10 States Every Bird Hunter Has to Visit Once Why stay in your home state when you and your gun dog can explore all of America's upland hunting opportunities? Most hunters would probably agree the overall experience of hunting is far more important than the harvest. Granted, we're all driven by the hope of hanging antlers on the wall, filling the freezer and having an up-close encounter with a wild animal. But the harvest is usually just the cherry on top. It's everything else we soak in throughout the process that makes hunting so special. I think this sentiment applies the most to upland bird hunting. First, birds don't vary in size or trophy quality near as much as a big-game animal. They don't offer antlers like a cervid or horns like a ram for us to measure and compare. What they do offer, however, is quantity. If you go to the right place at the right time, you can see action all day. Even if you find yourself in a tough spot, though, you're still able to enjoy the experience of exploring beautiful country while watching your trained bird dog hard at work. Additionally, the quantity element of upland hunting isn't limited to just the number of birds you can see in a day. There are also a ton of different birds you can hunt all over the United States. Instead of constantly hunting your uncle's land down the road over and over again, you can explore new terrain and chase new birds with different behavioral patterns. That said, you could write an upland bucket list in a million different ways. But these are the 10 hunts I have on my own horizon. [embed_recommendations] 10. Oklahoma Bobwhite quail numbers are down nationwide, despite valiant efforts to revitalize populations. Almost every state continues to report a decline in quail numbers, but Oklahoma somehow thrives even on a down year. "We are sitting right at the 10-year average. That last two years was a boom, and now we are back down to average," said Derek Wil