I have not lost a wounded pheasant in over 4 years of hunting. In the past two decades maybe have lost an average of 1 bird a year. Many years I find quite a few wounded birds ... last year I had my limit without lifting my gun.
Note that I hunt solo 50% of the time, with one other person...
In parts of the Dakotas especially ND ... having a DU insignia on your clothing or a DU sticker in your truck window will get you turned away from permission to hunt.
I must have the PF bashers hidden from my view or just ignore them. PF has its faults, but overall is a decent run organization and offers two good things ...
1) local level involvement and habitat investment at these local levels
2) lobbying at the national level for CRP, CREP and other...
McFarmer : The crazy high limits on waterfowl and USF&WS reluctance to ever lower a limit has created a waterfowl hunting segment and industry that is no longer interested in the birds themselves. All further corrupted by social media. Ruined the sport actually.
Wow did this thread take a turn ...
Bob's comments are valid.
Rarely see mention of PF on this site ... pro or con ... not sure what Remy is referencing ...
Those "farming for wildlife" respect the pheasant or is it more about the cash it generates ?
Fence row - to fence row ... chemicals...
Pointed birds that you flush walking past the dog ? or pointed birds where dog is locked ?
What about when your dog is locked up but they have moved on a bit ... you release the dog, but the bird flushes before it locks up on point again ?
Vast majority of birds I shoot and kill are from...
My keys have a tile attached to them. I have forgotten my gun once or twice :oops::rolleyes: at home so I guess not lost.
Lost … gloves. Lots of singles. Not sure where the missing one goes. Sad since I rarely wear them so my loss rate must be high
My brother stoned a lot of roosters with his 28 ga. Remington 1100. His main Britt at the time was solid and birds plentiful. Can’t remember him ever losing a bird when I was with him.
To be honest I will pass on roosters flushing out into wet cattails. If nothing else keeps my feet dry and my (well my dogs) recovery rate at 100%. Pretty high respect for the bird and the resource.
My longest shot was a crossing (left to right) rooster. Folded it dead at 75 yards in awe of a couple guys I was with. Distance paced off by two of us.
I took the shot because I knew the area. We were along the shoreline of Lake Sakakawea. I knew if I hit the bird he would land in the...
Much of my shoot or no shoot decision is based on the cover I am in. Cattails (especially if wet or flooded) - I refrain from taking shots beyond 30 yards. Open prairie - I suppose 45 yards. I (we) lose very few (if any) birds most years.
Long ago we hunted with a SD family west of Aberdeen a ways. There were two relatively large hunting operations in the area at the time. Both employed a guy to drive around in a pickup truck to "puppy guard" their property. One of them had property adjacent to a WMA ... the pickup truck...