Awhile back I published here my famous five rules for ringneck pheasant hunting.
If you missed it, here's a link to Part 1.
Since then -- guess what? That's right, I thought of five more! Here goes.
Rule Number 6: Use A Really Good Dog Occasionally I'm asked if I have any tips for pheasant hunters who don't have a dog. I say, "Sure. Get a dog!"
Of course, there are dogs and then there are dogs. The very best pheasant dogs are either pointers that will flush on command, or one of the retriever breeds that points. A dog that points will get you more birds simply because it will prepare you for the "when and where" of flushes. But you want him to flush on command so you don't have to walk into high cover to do it yourself, robbing yourself of a clear shot.
It is essential that the dog has a good nose, is force-trained to retrieve, and follows your orders with little or no voice commands (see my original Rule #1, first installment). Most importantly, the dog must range and quarter correctly at the right speed and distance to find birds effectively, and not flush them out of range.
Rule Number 7: Use A Beeper/Shock Collar I was at first reluctant to "go electronic." When I did, it was the single biggest factor in increasing birds bagged, not to mention increased enjoyment and fewer worries.
The beeper lets you track your dog's movement and anticipate the direction of wild flushes; it tells you when your dog is out of position or on his way to getting lost or road-killed; it alerts you instantly to a point. (Pre-beeper, I once spent a solid half-hour trying to find my dog, which was locked up on point in thick canary grass only a few yards away.)
The shock feature is a huge aid to training everything from "get back here" to "get away from that porcupine." But it is most valuable as a communication device. My German shorthair follows hand signals for everything; if I have to get his attention, I tickle him with his collar (on low, he just notices it.) I never, ever shout at him and seldom use the whistle. The collar is most valuable in turning him around when he gets too far ahead -- without whistling or shouting and alerting pheasants.
Rule Number 8: Go Where No Man Has Gone Recently Masters of elusion, ringnecks are uncanny in their knack for gravitating to cover that hunters avoid. Ever notice how rare they are at season's end, and then a week later they seem to come out of the woodwork? They've been hanging out in places undisturbed by hunters.
Of course, there are usually reasons these areas are undisturbed. You may have to hoof it across a vast, plowed field to work that isolated shelterbelt. You may have to toss some hay or dig out the wallet to get permission from cranky old farmer Johnson. But it'll earn you more birds.
Rule Number 9: Use Enough Gun I really admire the sporting and conservation ethic of those who use smaller gauges and lighter loads -- provided they stick to the principle and resist those longer-range temptations.
For the rest of us, wise choices in guns and loads can make a considerable difference in birds bagged. If you're following the rules you can expect close shots, but you need to consider your longer-range opportunities as well. My choice is a 12-gauge over/under choked improved for pointed birds and full for wild flushes and follow-ups (when my buddy misses, of course.) I find the main beauty of a double is that I can switch between tight and open options if I am anticipating a distant or close flush. I normally keep it set on full when sweeping thinner cover or into spooky birds (a point gives me time to switch to the open barrel). I keep it on improved in heavy stuff, which means most of the time.
Roosters get bigger, tougher and spookier as the season progresses, so by late season my Citori is choked modified/full. In early season my loads are light game 6s over high-brass 5s; high-5s over light-magnum 4s later. In steel, I use 1-1/4-ounce 3s (2s when I can't find 3s).
You can wring similar results from a pump or autoloader by filling it with progressively heavier loads. I suggest that if hunting over a pointer, the gun be choked improved in early season and modified later; otherwise, keep it modified.
Rule Number 10: Pick Pockets Once you've nailed down some general areas to hunt and start seeing birds, start paying attention and ID those special bird magnets: pockets of prime cover. Prime pheasant cover is a combination of thick grasses of medium height for secure and sheltered loafing or roosting cover, assorted weeds that provide seed-feed and cover density, and medium-height shrubs that offer overhead protection from raptors. If it is adjacent to beans, corn stubble or water, it is that much better.
It is amazing how pheasants often key on tiny spots. I have places where I can regularly find birds within 30 yards of a certain willow, cedar, or rockpile as long as I don't hit the place too often. Over the years I've mapped these places out. My pheasant hunts are now often comprised of running a circuit of these prime pockets.
Good luck in field this year!
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