Pheasant Hunting

I hunt with a Contour video camera on my hat so I have video of my trips. Here is a short video of my dog Luke hunting in a strong wind. My friends are down hill to my right and I am up high in the field. Lukeband I are learning together and he gets better each year hunting running birds. I just have to trust him here he rests a couple of times then casts down wind to find again. I gave up and was not ready to reset my feet as it crossed right to left so I missed an easy shot. Luke's hunting mostly by instinct I certainly did not teach him this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw_u...e_gdata_player

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First CO wild pheasant

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Nice pheasant from NE last year.

I will hunt cover first thing in am. If I find cover next to food then all the better. I will hunt the transition zone then food plot. Food plots in the afternoon or transition zone. Back to cover in pm especially if food plots nearby. Or will look for really thick draws for quail. If weather bad more deep cover in pm that is close to food. Birds will duck in to feed but will go back to deep cover to ride out weather. If weather is mild they will spend all day in feed.

Drought has hurt CO but it gets better. CO is good that they get food plots to and from what I have hunted good cover. CO just has problems with enough winter cover and cooperation with farmers and other land owners to help with the process. Too much fence to fence planting, planting corners in their circle irrigated fields instead of leaving natural cover, cutting down grass in the ditches too early that disrupts nesting, again not enough winter cover to keep the numbers from year to year and general lack of apathy. It still gets better every year. Early season especially opening weekend, too many hunters chasing too few fields. Scout out hunting areas ahead of time and get some in mind and beeeline to your best fields and hope you are first. It thins out later in the season and late hunting with snow is really good but tuff on you and your dogs.

Kansas has had multiple wammies with drought and some tuff spring storms with hail in the last few years. Their numbers have dropped off and is more spotty than consistent as it has been in years past. They have very good cooperation with land owners for hunting crop fields after harvest so more choices. They also have more draws and quail habitat to mix things up.

My friends have spent last few years in Nebraska. Numbers have been very good and they are getting better with their land cooperation and allowing for hunting on harvested fields.

Worst thing with last couple of trips is the possibility of bed bugs in the hotels. Gets worse every year and I am almost to the point of getting a camper. While they are good about dogs I just don't want to bring home the critters.

Great looking English setter samurai!

Thanks. My long haired dalmatian is a beast in the field but so calm at home. We get him a brother next weekend from the same breeder. www.octobersetters.com. I truly did not train him that much he just had great instincts.

They have some great looking dogs!

If you have the dough, Steel Fork Pheasants (game preserve) in Rush, CO is a great time. Good folks, good food, good hunting. Get Spanky or Mark Senior to run dogs for you. If you don't get birds, it won't be due to a lack of them getting flushed right in front of you.

If there's a fall hunt I'd be interested unless it's a pro hunt only type of deal. I've never been pheasant hunting and I have been wanting to try it, but some of the guide fees for even a half day are a little steep when you tack the other hunting expenses. I may just eventually try it guided since it usually includes dogs and they are the biggest cost of upland bird and waterfowl hunts.

The game preserves around here will be a few hundred bucks, but it's still cheaper than travel and lodging out to South Dakota for me. Third option is public land here... may get a shot at something, may not.

Rocky Mountain Roosters is who I have used for the past few years. Fair piece for you since it is down in Calhan but excellent bird hunting. Price is $200 per gun for the four hour hunt and they provide a guide and dogs. Expect to tip the guide as well. If you have dogs, you can run yours instead. I think I enjoy watching the guides working their dogs more than taking a pheasant, chukar or quail.

They will put you on some birds, but these aren't domesticated. They will make you work and the bastards will run more than flush if it wasn't for the dogs.

I've been to RMR before when I took my wife's kids to a few events there and I liked the area. I just don't have anyone else to hunt birds with and guided hunts want either 2 or more people or extra for a one on one hunt.

Hopefully we can all work something out this fall and get some birds.I'm really looking forward to this fall!!!