I think I’ve bird hunted all the possible ways that you can bird hunt. By that I mean the methods of travel. I grew up a foot hunter. We walked behind our bird dogs.
I’ve hunted off of horseback. It’s a great way to see your dogs and for your dogs to see you. You can cover a lot of ground especially in the vast prairies of Montana and both Dakotas.
I’ve hunted out of dune buggies, UTVs, Kawasaki “mules,” and side by sides that have dog boxes built in. It’s a great way to cover a lot of ground and carry a bunch of dogs and water especially in the desert.
I’ve hunted out of pickup trucks and jeeps with custom dog boxes and seats up high so you can watch the dogs run in south Texas. It’s a great way to spend a day.
I’ve hunted out of a mule drawn wagon in the pine forests of southern Georgia. It’s very proper and follows a pace that allow you to appreciate how quail hunting should feel.
All those are fine ways to bird hunt.
But I grew up walking behind my dogs. It’s my preferred method. You miss things when you are up in the air and allowing someone else or something else to do the work.
There’s satisfaction at the end of a hard day that you and your dogs put the work in and covered the ground. Maybe you found birds, maybe you didn’t, but you put the work in.
For me it takes about 2000 steps and a comfortable pair of boots to make a mile.