Pheasant Hunting

400 acres of pheasant hunting

Pheasant Hunting Tips

Pheasants like the shade, they like the green cover and they like the corn itself. Pheasants also like thick cattails. Marshy areas hold a lot of birds, but they are a little harder to hunt.”.

Take Your Time

A lot of old roosters earn their years thanks to the impatience of hunters. Hunters often move through cover too fast. Pheasants simply circle behind them and into safety. Work through cover in a zigzag fashion. Another good way to get roosters to flush is to pause frequently. A brief stop is just enough to get a bird holding tight to lose confidence and take to the skies.

SELECT THE RIGHT SHOT
While many hunters prefer 20-gauge shotguns for pheasant hunting, some like a 16-gauge. And the ever-popular 12-gauge, also used for duck and goose hunting, will suffice.

At Holzhauser’s ranch, lead shot is allowed. “I like No. 5 lead shot,” Holzhauser says.

“Something comparable to 4 and 6s. A heavy load, because the birds are tough enough that 7 1/2 isn’t going to knock them down.”

Holzhauser has seen hunters shoot birds with 7 1/2 shot. Despite being hit, the birds will often survive the blast and live.

If using steel shot, go with a bigger size than if you were using lead. On public lands, lead shot often cannot be used. Instead, size-4 steel shot is a good choice.

“Four seems to be the most popular size shot,” Oredson says. “You have a little less range with steel. If you keep them under 50 yards, you should do fine,” he says of shot range.

The front-page story showcasing the young boy going hunting was well received in this household!

My daughter thought that elk was outstanding, and was impressed that the young boy had shot it. At age 11, she understands what it took to stalk and have patience, possibly sitting for endless hours waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger.

I can’t imagine how difficult this might be for an autistic child. Last year she did not have an opportunity to pull the trigger, but she is excited to try again during the upcoming rifle season this fall. I am able to share this special time with her, both going to the range and practicing her shooting skills, as well as enjoying together time in the peace of the woods both before and during the hunt.

Perhaps before you judge a family on how they are raising their children, you might take time to look around you, and see how many families also enjoy the camaraderie that goes with hunting. Maybe, while you are enjoying the day off of school that we get for hunting season opening day, you might take notice of how many families drive by you with an animal on their vehicle that will supply their family with excellent, hormone-free meat.

As much as you can love hunting, nothing beats the feeling of hunting with kids. The excitement that oozes out of every pore in their young bodies reminds you of some of your first hunts, when it seemed like it just meant more. Be it following the tail of your bird dog anticipating a solid point, hunkering into a duck blind calling to working birds, or pursuing a wise old bull elk or mature white-tailed buck, the enthusiasm from a young hunter is the reward in itself.

Having 10-year-old twin boys who are just starting their young hunting careers has forced me to dust off all the old decoys and clean the shotguns, bringing back memories of earlier hunts with my father and brother. Those early, cold November and December morning hunts were some of the most treasured times we shared as a young family. Passing the torch to my boys is very important to me, especially in this day and age with an exploding population and so much anti-hunting sentiment in the media.

The camaraderie and life lessons learned from time in the field has been a part of our American heritage forever, and hopefully 100 years from now the sporting torch will be shining bright.

Hunt The Edges

Pheasants move through various types of habitat throughout the day. This movement leaves them holding to edges frequently. A lot of hunters target big chunks of habitat but it is important to check out places like fence lines and ditches. Anywhere one type of pheasant habitat transitions to another can offer excellent hunting.

Sleep In

The early bird gets the worm, right? Well, the early bird gets hungry later in the day too. Many pheasant hunters have their feet by the fire by late afternoon but they could be missing the best hunting of the day. Pheasants start moving out of heavy cover and into more open roost sites during the last hour of daylight. Grassy patches along corn fields are classic cover spots for evening ringnecks.

One of the great things about pheasant hunting is the social aspect. Hunting pheasants is tough to do by yourself so most experienced hunters are more than happy to have someone join in on the fun, even if they are new to the game.

USE A GOOD BIRD DOG
Each fall, many hunters are successful by walking through cover and flushing birds without a dog. But the most successful hunters are those with a good bird dog, be it a Lab or a pointer. Not only will a dog help you find more pheasants and other upland birds, but can also track down pheasants after they are shot.

“I’ve noticed that really good bird dogs are a huge advantage,” says Vince Oredson, a state wildlife area manager in Oregon. “I’ve seen fields get hunted over and over throughout the day. And then someone with a dog with a good nose will go in and find birds right away.”

Some hunters prefer Labs, which are excellent at flushing pheasants from heavy cover and also unmatched when it comes to tracking down birds after they are shot.

Others like a pointer, which will locate pheasants hiding in grass and brush and let their owner know exactly where they are.

“A flushing dog that can get into the heavy cattails and other cover can be an advantage in the middle of the day,” Oredson says.

“The pointer dogs work better in the shorter grass where the birds will be early in the morning.”

Burt Holzhauser owns the Rising Sun Hunting Preserve in California, one of the West’s best private-land pheasant hunting areas. He utilizes both Labs and English setters at his ranch.

“You have to have a dog,” Holzhauser says. “You lose too many birds because you knock them down and won’t be able to find them without a dog.”

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Private hunting clubs are gaining popularity with hunters as places to train their dogs before hunting pheasants on public-land areas. Hunting clubs and preserves often open before the general pheasant season and are great places to give bird dogs exposure to pheasant hunting.

Break out your rain gear and waterproof boots after the first big storm of fall for some of the best opportunities of bagging a pheasant.

“I have quite a few people who start young dogs here,” Holzhauser says. “I can flag the birds or tell the hunter exactly where they are. You know your dog is on a bird and not a rabbit or something else.”

Hunting clubs also often have a variety of types of cover to expose flushing and pointing dogs to differing terrains, vegetation types and hunting situations.

“I like to mix it up,” Holzhauser says of training new dogs. “I put them through everything from grain fields to tall wheat grass to sagebrush.”

It’s also a good idea to get reacquainted with your shotgun before the season starts — instead of when your dog points to or flushes the first rooster of the season.

“Practice shooting some clay pigeons before the season,” Oredson suggests. “Go out to the gun range and make sure your gun is functioning right. Pattern your shotgun. Make sure you are shooting a good pattern.”

Just as deer hunters scout before rifle season opens, good pheasant hunters will make a trip to their favorite hunting area before upland bird season begin. Watching where the birds are without hunters around will reveal locations to keep an eye on early in the mornings and late in the afternoons. Scouting for pheasants will also reveal cover types to be aware of once hunting opens.