dog to a place that has some mixed grass and brush, with some water, next to a grain field, and cover lots of ground and you're likely to find some huns. At some point they have been released all over the state, but unfortunately most of those introductions failed and the only part of the state that holds (m)any birds is northern Box Elder and Cache county.

Good luck, and post some pictures!


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Look for them in the areas where agricultural land gives way to foothills covered with grass and sagebrush. They are one of my favorite species to hunt. They are very fast flyers, so if you're not quick on the draw you may miss your chance. It is usually possible to find the covey again after you jump them the first time. You probably don't need a dog to find them but a good retriever helps a lot with retrieving wounded birds.

My favorite place to hunt them was fenced off and posted several years ago.  I now only know of one small fragment of habitat to hunt them in. I check it every time I'm in the area, and I don't run into them all that often. They are a difficult bird to find on public land, and it seems that they range widely.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

I get some in Southern Idaho hunting other species- there was some on a walk in access in Cache Valley- no more after the planted pheasant hunt-
There are some on another walk in access that did not get the planted birds- they are a hit a miss and even when they are there you had better not be dreaming- and the others I know of are on private land near Wellsville.


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## CVHunter INACTIVE (May 28, 2013)

I got a couple last week on a walk in up here. But I've been back to the same spot with no luck. I think they move quite a bit. I never could find them again after the first flush.


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## imhunter (Sep 5, 2011)

ran into a convey of them in cache valley while hunting peasants. If you find a convey that will actually hold, you can keep going after that covey. If they flush early thou, they will keep flushing early.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

And that's a problem- well I guess in my opinion of ethics- I know of an area that held a covey in Cache Valley- every night on the way home- same truck- same spot- no more birds there now.


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