Looking for ptarmigan advice

[KYtoAK]

I've been out a few times to try my hand at ptarmigan hunting, but with no luck (yet!). I'm hoping you all could give me some advice as to what I might doing wrong.

Rather than work the willows to flush birds, I've been getting up high and walking the ridges (as a bonus, I get to combine hunting with hiking in the mountains). Reading other threads on this forum, this seems like this is a viable strategy. Once I reach a ridge, I look for a good spot to glass bowls, draws, etc. I sit for a little while, glass, and then move on. Is this a productive approach, or should I focus on covering ground? Is there something else I might be missing or not doing? Most of this hunting has been in winter.

I have mostly been hunting the legal parts of 14C. Could this be contributing to my lack of success? Should I try neighboring GMUs? (I am not asking for any specific spots).

Thanks

 

[Brian M]

Walking ridges works for rock ptarmigan in the fall. I find better success in winter working the edges of willow thickets on skis. 14C holds plenty of ptarmigan, but you need to go where they are. Ridges will produce some birds, but when snow deepens, willow thickets seem to produce better numbers.

 

[KYtoAK]

Walking ridges works for rock ptarmigan in the fall. I find better success in winter working the edges of willow thickets on skis. 14C holds plenty of ptarmigan, but you need to go where they are. Ridges will produce some birds, but when snow deepens, willow thickets seem to produce better numbers.

So the rock ptarmigan migrate down into the willow patches in winter? I know that they tend to migrate to lower altitudes, but I don't know to what degree

 

[SmokeRoss]

I used to hunt them while riding the snow-go. Flush them and watch where they land. Also had a place where I could watch for them from the road. Drive slow, look for shadows or eyes.

 

[mark knapp]

I could help you around Fairbanks but I don't know much about around the big city.

 

[grizzlyantle]

I feel your pain. I see ptarmigan and grouse everywhere... until I have a rifle with me. Denali hwy has good spots. Luckily, I get to hunt at the mine where I work. Plenty of birds on Jumbo Dome and not much hunting pressure. I still get skunked more often than not though.

I do notice them more in the willows in winter. I also try to go to places where I know there might be gravel as the birds need gravel. Not sure if that is the best logic, but it seems to work out most times.

 

[HulaHusky]

I don't hunt 14c, but in my areas I see they move lower down in the middle of winter, in willow patches. This year, however, I haven't found any. I'm certain snow conditions affect their movements/push to lower elevation willows but I'm no biologist.

 

[KYtoAK]

Well I went out Sunday and found some good sign (tracks and droppings) where the willows transitioned into the alpine on a couple south-facing slopes. No luck yet but I feel optimistic about my next outing

 

[HulaHusky]

Well I went out Sunday and found some good sign (tracks and droppings) where the willows transitioned into the alpine on a couple south-facing slopes. No luck yet but I feel optimistic about my next outing

Nice! The last time I went out I found the same, but no luck as well. I get confused with grouse signs but then I realize I'm on a mountainous slope...

 

[KYtoAK]

I finally had some luck today in the transition zone. I took two and they will be lunch tomorrow!

 

[mark knapp]

I finally had some luck today in the transition zone. I took two and they will be lunch tomorrow!

Good on ya!

 

[HulaHusky]

I finally had some luck today in the transition zone. I took two and they will be lunch tomorrow!

Congratulations!!!

 

[MacGyver]

I finally had some luck today in the transition zone. I took two and they will be lunch tomorrow!

When you decide to go moose hunting, if you use the same hunting technics you use in hunting ptarmigan you should have a great time finding moose. Finding a legal moose, harvesting and getting it home is even more fun. So, I’ve been told.

 

[KYtoAK]

When you decide to go moose hunting, if you use the same hunting technics you use in hunting ptarmigan you should have a great time finding moose. Finding a legal moose, harvesting and getting it home is even more fun. So, I’ve been told.

High effort with high reward I’d imagine. I do plan to hunt big game up here, but I’m not in a hurry. Next year probably

 

[bobberrob]

Where I pursue them in the winter I find it highly effective to hunt for tracks after fresh snow and then once I find tracks follow them until I find birds. I find looking for tracks to be quicker than glassing up birds if the light allows you to actually see the tracks.

 

[Bryan27]

When you decide to go moose hunting, if you use the same hunting technics you use in hunting ptarmigan you should have a great time finding moose. Finding a legal moose, harvesting and getting it home is even more fun. So, I’ve been told.

I have found that when I go deer hunting I see squirrels all over the place, but if I go squirrel hunting all I see is deer. Maybe there's something too this. I'm going to start hunting squirrels from a tree stand and still hunt for deer!

That aside, do y'all ever use flushing dogs for ptarmigan or would the snow depth make that futile? I've had 1 pointer and a couple flushing dogs (retrievers), never hunted birds without a dog. I have always enjoyed the dog work more than the actually killing the birds, but grouse, pheasant, quail, dove and ducks are a pretty good reward that I'm not gonna pass up either.