Huns!!!!!!!

[Eric Wettschreck]

I drive aboot 25 miles one way to work every day and my lord have I been seeing a lot of Huns lately!!!!!!

I've lived in this area almost 15 years and I've never seen this many coveys before.

[ctlfdr]

A bunch up in renville county as well.

[lawdog]

They've been getting more prevelant the last couple years Eric. I've not seen that many this year but last year I saw tons over here. When I was a kid we used to have lots and lots of them around and they were fun to hunt. You'd find some and they'd fly maybe a 100 yards and you could go get them. Now they go 1/2 mile before they stop. Totally random if you jump some in a field otherwise I don't know how you'd get them. Darn tasty little guys too!

[harvey lee]

Yes, I also have being seeing some Huns these past few weeks. More than usual for sure.

[tybo]

I won't believe it until I see it myself. I'll need GPS info to verify these alleged sightings!!

[harvey lee]

One of the guys I have coffee with in the morning asked today if anyone else was seeing as many Huns as he has been.

They are out there.

[Matt Breuer]

I won't believe it until I see it myself. I'll need GPS info to verify these alleged sightings!!

tybo, I'll join you on these confirmation trips...

I've been seeing the same numbers I've seen for the last 7-8 years in NW MN as well as SW MN.... very few compared to when I was a kid!

[raymondk]

I don't think that there is any more then normal i have seen 2 groups so far this year but with all the snow cover they just stick out more .

[Musky Buck]

Brings back memories of the huns in ottertail county as a youth, I believe the bird is gone from the county, could be mistaken but used to love seeing them on grandpa's farm and surrounding areas, haven't seen any since about 1980.

[LandDr]

It does bring back great memories. I remember in High School (82 - 86 or so) that we would actually cordinate a hunt around Glenwood on the small game opener. We would usually get 15 or 20 of them...missed a lot more than we hit of course!

From my understanding, the reduction in the population has a lot to do with the change of landuse...like everything else of course. These little birds require grasslands and loved small grain. In the 70s the bird really took off with all the small grain within the farming operations. In the 90s, more livestock farms went out and more cash grain in (corn/beans). Usually they can still be found around areas where small grain has kept some presence.

We had discussed starting a partridge club a few years back to try getting populations back. Since the population took a dive in early to mid 1990s, we have had some change in landuse back to more grasslands. With some planning, getting some "small grain" food plots and feeders out there as well and strategic releasing...maybe they could come back in some areas! The current roadside counts are not the lowest they have ever been. In 1960 to 1965 the population was around were it is right now.

See this link for some interesting information and stats...(or search for the MNDNR roadside survey...

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/outdoor_activities/hunting/pheasant/roadside_survey.pdf

HunsNOW! ??

Fish On!

[toughguy]

Good to hear. I love those tasty little guys. Fun as heck to shoot too.

[benbosh]

A few years ago i used to see a few while pheasant hunting and now the past couple years ive hardly seen any and now in the past month ive seen probably 30-35 of em in different groups.