IN Pheasant Hunt 2014

AtTheMurph

Well-known member
Finally got out out pheasant hunt in Indiana this year. Hit it on Wed, which was cold and WINDY. Had to blow a steady 20-25 with 30-35mph gusts. Low to mid 30s.

Started at a place near Kentland in S. Newton County. Had hunted there 3 or 4 times in the past and had always seen a few birds, maybe 5 and as many as 10.

The farmer really cares about providing birds some habitat. Over the last year he had taken out trees along part of a ditch and added about 25 feet more grass on either side. Now it is probably 1.5 miles of cover in his section. Took us three hours to hunt that one farm.

We kicked a hen up in the first 100 yds. I could tell my dog got on it and as he made his way back towards me (hunting slightly down wind) he pinned the bird between he and I and it blasted out and was gone in the win in approx .27 seconds! Our blocker never saw it, probably because it broke the sound barrier as it zipped past him.

When we got to our blocker we readjusted and sent him further up the ditch to a natural break. he had several birds we pushed jumping around and running past him but he couldn't get a shot at the one cock he saw.

We kicked up two hens as we approached him but didn't find the cock he thought flew into the ditch between us. From there we walked as four into the wind and down the better part of the ditch. Not far into it my dog got on one and a cock flushed out to my right and our most inexperienced hunter shot him, the second bird of his life (he's 30) and shot in almost the exact spot he got his first.

About 100yds further we flushed another cock that was missed by the two guys on the far side of the ditch. Then we kicked up three hens. And not much further up I had five hens boil out of a spot not 5 feet from my feet. And a 6 come up after I gathered my composure.

I knew there had to be a cock there and 30yds further my dog nailed him and I got him. As I walked tot he edge of the grass to meet my dog on his retrieve I glanced down the edge of the grass and spotted a couple runners. Then saw a couple more heads and a few more and more after that. Probably 10-12 birds trying to figure out where the heck to get away.

At that spot is a natural break in the cover where the ditch splits into two. Saw a few hens run into the corn, saw some green heads pop into the grass and other sliding around not knowing what to do. I made my way forward and dog jumped another cock and we got him as I kept my eyes on the birds I could still see. The held. Couldn't believe it.

Got up further and buddies dog goes on point and mine moves up and backs him beautifully. They are on my side of the ditch so I flush him. A cock buried so deep both dogs were digging and jumping on the pile of grass he had hidden in. Got him.

We still hadn't gotten to where I had seen all the birds. Moved up to that and dogs go on point again. I flush and nail him. As my dog is making his way to retrieve I move forward to where the birds were that I had seen. Buddies dog goes on point. I flush a big cock and we miss him and several more hens flush all around me.

At this point water is too deep for hunters to cross so alone I head south and the three others head E. They bag a cock on the way to the car, I flush 7 more birds 5 hens and 2 cocks but didn't shoot. Left them for the next time.

(also kicked up a decent 10 point buck out of that ditch, a mallard and a coyote who got peppered in the ass from my 20ga.)

Went to two other spots and kicked up and missed one big old cock and two hens but it was much more woody cover. At the last place it appeared to me that there was a much more likely ditch that we didn't hunt on the same property. Will give that a go next time.

In total saw 35 birds or so and bagged 5 between 4 hunters. I could easily have gotten two/three myself and we flat out missed 3 more. My dog is sitting next to me right now licking his bleeding feet that he re-opened out on the cold sharp snow this morning. He's beat to hell but he'll go again and so will I.
 
I'm not sure if we've ever posted a photo of wild pheasants from Indiana on UPH before.

Time to break the bearer Murph:D

Nick
 
I'm not sure if we've ever posted a photo of wild pheasants from Indiana on UPH before.

Time to break the bearer Murph:D

Nick

Heading out tomorrow and will remember to take some IN pheasant pics for you. (if we get any)

I plan on making a pot of pheasant noodle soup today so I can eat it when I get back tomorrow evening. That one is from the birds I got a couple weeks ago that were properly aged for a week in my garage, guts in. Mmmmmm mmmm.
 
Yeah that would be great. Good luck tomorrow!
 
Well I ended up only hunting in IL yesterday. Saw birds in each of the 4 places we hunted. We got 5 cocks total and know we walked past all sorts of birds. Had two dogs, 3 walkers and one blocker. Not quite enough to really cover the areas we were in but enough to find some birds.

My dog retrieved all five which was nice and he put up most of the birds. He's learning from my buddies 12 yr old GSP who is a great bird dog.

Saw probably around 30 birds in a half day hunt. And of course I forgot to take pics of the birds....
 
Being a Boilermaker by birth I thought I would post my first limit of wild Indiana pheasants taken in Steuben County in the fall of 1984. My pups name was Brooke she lived to be 14 yrs old and she was 2 at the time of this picture. Hard to believe I've been chasing these birds around for over 30 years, makes me realize just how young I am........:cheers:

IMG_20150420_210526_273_zps7hewyf1a.jpg
 
Been a while since I have hunted back in Indiana, Pigeon River in Mongo always had a good wild bird population on their property, I had a string of 20 plus years of taking birds off that property. Like many areas when the CRP lands went back into production the pop took a hit. Marsh lake hunting area also had some fair upland bird hunting, occasionally would bump a covey of quail.
 
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