Solo hunting

[AlaskaHunter]

Solo hunting in the cattails can be challenging.
I've been lucky to be in the right place at the right time more often than not.
Usually quick-stepping to get in front of the lab crashing path.

 

[Birdbander]

My money is on your understanding of the birds to be in the right spot over luck
Good job!

 

[Walkathon]

I can understand where you are coming from. I hunt solo for pheasants with my 1 year old GSP. Always a challenge getting in the right place for the late season birds that don't hold, at all. Yesterday my dog locked up solid and the rooster got up 40 yards away. She was locked up for all of 5 seconds before he flushed. Congrats to you and your dog!

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I like spots where the dog can push a rooster towards a lake, the rooster can not run, and an open water swim for pup.

 

[Cwarda15]

Solo hunting in the cattails can be challenging.
I've been lucky to be in the right place at the right time more often than not.
Usually quick-stepping to get in front of the lab crashing path.
View attachment 304993

Sweet habitat!

 

[Cwarda15]

I like spots where the dog can push a rooster towards a lake, the rooster can not run, and an open water swim for pup.
View attachment 305186

Very good tactic!

 

[Nicoli7153]

Solo hunting in the cattails can be challenging.
I've been lucky to be in the right place at the right time more often than not.
Usually quick-stepping to get in front of the lab crashing path.
View attachment 304993

I've always found that they love cattails

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Another strategy that has worked well for me is solo hunting down canyons.
I start by climbing up out of view of a cattail canyon up to the top then cross over to canyon
and put the lab in cattails and push roosters towards the bottom.
Most hunters would start at the bottom only to have the roosters run up canyon,
run out of cover and flush way out of range.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

When hunting AK ptarmigan or MT huns solo, covey flushes are a functions of miles covered in big country.
I hunt my lab way out of gun range...about 150-200 yards and let her hunt.
When she gets birdy, I stop here silently with the vibration on the ecollar and circle in for the covey flush.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Solo hunting ptarmigan in Alaska is also a function of miles covered.

My strategy is to let the lab hunt out of range (100-200 yards) until the dog gets birdy.

Then whistle sit the dog and move in to find those white chickens.

Ptarmigan are typically low flushers which I do not like...especially Willow Ptarmigan in riparian areas.
Sometimes Rock Ptarmigan on steep slopes give more challenging shooting with the dog way upslope and birds flushing downslope.

Ptarmigan have dark meat similar to sharptails or spruce grouse.
I typically hunt them in August when they are in the alpine berry patches.
A wonderful bird for pup's first upland hunt.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

The final rooster of the year solo hunting.
This rooster saw me and the lab as he was on an abandoned railroad grade.
He flushed at over 200 yards and flew across an entire section.
I knew there was a grazed out pasture at the section line.
So we hustled the mile and immediately pup pup in a patch of cattails along the section line.