Partridge hunting trips in Bulgaria - Hunting area Бенковски 9133

Quail hunting in Bulgaria

Partridges hunting trips in Bulgaria

Partridge Hunting in Bulgaria begins at around 9:00 AM, because the gallinaceous birds do not require the hunter to get up and be at the hunting grounds very early. This type of wing shooting in Bulgaria takes place in flatlands and regions with small, rolling hills.

Partridges found in Bulgaria are wild and their biggest populations reside near Plovdiv, where there are lots of uncultivated lands and fields of weeds. In these places partridges can easily hide and breed. Some flocks consist of more than 50 birds. It is possible to see 10 to 20 families a day. Partridges are hunted with pointing dogs, the Pointer and Setter being the breeds most commonly used. They scour bigger areas quickly and have a good firm stance.

Some Pointers can smell flocks from 100 m away. You can hunt individually or in a group. Nervous dogs are to be avoided (dogs that can’t hold their stance or are easily provoked by the moving birds in front of them, which in turn impedes the hunters’ advance). Partridges, when in danger, fly 300-600m from where they were standing and land again. That is why their flight path needs to be tracked.

We need to have good control over the dog so as to be able to regulate the search distance, especially when we know where the birds are. The families have a strong scent which makes them easy to find. It’s advisable, when hunting partridges, to try and break up the flock. Then they press to the ground longer and we can observe beautiful stances from the dogs.

This type of wing shooting in Bulgaria can last all day with a lot of ground covered with high tempo. That is why the hunter needs to be in good health.