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I'll be down in the IV this weekend for pheasants, dove and quail...........and test out the new pup drink some homebrew and just enjoy my favorite time of year in the desert!
Anyway for the newbies these are things that work for me on hunting these birds. Remember it starts at 8am and keep one wing or head on just to be safe with the warden......I just put them on ice and gut them.
Pheasants which is my favorite is one of the smartest birds you can hunt. They listen so well nature gave them a bigger ear hole than their eyes. First they hold, then they run and last they flush. They will look for you when coming out of the ditches and they love to loop around you in the fields. When hunting them get a good line of hunters for the fields, make lots of noise and watch out in front of you for movement. Have the guys that are blocking to be quiet and hold strong on points or breaks on nearby fields that hold cover. They also like to flush from the same spot so if one birds goes cover that spot. They also will run left or right of you instead of out in front so the end guys on the drivers need to be just a little ahead of the rest be quiet and look ahead for birds running parallel of the drive line.
Ditches must have blockers that are quiet and at least one on each side about 20-30 yards away so they will run out then fly. Now the hunters that drive need to make noise and have at least a dog or human in the middle. throwing rocks and sticks which is a full time job so take turns go slow and listen for movement. The drivers is best to have two on each side one about 20 yards off the ditch and 20-30 yards ahead and be quiet and listen for movement. Camo is important if they spot you. Maybe the most important thing when using dogs keep them close I know you pointers will disagree but it's a fact wild birds won't hold they run. Every year I hunt with GSP's and if I see them running long I will block and shoot the birds the pointers flush 100 yards in front of you. Then after a few fields they want to block and my dogs hold tight and they don't get many shots until the line of pushers get to the end which is the way it works.
There is more but that's all I have time for GOOD LUCK!
One last thing if your shooting ducks while pheasant hunting no lead may be on you.
Anyway for the newbies these are things that work for me on hunting these birds. Remember it starts at 8am and keep one wing or head on just to be safe with the warden......I just put them on ice and gut them.
Pheasants which is my favorite is one of the smartest birds you can hunt. They listen so well nature gave them a bigger ear hole than their eyes. First they hold, then they run and last they flush. They will look for you when coming out of the ditches and they love to loop around you in the fields. When hunting them get a good line of hunters for the fields, make lots of noise and watch out in front of you for movement. Have the guys that are blocking to be quiet and hold strong on points or breaks on nearby fields that hold cover. They also like to flush from the same spot so if one birds goes cover that spot. They also will run left or right of you instead of out in front so the end guys on the drivers need to be just a little ahead of the rest be quiet and look ahead for birds running parallel of the drive line.
Ditches must have blockers that are quiet and at least one on each side about 20-30 yards away so they will run out then fly. Now the hunters that drive need to make noise and have at least a dog or human in the middle. throwing rocks and sticks which is a full time job so take turns go slow and listen for movement. The drivers is best to have two on each side one about 20 yards off the ditch and 20-30 yards ahead and be quiet and listen for movement. Camo is important if they spot you. Maybe the most important thing when using dogs keep them close I know you pointers will disagree but it's a fact wild birds won't hold they run. Every year I hunt with GSP's and if I see them running long I will block and shoot the birds the pointers flush 100 yards in front of you. Then after a few fields they want to block and my dogs hold tight and they don't get many shots until the line of pushers get to the end which is the way it works.
There is more but that's all I have time for GOOD LUCK!
One last thing if your shooting ducks while pheasant hunting no lead may be on you.
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