Pheasant hunting tips

[Outdoors Junkie]

Here is a nice article I found and thought I would share from the MN DNR website.


According to a DNR wildlife research biologist, pheasants follow a schedule as routine as your daily commute to and from work. Understanding the pheasant's daily movements can increase your odds of flushing a rooster.

"Pheasants start their day before sunrise at roost sites, usually in areas of short- to medium-height grass or weeds, where they spend the night." That's the word from Dick Kimmel, research biologist at the DNR Farmland Wildlife Research and Populations Station at Madelia. Kimmel says that at first light, pheasants head for roadsides or similar areas where they can find gravel or grit.

Pheasants usually begin feeding around 8 a.m. When shooting hours begin an hour later, the birds are still feeding, often in grain fields while cautiously making their way toward safe cover. "Look for the edges of picked cornfields," says Kimmel, who regularly hunts southwestern Minnesota with his English setter, Banjo.

By mid-morning, pheasants have left the fields for the densest, thickest cover they can find, such as a standing corn, federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields, brush patches, wetlands, or native grasses. Kimmel says the birds will "hunker down here for the day until late afternoon."

It's next to impossible for small hunting groups of two to three hunters to work large fields of standing corn. Pheasants often run to avoid predators, a response that frustrates dogs and hunters working corn, soybean, and alfalfa fields. Groups of two or three hunters usually have better success working grass fields, field edges, or fencerows. Other likely spots during midday are ditch banks and deep into marshes. Remember: The nastier the weather, the deeper into cover the pheasant will go.

But eventually, pheasants have to eat again. During the late afternoon, the birds move from their loafing spots back to the feeding areas. As in the morning, birds now are easier to spot from a distance and are more accessible to hunters. "That's why the first and last shooting hours are consistently the best times to hunt pheasants," Kimmel adds.

[Realtree]

Here is some additional info from REEDS:

Pheasants need two main things to survive: food and cover. Both of these should be on every hunter's mind as they begin their search for wily roosters. During the early part of the season, pheasants can be found in many areas. Cover such as CRP fields is a prime place to start. Many birds will also be in standing crops such as unpicked corn fields. Mild weather and high numbers of inexperienced birds usually make the first part of the hunting season an excellent time to hunt.

As the season goes on, birds learn quickly. Pheasants learn that running is a better option than flying if they want to survive. Here a good dog is worth its weight in gold. Not only does a good dog make hunting pheasants twice as much fun, but it doubles a hunter's ability to find and retrieve birds. Sections of cover must be attacked at both ends in order to pin down running birds. Drivers push towards the blockers to surround the birds and most of the time both drivers and blockers will see shooting action. Make sure to have orange clothing and hats so all hunters are visible. Large sections of cover will require more hunters to effectively cover the area, while smaller areas such as food plots can be hunted effectively with two or three hunters. Areas that are off the beaten path may be better as they will have seen less hunting pressure.
       
As the crops are mostly harvested, cold weather has arrived, and snow may be on the ground, the pheasants environment changes and so does the pheasants habits. Gone are the masses of hunters that were out on opening weekend. The few diehards left will have some of the best pheasant hunting of the year. Because the crops are out and cold weather has set in, pheasants will locate themselves in areas with thicker cover. Areas such as shelterbelts and cattail sloughs are prime areas to hunt. Snow conditions not only give away the pheasants location by revealing fresh tracks, but also help in finding downed birds. For the serious hunter, late season is prime time to hunt.
       
Be sure to consider what type of ammo to take on the hunt. Five or six shot are the best sizes. Copper plated ammo is more effective when shooting at long range. Many public hunting areas now require the use of steel shot so check local regulations before you go.

[Outdoors Junkie]

Some hunters might say, "The only thing better than a long day of pheasant hunting, is a short one." Recently, mild winters, decent springs and good habitat conditions have pushed the pheasant harvest numbers to 40-year highs, but we haven't reached the MN Pheasant Plan goal of an average annual 750,000 rooster harvest... yet. We still need to build more habitat to reach that goal, but here are a couple resources (reports, maps, strategies & gear) that can help you reach your full potential in the field this fall.


Each August the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources send out their wildlife professionals to survey 30-mile routes across the state, the same routes they've surveyed since the 50s. They collect data on the number of birds/broods observed, age and sex. This data can be compared between regions or years to estimate density of pheasants and other small game.

STRATEGIES

Scouting is critical - whether you do it during an early duck hunting trip or during the hours that come before or after a day of pheasant hunting, scouting is critical to successful pheasant hunting. In addition to talking with farmers seeking permission to hunt on their lands, ask them where they have seen local birds. Another good source of information are the guys driving road graters - they can say with confidence where to find pheasants.
During the early season - focus your hunting on linear patches of habitat like thick fence lines, right-of-ways and filter strips. Pheasants hang out in these odd areas until the weather starts pushing them into progressively thicker cover. They focus and contain running birds and can be easier on your dog - unless you let him go wild and run to the end of the line.
One or two hunters can surround pheasants in a big field through trickery. Stop at one end of the field and slam a door or talk as if getting ready to hunt. Then quietly but quickly drive to another side of the field and repeat. Hit one more side, then silently move to the final side to begin your quiet approach. Birds will be confused and more likely to hold. Similarly you can leave blaze orange caps or jackets on corner fence posts as blockers. Try a portable radio or two turned to talk stations. Ron Spomer - Rooster, A Tribute to Pheasant Hunting in North America.
Carry a red-tailed hawk call. When working running birds, hit the call. A rooster's instinct will be to freeze so the hawk doesn't spot him. This can work for crippled birds too. Paul Hanson, Chairman, PF National Board of Directors.
Pheasants have patterns too. Understanding the daily movements of pheasants can increase your chances of bagging Mr. Curlyspurs. At night, pheasants roost in grass of short to medium stature, but by first light they head to roadsides looking for grit (gravel). A bit before shooting hours pheasants start feeding and over the next few hours cautiously wander back into cover. During these early hunting hours focus your efforts along the grassland edges of picked cornfields. By late morning the birds have moved into thick cover - standing corn if it's still available or CRP and cattails where they will stay until late in the day. You have to hunt hard with a good dog to bag roosters in the mid-day hours in thick cover. Try small habitat chunks near feeding areas. Late in the afternoon pheasants move from loafing fields back to feeding areas and grass / field edges can again be good hunting. After feeding, its back to the roost. Late afternoon hunts (after 4pm) are consistently the most successful.
Once cattail sloughs freeze hard in MN - the best place to hunt roosters is a big cattail slough. Don't make the mistake of hunting just the edges - find a monster of a dog and bust right through the middle. The late season birds may be a bit jumpy, but there will always be a couple that sit tight and explode from under your dogs nose.
Late Season - be QUIET!!! If not, you go in one end of a field and the roosters run out the other.

GEAR

In the ARMY they drill recruits about the importance of feet. Wear comfortable boots and have an extra pair of socks available just in case. If you get wet feet, put a bread bag between two layers of socks. Dry, happy feet will extend the time you can stay in the field.

Boots wet? Stuff them with crumpled newspaper overnight and they will wick up the moisture.
Towels - keep a couple old towels in the back of your truck - one for the dog and one for the gun on rainy days. You may also want to put some wet-wipes in a bag for washing your hands after cleaning a bird.

[Realtree]

Let's hear from some of our seasoned Pheasant hunters on things that you have found helpful in improving the success of your times in the field.

You don't have to give away "hot spot" info or anything, but if there are things that you have found that are helpful to you in the field that would help out a less experienced pheasant hunter, please share!   

[Spinach]

Prime hunting should be in about 2 weeks or so, i'm getting excited. I always like hunting the first snowstorm of the year. Were waiting for the small ponds to freeze over, so we can get back into the cattails on our land.

I think I'll do an afternoon hunt today.

[DontShootMe]

Let's hear from some of our seasoned Pheasant hunters on things that you have found helpful in improving the success of your times in the field.

You don't have to give away "hot spot" info or anything, but if there are things that you have found that are helpful to you in the field that would help out a less experienced pheasant hunter, please share!   

There are no more pheasants left, folks.  Move along.

[jjawz]

Tip #1  Get a Good Dog.

That is the only tip you need, I have been hunting pheasants for a few years now without a dog and I have lived in NW Iowa and SE South Dakota and let me tell you, it's too damn hard without one.

[Mayfly]

Tip #1  Get a Good Dog.

That is the only tip you need, I have been hunting pheasants for a few years now without a dog and I have lived in NW Iowa and SE South Dakota and let me tell you, it's too damn hard without one.

I don't pheasant hunt without a dog. It just is not the same.

[The General]

It's like wiping before you poop.....it just doesn't make sense.

[rem]

BIRDS are getting jumpy time to start using posters. (be quiet they will run)

[jjawz]

You pretty much just get pissed off and give up because you can walk from the time shooting opens until it closes and never get a shot at a bird. I'm not in a situation where i could own a dog let alone fortunate enough to know anyone who has smalls draws that a few people could walk without a dog. Hopefully someday I will be able to get a little guy.