Ptarmigan? Common o n bou hunts?

mooster

WKR
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Messages
599
Trying to determine if it’s worth toting something to take a ptarmigan if presented the opportunity on my upcoming bou hunt. I’m flying out of Kotzebue on 9/10. If so, I plan to carry a .45 ACP pistol with #9 shot that I’ve patterned quite well at 10-20 yds. Since the .45 wouldn’t be adequate for bear protection, I hate the carry the weight if there’s no real probability of ptarmigan. You guys seeing any while in the field?
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2019
Messages
792
Location
Pendleton, Or
I usually carry a .22 or a shotgun for potting ptarmigan. Dad used his .45 for as long as I can remember. In any event I haven’t been up around Kotzebue in a long time. No idea how many there are up there. Spent quite a bit of time the last 20 years chasing them over pointing dogs down on the Peninsula. Numbers down here are low the last few years.
For the uninitiated, Ptarmigan is the finest eating of all game birds, well worth pursuing. This time of year they are eating wild blue and cranberry.
Have a great hunt, knock over a big bull.
 
OP
mooster

mooster

WKR
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Messages
599
I usually carry a .22 or a shotgun for potting ptarmigan. Dad used his .45 for as long as I can remember. In any event I haven’t been up around Kotzebue in a long time. No idea how many there are up there. Spent quite a bit of time the last 20 years chasing them over pointing dogs down on the Peninsula. Numbers down here are low the last few years.
For the uninitiated, Ptarmigan is the finest eating of all game birds, well worth pursuing. This time of year they are eating wild blue and cranberry.
Have a great hunt, knock over a big bull.
Thanks for great feedback. Yeah I’ll post after hunt if we got lucky.
 

mcseal2

WKR
Joined
May 8, 2014
Messages
2,671
Will hardcast bear loads tear one up to bad? I wondered what the 10mm would do to one with them. I hoped a non expanding bullet might leave something to eat.
 

brisket

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 13, 2018
Messages
196
Location
Texas
I went out of Kotzebue, August 19th. Didn’t see any birds, but we were in higher country
 

Jackal7

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Messages
160
Location
Minnesota
Last week we head shot them with our 10mm pistols. Not enough around to justify bringing a shotgun and its weight.
 
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mooster

mooster

WKR
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Messages
599
for future reference of other forum users, well I toted a .45 w/CCP varmit shot. never saw a ptarmigan. could have used the weight somewhere else or left it home. we were in Noatak Preserve near Sidik Lake .
 
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