Partridge hunt all you need to know traps and more
Partridge hunting everything you need to know: traps and more
Partridge hunting is a very common activity on the European continent, especially in countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy, the practice of hunting generates important income for the localities that practice it, it can be carried out in open fields as well as in the heights of the mountains, regularly hunting dogs with special characteristics are used for this work, as they contribute to making the work more pleasant. In the following, we are going to find out a little more about this subject.
PARTRIDGE HUNTING
Table of Contents [Hide]
1 How to hunt partridges?
1.1 Traps
2 Tips to bear in mind when hunting partridges
2.1 In plains terrain
2.2 In high mountain terrain
3 Where are the best places to hunt partridges?
4 How to make a hunting trap for partridge hunting?
How to hunt partridges?
Hunting partridges requires technique, knowledge of the partridge's movements and a good physical condition. This is an important aspect to consider, as hunting partridges is not synonymous with taking a stroll through the countryside.
It is necessary to take into account where the flocks of partridges are located, to know the terrain and what hunting tactics are the most suitable, in order to start partridge hunting, the following elements must be taken into consideration:
Locating the flocks of partridges
The first and only option is to locate the flocks of partridges, it is important to know their inclinations and affinities, taking into consideration the time when the activity is going to be carried out, the weather conditions, among other variables.
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If we decide to hunt partridges in the early hours of the day, they will be located near their roosts or nests, which are usually found in the bushes; if the activity is mid-morning, they can be located in the lower part of the valleys; on rainy days, they can be located in the valleys, as they do not like fallow land or sowing places where they can get their feet dirty with mud, as this situation is extremely uncomfortable for this bird.
Activities with strong winds are the most recommended, as, in this type of weather, it is common to see the flocks flying to places where they can seek shelter from the strong winds. In these environmental conditions it is advisable to look for the corners where they are taking shelter.
PARTRIDGE HUNTING
Establishing the hunting ground where the hunting is to take place
The hunting ground, which is also called hunting ground, is generally an agricultural area that borders with mountain ranges. In these cases, the best thing to do is not to start the hunting day too early, but to wait for the partridges to come down from the mountain ranges and head for the lower areas in search of food, The important thing is to find the flocks as soon as possible, when you have the physical integrity to tire them out and proceed to hunt them.
Concentrate on small groups of partridges and the terrain where they are located.
It is necessary to delimit the terrain in which we want to carry out the partridge hunting activity, otherwise we will be going round and round and we will end up tired and without having a prey.
Adjust the hunting strategy to its behaviour
When hunting partridges, you must take into account that when the bird flies, it will spread its wings and proceed to fly. In this situation, you must avoid leaning out, as it will start its flight towards another place and will have gained many metres of distance, causing the bird to leave the territory established for hunting.
The best option is to walk along the slopes, starting from the lower areas in a zigzag pattern, so as to occupy more ground. Many of the partridges will flee when they see the hunter, but they will not do so in such a panic-stricken manner, which will be the most propitious moment for the hunting action.
Hunting uphill allows a better option when shooting, as the partridges fly straight up or diagonally, making the shooting action more favourable.
Position the partridges with your hunting dog, facing into the wind.
Partridge hunt all you need to know traps and more
Once in the valley or at the top of the hill, you should try to carry out the hunting activity where the headwind will facilitate the work of the dog, as it will be in this place where all the partridges that have initially fled from the hunters' intentions will be found, there they will feel safe and well sheltered, so it will be a good opportunity to attack and take the corresponding shots.
Traps
The partridge hunter often uses a firearm to carry out his activity, however, this is not the only option, you can also use the alternative of placing traps for hunting partridges at any time of the year. Among the most common traps, the following are the most important:
Net
One of the most commonly used tools for catching partridges is the use of nets, this is a piece that is made with a special silicon material thread, in some cases, nylon thread can be used, the division of separation of the threads should not be more than 2 centimeters, for its placement it will require the placement of posts and ropes.
The most suitable location will be in a straight line, the distance from ground level should be 1 metre and its height should be between 5 and 6 metres, the most recommendable is to make squares of 7 to 8 metres wide.
The next step is to install the trap, for which we suggest the following actions:
Choose the place where most of the partridges will be located.
The traps should be placed at a distance of up to 500 metres from each other in a semicircle.
A person should be placed every 50 metres to shake the place where the partridges are located.
When the partridges are agitated, they will be stunned and become fearful, so they will fly in a bewildered manner and start to fall into the net.
Proceed to collect the prey and place them in bags previously prepared for the occasion.
PARTRIDGE HUNTING
Bottle
This is a method of trapping with a plastic bottle, it is a little unusual, however, it is quite effective, it is used in the winter season, for which you need a bottle, a thermos with hot water and the bait which will be the food with which the partridge will be attracted. To make this trap we suggest the following steps:
Get a bottle that is quite tall, cut the bottom of the bottle to about three quarters of its length.
Locate the place where the birds are.
Make holes in the snow, then insert the bottles to the bottom, then pour hot water into the bottle and wait for the snow around the bottle to turn to ice.
Take out the bottle and cover the hole with a small portion of snow and place the bait on top of it, which can be seeds, berries or grains, and wait for the partridge to approach.
The partridge will approach the trap in search of food, at that moment and due to the weight of the partridge, it will fall into the hole, the bird will not be able to get out as the frozen edges are slippery, the diameter of the hole is very small compared to the dimensions of the bird and therefore it cannot spread its wings to fly, proceed to take the partridge and place them in the containers established for the case.
Loop
This is another technique for the winter season, this method is done using loops of fishing line, a fishing line with a cross section of approximately 0.5 mm. One end of the line is taken to make a loop of approximately 0.5 centimetres in size and the other end is placed in the centre of the base of the trap.
To make the trap, the following steps are suggested:
Form a hill with the snow that is approximately half a metre high and 0.8 m wide.
For the bait, place willow branches with kidney shoots at the edges of the snow hill.
The loop is placed at a height of 7 to 8 metres.
When the partridge spots the willow branches, it starts to nibble the kidneys, at this moment it makes its way to the back of the trap by which the loop falls and also a depression of snow falls.
Tips to keep in mind when hunting partridges
Taking into consideration the requirements for partridge hunting and taking into account the demands of hunting activities, here are a number of tips which will make it enjoyable to hunt in both flat and mountain terrain:
In flat terrain
The activities to consider when hunting on flat terrain are as follows:
Hunting with intelligence
For the activity of partridge hunting, intelligence must be applied, therefore, more use must be made of the head than of the legs or the gun, it is necessary to have prior knowledge about the partridge and its relationship with the terrain where they live and nest, the inclinations, habits, movements according to the time of year, among other factors.
PARTRIDGE HUNTING
Terrain conditions
It is necessary to take into consideration both the terrain and the character of the partridges, there are very violent partridges, which require the hunter to implement other strategies to be able to take a few, this situation generally happens on flat land, which is devoid of vegetation, in these spaces the partridges are freer and can escape more easily.
In flat terrain, the partridges can observe their hunter, just as the hunter can observe the partridges. This situation of equality makes the hunting process difficult, so the hunter must be strong, determined and have a lot of tenacity to make the most of his work.
Pace
It is necessary to take into consideration the rhythm of the house in flat terrain, as the partridge acts in various ways, in this sense there are places where the partridge separates from its flock and begins to play with the hunter and there will also be partridges that will be toreando the hunter, guided by the leader of the flock, taking the defensive of the whole group in an aggressive way.
Physical form
In open spaces, the hunter will need good legs and lung resistance to chase and press the partridges and in this way be able to exhaust the bird's resistance and make it become exhausted and desist from continuing to flee and seek refuge in any tree or vegetation present, at which point the shot will be taken.
You have to keep a very fast pace, making them move continuously, without giving them a chance to take a breath, you have to press them tirelessly, when a partridge begins to walk or to apeonar, slang for partridge hunting activity, the prey is practically the hunter's. However, you have to bear in mind that the hunter is not the only one who has the prey, and that he is not the only one who has the prey.
However, it must be borne in mind that partridges are very intelligent, because when the partridge is shooing in a crouching position, it wants to mock the hunter in order to escape; if the shooing is done with the neck straight upwards, the partridge is in a position to start the escape flight. In these cases it is necessary to anticipate its actions and establish the hunting strategy, because they are prepared to do battle against the chase.
In high mountain terrain
The following are guidelines or recommendations for partridge hunting activities in high mountain terrain:
Hunting in the high mountains and the hunting dog
When hunting in high mountain terrain, the company of a hunting dog is indispensable, as its functions are not only aimed at retrieving the partridges, with its support the flocks are raised, it covers the terrain located in intricate areas, the thickets of the bushes, the immense extensions to be covered, these activities mean that the work of the dog is considered to be important.
Another point in favour of canines and the work of hunting partridges is related to the sense of smell and even if there is little concentration of birds, due to the vegetation or humidity, for the dog these situations are null, so that it becomes more sagas and follows the partridge more easily, both in the action of retrieving and in lifting the prey.
In the mountains the weather can change from one moment to the next, and the hunter can suffer any mishap, so sharing these moments with his best friend the dog is priceless, for this reason it is preferable to have a hunting dog nearby.
What are the best places to hunt them?
Before indicating which are the best places to hunt, it is necessary to link this information with the place where the partridges live, because it is there where the hunter must go to carry out the hunting activity, in this sense the partridges can be located in mountainous areas, plains, valleys, forests, jungles and even in the desert.
The best places to hunt partridges are those with the following characteristics:
High altitude meadows, these are areas where partridges spend a lot of time, as they are characterised by having food, also the birds in this place can sunbathe, these places have few bushes so it allows the partridge, fly freely and the hunter can observe the partridge and carry out the hunting activity.
The valleys, which are close to the mountains, are one of their favourite places, as here they can fly freely and, in bad weather, they can seek shelter. This place is also a safe source of food for them.
Hot spots, these places are ideal for the hunting dog to search, as partridges do not like humidity and damp places, they are characterised by high grasslands, but are not invaded by the bush, they look like brooms that border the roads, this is an ideal place for them to rub their paws.
Roads, it is very common to see partridges walking in these areas, unless they feel in danger or frightened, they will be seen walking in these areas free of undergrowth, as these birds prefer open areas to enclosed spaces.
In their places of origin, they can be seen in the places where they were born even after several years, so the hunter has to take into account the place of origin for the partridge house.
Areas of heather are characterised by thick vegetation, which is why it is the place where the partridge seeks refuge after a long flight. In addition, when this bush has new shoots, it is the place where the partridge will surely perch in search of food.
How to make a hunting trap to catch partridges?
Here are the steps to follow to make a hunting trap for catching partridges:
Construction of a bird perch for partridges.
It is used two branches, a rope and a stone, this perch has an inverted "L" shape, it is very used to catch live partridges, the bird perches on a small horizontal branch, which is built so that it falls when it stands on the branch, before it can fly the rope catches the bird by the legs. For this procedure you will need:
A branch measuring approximately 2 to 3 centimetres by 1.5 to 2 metres long.
A branch for the perch, this branch should be as thin as a pencil and at least 15 centimetres long.
A rock the size of a fist.
1 to 1.5 metres of rope.
A knife.
Procedure:
Sharpen with the knife both sides of the longest branch, one of the sides is buried in the ground, the upper side should be sharpened to prevent the partridge from perching on that end and in this way the bird will perch on the perching branch.
Make a hole in one end of the branch, which should be the same size as the perching branch. Both the perching branch and the string are then placed in the hole.
At the other end of the rope, tie the stone very tightly.
Pass the rope through the hole in the hole and proceed to tie a good knot, it is necessary that the knot is small, so that the rope can be pulled easily through the hole, in the same hole the branch will be placed next to the rope, so the innkeeper will be holding the rope and the stone.
Make sure that the knot can move freely through the hole while the perch branch is still in place.
Proceed to place the thinner branch in the hole next to the knot, the knot should be right next to the rope, although it should be able to move freely, it should be able to drop under the weight of the bird, so it should not be too tight.
Tie a slip knot at the other end of the rope, making sure the rope is long enough to catch a fist.
The slip knot is made as follows:
Fold the rope over itself and proceed to make a U-shaped loop.
Pass the end of the rope to the top of the loop, here the rope will take the shape of a flat "S".
Wrap the end of the rope two or three times around the bent rope.
Tighten the rope with a strong movement and secure the end of the bent rope to the end of the perching branch, without tying a knot, just place it.
Tie a simple knot where the two branches meet.
Test the trap by pushing lightly on the perching branch, when the branch drops, the weight of the rock will pull the rope through the hole and the loop will tighten and catch your fingers.
Finally place the trap where the partridge is regularly found, on the perching branch place some seeds, berries or grains, which you can spread with peanut butter, this trap is really effective.
With this information we have finished the topic related to partridge hunting. If this article was to your liking, we invite you to learn more about other topics of interest through the following links:
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