First Wild Pheasant Hunt

[KellyM87]

My dogs and I went on our first wild pheasant hunt. There is still a lot we need to learn. I don't have any pictures of my older dog, because where we ran her the cover was pretty think, and birds were running like crazy. Here are some pics of my boy dog though

[KellyM87]

oh and this one

[NorCalGSP]

Those wild pheasant are some tricky birds. My pup is still tracking the runners until the flush usually out of range. With more exposure I am sure our dogs will figure them out.

[wems2371]

That's a nice close up photo. That sure is a pretty point.

[Munster]

Outstanding!!!!!!!!!!

[SetterNut]

Very nice. Love the look of your Setter. Lots of style

[TireHunter]

Great pictures you will get addicted to wild hunts. Congrats

[KellyM87]

Thanks everyone. The boy seems to be pretty smart and is getting it. My girl dog is good, but still can't figure out running birds. That is the biggest problem for both dogs right now. hopefully with some age and experience there will be more birds shot over points

[tdhusker]

Thanks everyone. The boy seems to be pretty smart and is getting it. My girl dog is good, but still can't figure out running birds. That is the biggest problem for both dogs right now. hopefully with some age and experience there will be more birds shot over points

I read quite a few of these posts. Dog owners wanting to shoot late season birds over points. I grew up on a farm in Nebraska and have been hunting wild birds for all of my rather long life. You simply are not going to get a rooster to hold for a point in dry conditions later in the season very often. The only way to consistantly get wild roosters that have been hunted to hold for points is to put together a sizable hunting party and surround them and even then you aren't going to get many rooster points. Snow and moisture will help your cause. Sometimes you can hunt next to natural barriers like a pond with cattails or heavy cover and your dog will stick a wise rooster in there but you have to have a beeper on to find them.

I see so many hunters who are new to wild, late season roosters who are disappointed that they can't get picture-book points and shoot roosters over points consistantly. It just doesn't happen, folks. I just got home from a trip taking some wounded warriors on a 3 day hunt in SD. We were determined to get them some shooting over points. Myself and another seasoned hunter with a very good GWP pointer spent three days guiding in some of the highest quality, privately owned pheasant habitat in the world. You can count the number of roosters killed over points on one hand. That is the way pheasant hunting works in December unless you have wet or snowy conditions. My dog probably pointed over 100 hens and somewhere around 4 roosters. We had a large party and when you surround birds and run them to each other, the hens will squat while the roosters try to sneak through you or flush before you can get to them.

Early season, tons of points, good shooting over points. Late season, tons of points, 95% hens. Dogs can't point birds that will not stop running or flush wild. Fact of life for a pheasant hunter.

[ACooper]

Thanks everyone. The boy seems to be pretty smart and is getting it. My girl dog is good, but still can't figure out running birds. That is the biggest problem for both dogs right now. hopefully with some age and experience there will be more birds shot over points

I read quite a few of these posts. Dog owners wanting to shoot late season birds over points. I grew up on a farm in Nebraska and have been hunting wild birds for all of my rather long life. You simply are not going to get a rooster to hold for a point in dry conditions later in the season very often. The only way to consistantly get wild roosters that have been hunted to hold for points is to put together a sizable hunting party and surround them and even then you aren't going to get many rooster points. Snow and moisture will help your cause. Sometimes you can hunt next to natural barriers like a pond with cattails or heavy cover and your dog will stick a wise rooster in there but you have to have a beeper on to find them.

I see so many hunters who are new to wild, late season roosters who are disappointed that they can't get picture-book points and shoot roosters over points consistantly. It just doesn't happen, folks. I just got home from a trip taking some wounded warriors on a 3 day hunt in SD. We were determined to get them some shooting over points. Myself and another seasoned hunter with a very good GWP pointer spent three days guiding in some of the highest quality, privately owned pheasant habitat in the world. You can count the number of roosters killed over points on one hand. That is the way pheasant hunting works in December unless you have wet or snowy conditions. My dog probably pointed over 100 hens and somewhere around 4 roosters. We had a large party and when you surround birds and run them to each other, the hens will squat while the roosters try to sneak through you or flush before you can get to them.

Early season, tons of points, good shooting over points. Late season, tons of points, 95% hens. Dogs can't point birds that will not stop running or flush wild. Fact of life for a pheasant hunter.

Your experience pretty much mirrors mine.

[bluestemkennels]

Agree with TdHusker and Coop.

Pheasant are not quail. I sometimes get points when a roster get pinned between 2 dogs. My 8 year old griff bitch has learned how to end run roosters as we get towards the end of a push. Only experience can teach that.

Bluestem