Pheasant hunters

[rockville]

Who all hunts them here? I have thought about doing it but that’s as far as I have gone.
When I was younger me and some friends went on a put and take hunt which looking back on it now I don’t have any interest and doing that again. Other than that occasion I have only seen 2 pheasants in my life. I am sure there are more out there where I live but don’t think there are a whole lot more than that.
Indiana isn’t really a hot spot for most bird hunting. It’s hard to even get enough people together to hunt doves.

[GrandeJuan]

Have hunted a family farm in So Dakota for years. I generally hunt the opener and the next two days. We hunt from noon till sunset and most years come back with 9 birds apiece (3/day roosters). It's sort of a family reunion with us outlanders being adopted family. Great fun and if we could shoot better we would be done in 2 hours. GJ

[grizzly340]

Ya Chris. The wild birds in MI have been way down for years. I use to take Nov. 20th off every year. When I had A good place to hunt. My friends owned A farm. With 80 acres of wild field next to it. Even with out A dog I did well.
But that was 20 years ago. The state started planting them this year at certain stage game areas. I went once late with no luck. But my friend was seeing them left and right while bow hunting. They were A nuisance to him. Because they were attracting hunters ruining his bow hunting.
Are you putting together A Iowa or SD pheasant Hunt for Nation?

[rockville]

Ya Chris. The wild birds in MI have been way down for years. I use to take Nov. 20th off every year. When I had A good place to hunt. My friends owned A farm. With 80 acres of wild field next to it. Even with out A dog I did well.
But that was 20 years ago. The state started planting them this year at certain stage game areas. I went once late with no luck. But my friend was seeing them left and right while bow hunting. They were A nuisance to him. Because they were attracting hunters ruining his bow hunting.
Are you putting together A Iowa or SD pheasant Hunt for Nation?

Iowa is closer than SD and I have horrible organizational skills:)

[grizzly340]

For me too. If you want I can look into it.

[PARA45]

I've been hunting SD for pheasant, deer & turkey since 2000.  I believe that SD is the pheasant capital.  I always hunted in Nov so I could combine deer, pheasant & turkey hunting in one trip.  The people of SD are great, and love us hunters.

[rockville]

I've been hunting SD for pheasant, deer & turkey since 2000.  I believe that SD is the pheasant capital.  I always hunted in Nov so I could combine deer, pheasant & turkey hunting in one trip.  The people of SD are great, and love us hunters.

That is good planning. Hunt deer half and then birds the other.

[rockville]

For me too. If you want I can look into it.

That would be cool. I already have two rotations off in November. Be nice to hunt public land so no added expense of a guide.

[TexWeatherby]

If you like bird hunting, pheasant hunting is fantastic. I used to do a lot of quail and pheasant hunting in my younger days. You'll need a good dog that knows how to work them - often a pheasant will try to run in cover instead of taking wing. The eating part is excellent when you get them home. Give it a try, you might get hooked. You just need to find a good place.

[224KING]

Kansas has birds.I was hoping eford would chime in about hunting them there.

[grizzly340]

Well Eric?
Then you could show us those hunting spots where your Sons. Bagged the big whitetail and Muley 

[petey]

CT has a bird stocking program.  I know some old timers that follow the stocking truck around all season.

My club stocks its own pheasants.  We used to have a big family hunt and my girls have gone with me several times, and were old enough to actually hunt the past few times.  Unfortunately I don't have a dog so I have to rely on going out with other hunters which is why the club was alway fun.  I've been going out with some of the old guys in the club (mostly because they worry me) for the past 15 years or so and it's a good time hearing their stories and we never go home empty handed.

Lately though I just don't find a thrill in stocking a dozen birds and then an hour or two later going to where you stocked them and shooting them.  We tried planting grass and cover and food for them, but they never stay on our property, and the ones that do get taken out by coyotes.

[Big Muddy rancher]

Just heard on the radio yesterday that when Trace Atkins wrote the song "Should have been a Cowboy" he was hunting Pheasants around Dodge City Kansas.

[PARA45]

Chris, the way I did it was, would hunt deer in the morning.  Can't hunt pheasant after 1030, so I had plenty of time to get to the house, change, eat breakfast and be ready to hunt pheasant.  Then at around 2 PM, we would give the dogs a break, and we would hit the turkeys, then at around 4, I would go and deer hunt in the afternoon while the other hunters would hunt pheasant.  Talk about a perfect day out in the field.

[Blackbear3]

Pheasant's all over the place in the old (empty) Bonny Reservoir when I was archery deer hunting in Colorado. If my buddy gets drawn in 2020 I may head back there and pheasant hunt while I scout for him.