Phesant recipes??

No recipe Crappie_Slayer but a big hearty congrats on your first bird. Terrific story, can almost see you two in the field and the excitement as the bird flushed.

Thanks guys. Was a good time. The dog definitely got surprised when it flushed, but was into it after that. She's a lab mix, but has been very easy to train so far and seems pretty smart, so I'm hopeful she'll catch on quick. Thanks for the recipes Tuna. I might have to stockpile this one and get a few more. Pulled phesant sliders sound great!

 Crappy Slayer, Working any dog that loves to hunt is a joy. Their enthusiasm is addictive. I have a just turned one year old mutt that is a hunting machine. He appears to be Chocolate Lab with some German Shorthair thrown in and who knows what else. He is lethal on Pheasants and has had 16 birds shot over him this year. With better shooting three times that should have been in the bag.
  Sounds like you have a wonderful pal there, and a dog you can enjoy hunting with is special.
   I roll the quartered pieces of Pheasant in flour and quick fry in olive oil, hot and quick. It seems to stay moist this way plus its fast. 

Pheasant hunting over dogs can be addictive.

Don't think it's luck, that little girl can smell them. Your going to have a pheasant nut on your hands. Does she retrieve them ? Wait till you knock a wing tipped bird down,and she tracks it down. I love hunting small game with a dog. The more she's into birds the more she'll learn. Like I said labs are quick learners and love to please. You got yourself a hunting buddy. I'm know expert but if your flushes are close, improved cylinder might help you hit more birds. When I ran close working Setters,I shot a little over and under 20 gauge improved and modified. 5 's or 6's high brass.

By the way Tuna, hope you're healing up well and get to run that beagle some this season.

Misses happen, but if they are happening often, then it can be several factors.

1). The shotgun does not fit you properly. Unlike a rifle that you can wiggle around and "crawl into" in order to aim, a shotgun is pointed and if it doesn't fit, it doesn't point in the right direction.

With the shotgun in a down position, pick out sonething, look at it, and quickly mount the gun. Two things should happen -- first, the bead should be pointing at or near the object and second, you should only see the very top of the receiver and the bead.

Do this about a dozen times and if that isn't the case 10 out of 12 times, the gun doesn't fit. If the gun doesn't fit, any hits are pure luck.

I know that certain stock configurations never fit me.

Another reason for missed is rushing the shot which results in two issues -- shooting way too close when your pattern is way too small (with I/C choke the ideal distance for 6 or 7.5 shot is 18-22 yards) and not getting your wooden head down on the wooden stock (because you want to see the bird fall) which results in shooting over the bird.

Finally, and I have literally hundreds of photos of this from guiding with my Pointers, make sure that your front foot is pointed where you plan on killing the bird. More often than not on a Miss when the gun fits, the mount is right, and the distance is right, the hunter's feet become stuck where they were when the bird flushed and the front foot is behind the flight path of the bird and your swing cannot catch up, resulting in shooting behind or just getting tail feathers.

As the bird comes off the ground, take the time to move your feet so that the front foot is pointed to where you are going to kill the bird -- this also lets it get out to the desired range. The follow the four "B" method --as you are mounting the shotgun and starting your swing, have your eyes pass through the bird's Butt, Belly, and Beak, then as the gun mounts into your shoulder, Bang. By doing this, you physically cannot stop your swing.

Over the last six months I have review over 5,000 of my hunting photos while working on a book about training pointing puppies and saw so many classic miss photos, that had to include a partial chapter on shooting live birds (the dog can't get retrieving practice if you don't kill the bird).

And when you shoot that bird remember beer can with Apple juice!

treesparrow
My Brother and I have a contest for the best excuses for misses. The all time best. "He went up so close my old eyes have trouble refocusing for distance."

Lol, that's pretty funny.

Nina and I ventured around for about 3 hrs yesterday. First hit the spot we flushed 3 on Friday, but there was no action so decided to take a ride to another gamelands I've never been to. Worked the fields and wood edges until the snow really started to fly around 4:30. No flushes here either, but got to explore some new territory that I'll definitely be back to. Go figure that I got in the truck and drove 150yds down the road and almost hit a rooster that popped out.

According to a recent PGC press release, they are closing two of their pheasant farms in January. And proposing a $25 pheasant permit (so it doesn't need legislative action) at the same time.

How is the pup's toe nail?

Big Tuna
It won't affect me. I've not stepped on a game lands for at least 25 years,when my last setter went to doggy heaven. The greedy PGC is the loser. Loss of pheasant stocking 10 and 25 dollar tags will drive more hunters away. After this year,being harassed by the same warden twice in less than a week,I've lost all respect for that agency. I'm done with Pa. I will continue to hunt in Pa. manly because I have a lifetime license,but will spend more days in Ohio chasing deer,waterfowl, squirrels and rabbits. It amazes me how a law biding hunter like myself can get harrassed and well known poacher that shoot 14-22 deer a year never even gets checked and brags opening about how he shoots them anywhere but puts unlimited 2b tags on them and still takes them to a deer processor. The same game warden frequents there and checks tags but never questions Mr. Poacher. I'll never be come out off the woods to let them check me,and if he chooses to park behind my truck again he will have two options,wait till dark or come find me in the woods. He almost forced me to leave the woods on the last day of gun season. I've been very kind to the deer herd in the last several years killing a buck every year and maybe every two years shooting a doe.I've never been busted for anything but get treated like a criminal. From now on I'll try to kill as many deer as tags I buy and not feel bad at all. I got two doe tags and a buck tag and anything thing legal that walks by in flintlock or X bow is going to die big or little skipper. Sorry to rant but I've been ****ed since the last day. After all my health issues and passing on several deer I'm officially done with PGC. Just for the record, I hunted mornings and afternoons for all 12 days total deer 2 bucks,one one legal one not 105 does,one friggin deer harvested. If I wasn't limited health wise my buck season would have been over in bow season. Sorry to turn this into a novel but I can truly say I hate the PGC.

Your not alone in your feelings toward the PennState Game Commission but why take it out on a deer heard that has truly suffered from that same bunch of nitwits?

Crappie Slayer, better get them while the getting good,it's the beginning of the end of that program. Back in the day my sportsmen club raised our own, hey but that's when people worked on projects. When I belong to a beagles club I would trap 30-40 rabbits out of town and release them in January. All small game hunting has declined. I don't even think th squirrel population is all that good.lol Good luck with the pup and your shooting.