# Ptarmigan?



## seww (Oct 29, 2017)

Anyone here hunt ptarmigan? I think I've read that they do exist in the ranges of Utah but maybe not so many? Anyone got any input?

Over here they're a very popular gamebird, both with dogs like setters or pointers and also in the winter time by skiis and 22's.


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## one4fishing (Jul 2, 2015)

Where is over here? Ptarmigan have a limited range here in some very remote country. There are a few on the forum nutty enough to chase them though.


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## one4fishing (Jul 2, 2015)

Oh I remember you’re coming over from Sweden.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

We have Ptarmigan in the Uintas, they only excel at higher altitudes. You can search the forums here for previous posts about Ptarmigan hunts. There are few and you have to do a lot of work for them so not many people pursue them. I am raising a Brittany Spaniel pup and am hoping once he gets a little older to take him out and check Ptarmigan off a list of to-do's. Wyogoob is one of the few people I know of from the forum that I've read posts from.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Yup...


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

seww said:


> Anyone here hunt ptarmigan? I think I've read that they do exist in the ranges of Utah but maybe not so many? Anyone got any input?
> 
> Over here they're a very popular gamebird, both with dogs like setters or pointers and also in the winter time by skiis and 22's.


Welcome to the Utah Wildlife Network, what many call "Utah Ptarmigan Central".

There's dozens, perhaps thousands, of ptarmigan threads, with photos, on the UWN.

I'd try the UWN search engine.... or better yet, watch the TV show "Hooked on Utah". They'll give ya exact coordinates of where the birds can be found.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> I'd try the UWN search engine.... or better yet, watch the TV show "Hooked on Utah". They'll give ya exact coordinates of where the birds can be found.


KSL Outdoors not Hooked (too far for those guys to walk).....and they didn't name the basin-O,- says Adam...:mrgreen:


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

LOL, I was hoping I was the only one that watched that episode :shock: :mrgreen:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

gdog said:


> KSL Outdoors not Hooked (too far for those guys to walk).....and they didn't name the basin-O,- says Adam...:mrgreen:


Oh yeah, KSL Outdoors, sorry. Hooked on Utah is usually filmed in Wyoming.

They named the creek, the drainage, and that creek only has one basin, duh.

And then there's the camera work. Geeze, every Boy Scout in Utah recognizes where they were at.

.


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## bamacpl (Jun 1, 2010)

I do a ptarmagin hunt every year for the last 4 years. I am the one that took KSL up there & filmed the show. 
The drainage that was stated in the show it not where we hunted....that is just where we accessed the areas we hunted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

bamacpl said:


> I do a ptarmagin hunt every year for the last 4 years. I am the one that took KSL up there & filmed the show.
> The drainage that was stated in the show it not where we hunted....that is just where we accessed the areas we hunted.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for your reply. I was hoping you would come on.

So you shot the birds in one drainage and then took the hero photos in the another drainage, the drainage I'm talking about?

.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Listen, once and for all, I am telling you, ptarmigans aren't real. There are no ptarmigans in Utah. These people that post pictures and tell stories of wonderment are fibbers and wannabes hoping to prop up a small but obvious industry trying to sell outdoor clothing...mostly boots. It's all fake news, don't fall for it.


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## bamacpl (Jun 1, 2010)

Yes, we set up our camp in the top of the drainage that it showed on the show. I'm not actually sure of the "drainage boundrys" but I am pretty sure that we actually killed the birds in a different drainage. The hero shots were taken in the actual drainage that we were camped in. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> Thanks for your reply. I was hoping you would come on.
> 
> So you shot the birds in one drainage and then took the hero photos in the another drainage, the drainage I'm talking about?
> 
> .


That's not very hard to do when you are hunting those birds. Just a few steps and you can go from one drainage to another.

Where I chase them a couple of steps can either put you into the Gulf Of Mexico drainage or the Gulf Of California drainage.


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## seww (Oct 29, 2017)

one4fishing said:


> Oh I remember you're coming over from Sweden.


Yes sorry, I shouldv'e specified.


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## seww (Oct 29, 2017)

USMARINEhuntinfool said:


> We have Ptarmigan in the Uintas, they only excel at higher altitudes. You can search the forums here for previous posts about Ptarmigan hunts. There are few and you have to do a lot of work for them so not many people pursue them. I am raising a Brittany Spaniel pup and am hoping once he gets a little older to take him out and check Ptarmigan off a list of to-do's. Wyogoob is one of the few people I know of from the forum that I've read posts from.


Yeah, I realize now I could have searched. Apologize for my lazy nature.

With that said, seems like there are some birds there in the mountains.


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## seww (Oct 29, 2017)

wyogoob said:


> Welcome to the Utah Wildlife Network, what many call "Utah Ptarmigan Central".
> 
> There's dozens, perhaps thousands, of ptarmigan threads, with photos, on the UWN.
> 
> I'd try the UWN search engine.... or better yet, watch the TV show "Hooked on Utah". They'll give ya exact coordinates of where the birds can be found.


Sorry, I realized I should have tried that first. My bad.

I will do some more research about this, because it's one hell of a hunt to do.


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## seww (Oct 29, 2017)

bamacpl said:


> Yes, we set up our camp in the top of the drainage that it showed on the show. I'm not actually sure of the "drainage boundrys" but I am pretty sure that we actually killed the birds in a different drainage. The hero shots were taken in the actual drainage that we were camped in.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


How far up the mountains do you have to go to see these birds?
Out here, there're two breeds, one that's bigger and more in the woods, below the treeline, and then a smaller one which lives up there, above the treeline and in the barren lands.

We usually drive out with the snowmobile, park it, and then start skiing around to spot them. Usually you can get close enough to pop 'em with a .22 LR. I'll do some research and I'll post a video for you to see.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

seww said:


> How far up the mountains do you have to go to see these birds?
> 
> _I'd say +10 miles is about avg hiking distance to get into Ptarm country. Then you can easily burn another +10 or so hunting and of course another 10 coming back out._
> 
> ...


Search the forum for "ptarmigan"....you'll get a bunch of info.


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## seww (Oct 29, 2017)

gdog said:


> Search the forum for "ptarmigan"....you'll get a bunch of info.


You happen to know/understand the reasoning in not allowing .22's to shoot upland game?
I love to sneak upon game and then try to pop em with a bullet, rather than a shotgun.

Might have to get into bow-hunting... Which I'm sure I'd love


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

seww said:


> You happen to know/understand the reasoning in not allowing .22's to shoot upland game?
> I love to sneak upon game and then try to pop em with a bullet, rather than a shotgun.
> 
> Might have to get into bow-hunting... Which I'm sure I'd love


I think the main reasoning behind not allowing .22 or rifles in general is because some upland game may live in the proximity to dwellings. Of course this is a stupid reason since they allow hunting of large game and rabbits with rifles and they also live well within the deadly range of rifles. 
I am sure they have absolutely not facts or evidence proving the use of rifles, at least .22 rifles, is the cause of more accidents than shotguns. In fact, I bet if the truth be known, it would be just the opposite, where in shotgun accidents are far more common.


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## seww (Oct 29, 2017)

BPturkeys said:


> I think the main reasoning behind not allowing .22 or rifles in general is because some upland game may live in the proximity to dwellings. Of course this is a stupid reason since they allow hunting of large game and rabbits with rifles and they also live well within the deadly range of rifles.
> I am sure they have absolutely not facts or evidence proving the use of rifles, at least .22 rifles, is the cause of more accidents than shotguns. In fact, I bet if the truth be known, it would be just the opposite, where in shotgun accidents are far more common.


Ok I see. 
It's going to be interesting comparing hunting rules/ways between Utah and Sweden. Excited for next fall!


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

You will be the envy of this forum when you tell everybody about your 6.5x55.


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## seww (Oct 29, 2017)

colorcountrygunner said:


> You will be the envy of this forum when you tell everybody about your 6.5x55.


Haha too bad I'm a .308 man 

Would like the 6,5x55, but I hunt so little so no point in buying another gun. Never going to get rid of my .308 since I got it from my grandpa. And we also have a limit of 5 guns here so. Now I only have 2 in my name, but we're moving so no need for any more.


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