ALECTORIS 113 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Hi everyone. Where I hunt, wild red legged partridges are a real challenge. I have always hunted them with pointers, which is very traditional here in Spain, but now I hunt them with my Kerry Blue. She works them as a spaniel would, but she has quite a hard mouth when retrieving. Anyway, where I hunt, the landscape is very hilly, with plenty of gullies, and rifts and with very tough and dry soils which make you do a lot of noise, what makes the hunt even more difficult. In winter, hard cold northern winds are very common and uncomfortable. Also these partridges have been there for centuries and they are very adapted to these conditions. They know that a quick flight from one hill to the other will take the hunter a few minutes, enough to allow them to escape. If this wasn't enough, their flight is powerful and quick, giving you very little time to aim, specially if you've just climbed up a hill and, as we say here, "you've got your lungs up to your throat". In the end, being able to go back home with a couple of them, after seeing many, is a great satisfaction and as I see it, on of the best hunts you can have (in my case, without a doubt my favourite). One very important thing: partridges must be completely wild, and when I mean wild I mean exactly that. Pure native ones. We usually call the released ones "plastic partridges" and here in Spain is starting to be a problem in certain areas due to commercial hunting and a lack of good management. Here are some pics of my kerry with our trophies. Check out the one where the wind was so hard that her ears are standing up and she can't even open her eyes!! 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALECTORIS 113 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Very windy day today in my hunting ground making red legged partridge hunting even more challenging. Surprisingly, a great payoff: three birds! After a very long and cold morning going up and down the hills searching for them and seeing quite a few but far from shooting range I had an enormous reward being able get back home with this "hat trick", mostly when january birds are much more difficult to flush at a close shooting distance which is the way I like to do so. Here's the great reward nature has given me today: Cheers! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lab 10,979 Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Nice write up and as much as I love to see pure wild birds flushed and shot in the wild you can't fault driven partridge shooting. Sure beats shooting them up the arse from 10 feet. But never mind...each to there own. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALECTORIS 113 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Don't get me wrong. I was just telling the way I like to hunt them. Must say this is the typical way to do so around here too, so it is more an info post rather than anything else. I give more importance to the chase than to the catch, but I also value a long shot from a good shooter. Good skills are always admirable. Maybe it is because I'm not a good shooter! Anyway, thanks for reading and commenting my post. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
air gun ant 1,666 Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Sounds like a nice day mate. Do you have seasons for partridge over there? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALECTORIS 113 Posted January 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 Hi air gun ant. The season goes from mid october and usually finishes the third sunday of January (this next one in fact). Cheers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bushranger 19 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 whats your Kerrys breeding? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bushranger 19 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 She looks Cadiera breeding Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALECTORIS 113 Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi Bushranger. I really don't know if she has some Cadiera's blood. Maybe you're right because here in Spain there are only a couple of kerry breeders and it wouldn't be strange if she had some. I bought her from a vet in Zaragoza who had her mother and wanted to have a litter so he could keep a puppy. He gave me the documents which confirm that she is a pedigree dog, but I never asked for the full pedigree to the Spanish Royal Canine Association. The only thing I can say is that she loves hunting, and I love hunting with her. Cheers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bushranger 19 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Her breeder breeds dogs under the kennel name ordesa,. nice Kerrys Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALECTORIS 113 Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Yes! Well then she's one from that line. Hahahahah... thank you for the info, now I know!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j j m 6,539 Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 good write up and nice pics Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The one 8,474 Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Nice read mate Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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