| My first experience with pheasant hunting was an | | | | before you get your gun out of the truck. Fail the |
| unforgettable experience. I was hunting with | | | | flush and the next thing you know that Pheasant |
| friends in western Kansas in twenty-five degree | | | | is a mile away. They can really fly. A dog making |
| weather. We were hunting "Corn Circles". Corn | | | | a bunch of noise, rapidly plowing through thick |
| Circles a quarter section of land planted in corn | | | | cover will cause a lot of frustration for the hunter. |
| and irrigated with a well in the center of the | | | | A dog not so hyper that will point from six feet |
| section. In each corner of the section grew thick | | | | out is a more productive Pheasant dog. No matter |
| clumps of Johnson grass over three feet tall. We | | | | the breed, a dog will always have a tougher time |
| had parked our trucks near one of the corners | | | | pointing in dry weather. I don't know how many |
| and were sitting on the tailgates waiting for the | | | | time over the years during dry days the dogs |
| sunrise. When the sun did rise and proper shooting | | | | covered an area and move on, only to have me |
| time was there, we let the dogs out and jumped | | | | walk by and flush a ring neck. Do your best to |
| off of the truck. Those dogs barely hit the ground | | | | keep the dogs nose into the wind. Dogs will do |
| and froze on point. I quickly looked down at the | | | | their best in cold, high humidity weather with |
| Johnson grass in complete surprise. The next thing | | | | minimum wind. A light sprinkling of rain won't hurt. |
| I knew five Pheasants exploded out of that little | | | | While hunting a field, cover your thin ground first |
| patch of grass. Not a one of us had a gun loaded. | | | | before you hunt the thick clumps of grass. Ring |
| We had been sitting by the tall grass on that | | | | necks will more than likely run and head for the |
| tailgate talking and laughing for a good ten | | | | thick cover when you hunt the thin areas first. |
| minutes. I had never seen any bird hold like that. I | | | | Hunt the center portion of a field first. Come back |
| knew right away this was going to be a little | | | | around and hunt the tree rows and fence rows. |
| harder than quail hunting. | | | | My dogs are probably in better shape than I am |
| I was educated quickly on just how crafty a foe | | | | when the season begins. I Put the tailgate of the |
| I was facing. I prefer to hunt pheasants in the | | | | truck down and attach a twenty five foot lead |
| snow, say four to six inches deep. If there had | | | | rope to the dog. Sitting on that tailgate, hanging |
| been snow on the ground while hunting those corn | | | | onto the rope, while a fried drives down a quiet |
| circles, we could have seen fresh tracks and had | | | | country road. Speeds of between five and eight |
| some warning. I like the wind to be blowing pretty | | | | miles an hour are recommended. It is important |
| good when pheasant hunting. They get up into the | | | | to keep an eye on your dog while doing this |
| wind and will hang just a bit before they really | | | | exercise, don't overdo it. I like to start exercising |
| take off. Coldest weather I've ever hunted | | | | my dog thirty days before the start of the |
| Pheasants in was about ten degrees in Martin, | | | | season. Your dog is going to cover much more |
| South Dakota. The wind felt like it could knock | | | | ground in the field than you are. Keep a lot of |
| you over. That will make the hardiest of hunters | | | | water on hand and take a break if the dogs |
| whine a bit. | | | | seem to be getting winded. High humidity days |
| In that kind of weather the Pheasant are | | | | are just as tough on your dog as they are on |
| searching out what shelter they could find. They | | | | you. |
| will borrow deep into the thickest, stickiest cover | | | | The rule of silence applies when hunting Pheasants. |
| available. That's exactly where you go to find | | | | I don't know how many hunters I 'I've seen over |
| them. On such a day as described we were out | | | | the years complaining about not seeing any |
| hunting for some ring necks. We hit every thick | | | | Pheasants. These same hunters go out and are |
| clump of grass in the fields we saw and each of | | | | constantly yelling at their dogs, talking between |
| us limited out. Cold windy weather will put the | | | | themselves and laughing loudly. These are the |
| chances in your favor to find pheasants. These | | | | same hunters that get out of the truck and slam |
| birds can be found around thick grown up cover | | | | the doors and tailgate. It's as if they are telling the |
| around old fence lines, structures, draws and fields | | | | ring necks, "We're here and coming to get you". |
| that haven't been grazed for a while. | | | | Those ring necks won't be there. Not only can |
| Some of the things you are going to need are | | | | Pheasants fly, they can really run. They are going |
| permission to hunt the spots you find, good | | | | to hear all the noise just like you and I. The noises |
| footwear, a good gun, and most important is a | | | | are not normal, which tells them danger is |
| good dog. A good dog will not hesitate to root out | | | | approaching. Being careless in such a manner will |
| Pheasants hidden deep in cover. We can't get | | | | limit the amount of Pheasants you take home. A |
| where that dog goes, so you must have a lot of | | | | hunter with a close working dog who quietly slips |
| confidence in your dog. That dog is your mobile | | | | in to a field to find ring necks buried in thick cover |
| set of eyes and can make or break a Pheasant | | | | will have much more success than making all kinds |
| hunt. Brittany's and Springer's do very well | | | | of noise before the hunt starts. |
| digesting that thick cover and finding the birds. | | | | Hunt land that is secluded or seldom visited by |
| The tougher the cover, the harder my Brittany | | | | others, because it is a little more difficult to get |
| will hunt. A hunter needs to find a dog that will be | | | | to, has always provided very good results for me. |
| best suited for the type of terrain and conditions | | | | There is a lot of public land for hunters use. The |
| they hunt in. I had a Springer Spaniel that did well | | | | problems being so many hunters use it. Set your |
| in cover. The Brittany and Springer complemented | | | | goals on getting permission to hunt private lands. I |
| each other well. I like them because they are | | | | like to acquire access on private lands surrounding |
| close range dogs and fit my style of hunting | | | | public lands. Heavy hunting of public lands forces |
| better. | | | | ring necks back into the private lands for |
| A slow moving, thorough dog will do a better job | | | | protection. It pays off to repair fence line or run a |
| hunting heavy cover. Some dogs range so wide | | | | combine for a farmer. They learn to trust you, |
| and fast you are going to miss some early | | | | hopefully leading to permission to hunt on their |
| flushes. A fast rushing dog will be on the cover | | | | private lands. |