Western Wings: Hunting Upland Birds on the Northern Prairies Book

There is a magical feel to hunting the prairie, once one discovers the nuances of the seemingly monotonous grasslands. The plains teem with life for those willing to look. The thrill of seeing a bird dog lock up on an apparently barren plain, and then watching as a covey of Huns explodes from the grass with a chorus of shrieks like rusty gates being swung open will hook you for life. That is just what happened to Ben O. Williams over 40 years ago. Ben routinely spends over 200 days each year photographing, hunting, or running dogs on the Western prairies. He discusses literally everything about these birds and the country they live in, seeking to understand everything about them and their environment. Hungarian partridge, sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, and prairie chicken are all covered in more detail than ever before in print: their habits throughout the year, habitat, mating rituals, identification, what they eat and why, and - most importantly - how to look over a vast section of prairie and identify the habitat within the habitat to locate birds. He also provides unique insight into how he plans a trip to a new area, what he brings with him, and how he handles dogs. There are distribution maps for each bird and a host of proven recipes as well. Well over 100 photographs and an 8-page color section grace this beautiful book. Insightful stories of the hunt involving friends like Charley Waterman and Leigh Perkins from Orvis will give you a great feel for hunting on the northern plains.