Last Hunt of 2010

Back in the Fall I kind of coerced (okay, conned) two board memebrs to help me relocated a really, really heavy two person ladder stand (one had helped install it originally, so he should have known better).  As a gesture of thanks, I provided the Pointers and some birds for a hunt.  Here are a few photos.
 
 
 
Pheasant hunting, so easy, you can do it in your pajamas.
 

 
 
 
 
 
A Little Help.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Shoot them at 18 - 22 yards.

 
 
 
 
The First of Three Escapes By a Must Sought After Melonisitc phase.

 
 
 
 
 
that's 18 to 22 yards, not inches.

 
 
 
 
Yes, they can hide in very small spots.
 

 
 
 
 
Dinner and fly tying feathers.

Nice pics. Is that on a preserve ?

Shawn,

Had a great time. Looking forward to the next one...

I enjoyed a meal of bacon wrapped pheasant last night. The trout have been enjoying the feathers .

Lol! Great !  Thanks that was sweet!

I have n't seen or heard of a wild pheasant in my part of Penna.(SE) in several years,since I see a few hens on the ground that must be at a preserve,nothing wrong with that just a observation.

ORIGINAL: thedrake

ORIGINAL: DarDys

The First of Three Escapes By a Must Sought After Melonisitc phase.

No wonder I missed. It looks like I'm pointing the gun in the wrong direction

Not real sure why Shawn removed the REAL target in the picture but here is the truth.

Yes, this was at a preserve.  It is the only way I can justify the expense of raising and training dogs.  It will be the last pheasant hunt for the season, even though the season runs until the last Saturday in April.  We will switch over to chukars for the balance of January and into February, until the Northeaster Chukar Challenge Championship.  Chukars are like grouse, but are labeled as Cornish game hens in the grocery store.  From mid-March until the end of the season, we wil switch again, this time to quail.  I also switch from the 20 to a .410.  By being a member of a club, I get to hunt birds for 6 months, not a few weeks.
 
As for the FO, give the archery guy a break, he thought he had to get close and not be seen.  He insisted on wearing his pajamas.  We could not stop him.
 
With regard to pen raised birds, there pen raised birds and then there are flight pen raised birds.  Pen raised birds don't exhibit many of the instinctual characteristics that so-called wild or liberated birds do.  That was part of the problem with the PGC stocked pheasants in the late 70's and early 80's.  Many were raised on a co-op in chicken-type coops and when released, they acted like chickens.  Many had never flown in their life, except when they were released.  Also, see the thread under this subject that BigHead posted.  Those were more than likely pen raised birds.  These birds are a lot like hatchery trout.
 
Flight pen birds, on the other hand, are raised in cover plots, up to an acre in size, that happen to be covered with netting, sometimes as high as 30 to 40 feet.  The feeding and watering is done automatically, so there is no human contact.  Because of the size and height of the pens, the birds are free to act like birds and fly.  They also get very warry of humans, especially since their only contact with them is when they are captured.
 
Are some of the flight pen raised birds dumb?  You bet.  So are some of the wild ones.  But most are not.  On this particular hunt, we had four birds slip out from under points, even two dog bracketed ones; run to the nearest cut; and come off the ground at 50 to 75 yards -- well out of range -- just like wild birds.
 
And I must write that these are okay to good birds.  At the preserve where I guide, the birds could be rated as excellent.  That owner buys only a certain strain of birds from a single supplier and they are not only beautiful, but strong fliers, and very good at avoiding dogs and people.  They are raised under the strictest of conditions to ensure the quality.  Since he over stocks the number of birds by at least 10%, there are a lot of liberated birds that are out for months on end.  And having hunted wild pheasants (I think, see the note in the youth thread about SD), they are as tough if not tougher to bag -- I guess getting shot at a few times will do that.
 
For those that criticize preserve hunting, even in a back handed way, it is obvious that they have never done it or have never done it at a quality facility.  And they probably fish for stocked trout and steelhead, but their nose grows so they can look down it when it comes to critters with feathers.
 
When I get a few minutes, I'll post some hunting photos from game lands, so as to not offend.

Doc,
 
Do you play golf?  Do you bowl?  Did it cost more than your fishing license, which you already bought, to go on the Edward John for a perch trip?  Do you go to sporting events?  Do you go to concerts?  Do you watch TV? 
 
Do they let you do it for free? 
 
 Here's a super surprise for you -- you get what you pay for.  I get to hunt for six months, on private ground, for birds I know are there.  And I don't need to buy a license.

Sorry Dan, I saw that barrel pointed that way and I couldn't wait to get my hands on photoshop.

Doc,

Do you play golf? Do you bowl? Did it cost more than your fishing license, which you already bought, to go on the Edward John for a perch trip? Do you go to sporting events? Do you go to concerts? Do you watch TV?

golf... tried it some 7-8 years ago
bowl... not in over 45 years
Edward John.. you got me == GUILTY !!
sporting events... Nope
concerts... not in 25 years
TV.. maybe 15 hours a week, not counting NFL football games
out for dinner.. three times a year.. 2 birthdays and one anniversary .. I managed a resturant so I know what goes on behind the scenes....
movies.. not in 50 years... to expensive . I'll wait for the VHS,DVD or on HBO....


see I'm really a stay at home boring guy !!!!

I just knew there was a sucker joke in there somewhere.

Can't remember the last time I shot at a pheasant flying in the air

SO I might not find the experience that enjoyable

other than watching the dogs work.. that I KNOW I'd LOVE...


Here's my Enghlish Pointer "JET" (R.I.P)

Absolutely the best photo, nothing like watchin' good dogs work.


Doc, I have seen you getting beat around on these boards and never paid that much attention to it, just thought a couple of folks had some baggage with you. Your first post in this thread was idiotic and not obviously done if fun. Hunting the stocked birds isn't alot of fun unless you like the elbow to armpit stuff, frankly I always thought it was dangerous for my dog and everyone around. I've see some really crazy crap with over concentrated stockies. Most of my gun dogs days were spent chasing grouse and quail with few other people around. If you think the prices that DarDys posted are high, just buy yourself an Erie boat and then figure out what it costs you to go fishing (not counting the cost of the boat). I'm starting to think that you bring on the beatings yourself, next time you start to post a similar reply.... don't.

Was the sucker an extra cost?or was it part of the package to hunt for the day? Also, What type of additional training do the dogs need?....WF

yep I'm easy to dis-agree with especially to those with opposing views, but I do hope you see my first post here was not to be taken very seriously as you suggested it was....