Wuzhai Hunting Ground

Wuzhai Hunting Ground

The Wuzhai Hunting Ground in Shanxi Province is a hunting site approved in 1995 by the Forestry Department of Shanxi Province. It is located in Wuzhai County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, and covers several acres. Since its establishment, due to insufficient publicity, it has remained a “hidden gem,” with only about 200 hunters visiting last year, most of whom were referred by friends. Starting from 1999, I have visited the Wuzhai Hunting Ground eight times, and I deeply regret that more people don’t know about this place. For this reason, I have written this booklet to recommend this excellent hunting destination to hunting enthusiasts.

I. Environment and Game

The environment of the hunting ground falls into two main categories: gently rolling small hills and deeply dissected typical loess plateau landforms. The main types of game include:

1. Pheasant: Its official name is the ring-necked pheasant, locally called the mountain chicken. The so-called “seven-colored pheasant” is actually just a pheasant that is exported to the United States and then resold domestically.

2. Wild rabbit.

3. Bar-backed partridge: Weighing about half a pound, commonly known as the sand partridge. The sand partridge’s body color blends well with its environment, giving it excellent camouflage and making it hard to spot. Sand partridges move in groups and run on the ground when they notice humans, only taking flight when there are no hiding spots nearby. Once airborne, they fly parallel to the ground at about one person's height, flapping their wings rapidly and moving swiftly, making it easy to accidentally hit bystanders when tracking or aiming. When injured, they often lie flat on the ground, making them hard to find and not worth the risk of shooting.

4. Chukar partridge: Fewer in number, similar to the sand partridge but slightly larger in size. They are highly alert and usually found in small groups at higher elevations.

5. Quail: Often seen alone or in pairs. They suddenly take off from right underfoot when approached very closely, flying low and not far before landing. Hard to hit, and using rabbit shot can easily shatter them.

Other birds such as wild pigeons, birds of prey, and woodpeckers are occasionally seen, and deer may also be spotted from time to time. Most of these are nationally or locally protected animals and must not be hunted.

II. Hunting Season and Timing

Hunting is possible year-round, but the best time is from mid-October to November. By this period, most crops have been harvested, and game tends to gather in the nitraria shrubland areas, where the leaves have fallen, providing better visibility. A five-day trip is ideal — two days for travel and three days for actual hunting.

III. Hunting Methods

There are two common hunting methods: the drive hunt and the surround hunt. The drive hunt involves several people lining up in a row and moving forward in parallel to flush out and shoot startled game. The surround hunt involves hunters approaching a small patch of farmland from all sides until the game—mainly pheasants—takes flight, at which point they shoot into the air. Another method is tracking game by footprints after snowfall.