December 2023 - 29

Huns are more blue-gray than true gray with peppered bellies and rich rust and brown markings on their wings and backs. (Photo by Wes Uncapher)
chicks make it to adulthood. Predation, habitat
health, winter conditions and spring moisture
- when and how much - are factors to their
survival.
Small predators like skunks, raccoons, badgers
and foxes can raid a partridge nest, which
is little more than an indent in the ground
lined with a few stalks for padding. Raptors,
mainly hawks and owls, also prowl the prairie
looking for partridge, which evade their talons
by running, hiding under bushes or flushing
into the air.
Like most birds, newly hatched chicks need
bugs for protein.
" Chicks eat ants, hoppers, spiders - whatever's
out there - in the spring, " Kroger said.
" As they get bigger, they forage on cheatgrass
and wheatgrass seeds. If the cheatgrass regreens
in late summer, they like those tender shoots. "
During the winter, gray partridge don't
migrate far, perhaps only to lower elevations
and south-facing slopes where the snow melts
quicker.
" They do a lot of digging to get to where the
seeds and greens are, " Kroger said. " If the snow
gets too deep, especially if it's crusty, they can't
dig down enough. That's the worst for them.
They can survive the cold, but they need to
eat. They'll burrow under shrubs maybe for
a windbreak, but not for thermal insulation.
It might be a result of just digging for food. "
Hunting tips for Huns
1. Move lower later in the season. Early
season, look for Huns on ridge tops
and arid slopes, but as the weather
gets colder and snowier they move to
bottomlands where they can scratch
up seeds and greens.
2. Opt for faster ammo. Huns tend to
flush fast, wild and far away - often 50
yards or more if they've been hunted.
High brass loads with #4 shot reach
farther with more power.
3. Choke down. Likewise, a modified
or full choke gives you a longer poke
with punch.
4. Pick a bird. Huns often flush in coveys
of six or more. Pick one rather than
flock shooting.
5. Keep your dog close. Huns are spooky.
If your dog ranges too wide, the birds
might fly before you can get there.
6. Bring water for you and your dog.
Huns are rarely a short walk, and they
live on arid prairielands. Don't depend
on water sources, which might be dry
by fall.
7. Watch for snakes. Huns share habitat
with rattlesnakes, which might still be
out in November.
8. Respect other hunters. Wyoming has
experienced a surge in upland bird
hunters in recent years. Give each
other space.
9. Stay alert. Huns can hunker down
anywhere on the landscape. Though
they tend to hang out on the edges of
croplands and wind-rows, there are
Huns who have never eaten a domestic
grain.
10. Go back to where you've seen them.
While Huns flush fast, they rarely fly far
and tend to return to a spot they like.
11. Follow them. Most coveys only go a
few hundred yards. If you watch where
they land, you'll probably get another
chance at them.
12. Swing low. Huns tend to fly low, making
it easy to shoot over them, especially
if you are on higher ground.
- By Lisa Ballard
Wyoming Wildlife | 29

December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2023