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Hungarian Partridge The Hungarian partridge are mostly found in the northern portion of the United States and Canada, but are original natives of Hungary. Due to their gray breast, their official name is the gray partridge; however, they are most commonly known as the Hun or Hungarian partridge. Huns can also be distinguished by their brown back, grey flanks and grey chest. They also have a white belly with a brown horseshoe like mark on their chest. Huns are close relatives to the Chukar and Barbary partridge. Their typical diet includes wheat, oats, barley and other small grains. They tend to feed on field edges and they remain very close to their roost throughout the course of the day. The farthest they |
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tend to move is only 60 feet from their roost. Huns usually feed for a couple of hours in the morning and then again in the late afternoon, which is a very similar moving pattern to the ring-neck pheasant. Huns are usually a foot in length and between 12 and 16 ounces when fully grown. They are also known to have outstanding insulation, which allows them to roost in the snow during the winter. They move very little due to their ability to survive easily. Huns form a roosting ring in the winter to increase their chances of survival, which is very similar to the Bobwhite quail, which forms a ring to generate and preserve heat. Although Huns have a great resistance to cold, they will die from extreme winters that have a lot of snow because it prevents them from getting food. Another hardship Huns face in the cold weather is the survival of their newborns. Over 70 percent die during their first year. Mating season for these monogamous birds is in the spring and can easily be identified by the mating call of the male. The mating call, which sounds like the opening of a rusty gate, establishes his breeding territory and beckons females. Once a female responds, the male walks around the female stretching his neck and swelling his chest and then lowers his head until it is right above the ground. Huns can be difficult to hunt because they require very little cover to feel safe. They also often flush in a group to bewilder and distract predators; therefore you should aim and one bird in particular instead of shooting at the group. They will typically not fly far once flushed, so it is feasible to flush them again. To get an easier shot, follow the smaller group once the covey starts to split apart. When hunting Huns, the best companion is a dog that works well at a close range. Brittany, Gordon setter or German short-haired pointer are good options because they don’t stray very far away. Dogs that are good at working large open spaces tend to work too far ahead and end up flushing the birds out of range. Most hunters prefer semi-automatic or 12-gauge pump shotguns with a 6 or 7 1/2 shot when hunting Huns because you typically well have long shots. |
Upland Birds Bobwhite Quail California Quail Chukar Hungarian Partridge Mountain Quail Morning Dove Ruffed Grouse Sage Grouse Spruce Grouse Scaled Quail Sharp-Tailed Grouse Woodcock Common Snipe Pheasant |
