How many of you let birds go?

A lot of people here hunt public land and late season roosters aren't dumb. The single most important factor is how much noise you make.

The only noise you should be making is when you pull the trigger. You wouldn't yell DOE! every time a female deer came past your stand either.
 
I hunt public a fair amount, usually solo. Group hunts typically on private ground. Never really struggle getting birds despite yelling at dogs, shooting a fair amount, etc. Fun being out there, feel fortunate I’m without aches and pains, and my biggest challenges are getting over barbed wire fences without ripping my $16 Walmart nylon athletic pants, and, making sure I’ve got plenty of water on me for my dogs. The birds are really never an issue, thankfully. I don’t hunt with a boombox, but maybe some jazz, like Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, or Miles Davis would put the birds into a catatonic-like state? Or me???
 
gim said:
Stop yelling hen or rooster. Great way to announce your presence to the entire countryside that you're there.
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IT DOESN'T SEEM MATTER. Think about the dog busting thru cover, you walk thru the cover, gun shots, heck you might even talk to the dog or hit the locate button for the collar. I think way too much is made of this. Heck, I have had guys with whistles and are blowing those things every 30 yards it seems...and they shoot birds. Waiting for A5 to join in.
 
I don't make any of those noises mentioned. Literally, none of them.

It's a factor I can control, so I am going to control it. Limiting the amount of noise I make while I'm deer, turkey, or pheasant hunting is a big part of what I am trying to do out there. Unnatural sounds tip off game.

You guys wanna go in like buffalo, have at it. My suggestion is to be quiet. You will see and harvest a lot more birds, especially late in the season.
 
Crunchy snow is the worst…I like hunting in a modest wind, even a bit more than modest…totally still conditions aren’t for me, not that I can control that…
 
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gim said:
I don't make any of those noises mentioned. Literally, none of them.

It's a factor I can control, so I am going to control it. Limiting the amount of noise I make while I'm deer, turkey, or pheasant hunting is a big part of what I am trying to do out there. Unnatural sounds tip off game.

You guys wanna go in like buffalo, have at it. My suggestion is to be quiet. You will see and harvest a lot more birds, especially late in the season.
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I look like a buffalo, but am not as noisy as one…I’m like a dim-witted gazelle…
 
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gim said:
I don't make any of those noises mentioned. Literally, none of them.
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" Think about the dog busting thru cover, you walk thru the cover, gun shots, heck you might even talk to the dog or hit the locate button for the collar. "

OK, now I hope you are just pulling our chain now Gim. If that is true, your style is not working. Your need a couple gun shots or you need to change things up! Dead grass and all the other dead vegetation, how could you (or a dog) get through that silently at any rate of speed?

You try to be quite, I understand that. I don't bring a snare drum or cymbals, not intentionally trying to make additional noise, but I am far from silent. When I go out with my cousins, I don't see them too often, we are often talking and joking around but we bag our limits. I just am not sure it make much difference. Pheasants do have a few survival tools. They can fly, run or use their camo and hide. The birds use all of these. Using a decent dog, you hope they try to use the hiding technique. They know you are in the field, you are not sneaking up on them, at least in the cover I envision your birds are in.

It seems silly to compare pheasant hunting to deer or turkey hunting...or I just am not doing anything right

Let's shift gears and get you fellas talking about how you prepare for season with exercise and shooting clays. I need to make sure my shotgun is where I left it after last season, if it is, I will be ready!
 
remy3424 said:
" Think about the dog busting thru cover, you walk thru the cover, gun shots, heck you might even talk to the dog or hit the locate button for the collar. "

OK, now I hope you are just pulling our chain now Gim. If that is true, your style is not working. Your need a couple gun shots or you need to change things up! Dead grass and all the other dead vegetation, how could you (or a dog) get through that silently at any rate of speed?

You try to be quite, I understand that. I don't bring a snare drum or cymbals, not intentionally trying to make additional noise, but I am far from silent. When I go out with my cousins, I don't see them too often, we are often talking and joking around but we bag our limits. I just am not sure it make much difference. Pheasants do have a few survival tools. They can fly, run or use their camo and hide. The birds use all of these. Using a decent dog, you hope they try to use the hiding technique. They know you are in the field, you are not sneaking up on them, at least in the cover I envision your birds are in.

It seems silly to compare pheasant hunting to deer or turkey hunting...or I just am not doing anything right

Let's shift gears and get you fellas talking about how you prepare for season with exercise and shooting clays. I need to make sure my shotgun is where I left it after last season, if it is, I will be ready!
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I walk twice a day typically, with my 2 older dogs…the 10 year old limits me a bit. I also walk my pup off leash in a field that resembles sharpy cover…not long walks, but a big loop, maybe 10 minutes. I get about 4 miles in per day on my walks. I’ve shot 3x in the past 3 weeks…I hate bugs, I wait til mid-august…go alone, the machines have a delay function where I shoot…yesterday I took 2 28 gauges, just focused on stations that were normal height crossers and going away birds, with some degree of angle. Not a great clays shooter, but I do fairly well on live birds. Old Vermillion Trail, where I shoot, has a beautiful layout, hilly in some places…most shooters use golf carts, I walk…good long walk. I do enjoy figuring out the needed lead when I’m struggling on certain presentations…usually need more lead. I’ll get out once more before departing for the prairie a week from now…have 50 targets left on my card. Sharpies are good for my ego, huns not so much, but I’ve trained myself to focus on one bird…been working ok.
 
I may end up opening 3 car doors to get the right dog, vest and gun. Or I may jump out 3 shells in my pants pocket , dog without a collar and walk a little draw but still watch them run out the other end. It is what it is.
 
Hunting in a group several years ago, a bird got up and cackled. My friend shot it. As my dog was bringing it back I had that sinking feeling she was bringing back a hen. Took the bird from her mouth and this bird was fully plumed as a hen. Only difference was that “it” had spurs. Hermaphrodite?
 
I think I am done with this thread. Can't reason with some individuals.

You guys hunt how you want to and I'll hunt how I want to. Good luck this season.
 
gim said:
I think I am done with this thread. Can't reason with some individuals.

You guys hunt how you want to and I'll hunt how I want to. Good luck this season.
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Who cares if others are or aren’t persuaded by your logic? It does makes sense, for sure. Just bs’ng here waiting for season to start. Good luck, I’m sure you’ll do well. Now, if we can get the newbies using proper chokes and loads, that’ll be a bonus! I don’t mean newbies here, but the guys who show up with someone else, and need tutorials on IC vs Full, or 5 lead vs 6 steel. They sometimes know what grandpa used in the 50’s or 60’s in the model 12…I’ll urge IC or LM, and standard lead #5 if nontoxic isn’t needed. I see the colorful boxes of high-velocity, 2 3/4” or 3” mags, usually $25-40/box, and cringe. My 12 gauge, 1 1/4 oz #5’s at 1200 fps, and about $11/box are great for me…usually IC or LM, even in late January. I get lots of close flushes that time of year in snowy cattails, or, foodplots. I used to use skeet all season…worked well…IC does, too. I have my LM with in case I’m running into long shots…
 
benelli-banger said:
Who cares if others are or aren’t persuaded by your logic? It does makes sense, for sure. Just bs’ng here waiting for season to start. Good luck, I’m sure you’ll do well. Now, if we can get the newbies using proper chokes and loads, that’ll be a bonus! I don’t mean newbies here, but the guys who show up with someone else, and need tutorials on IC vs Full, or 5 lead vs 6 steel. They sometimes know what grandpa used in the 50’s or 60’s in the model 12…I’ll urge IC or LM, and standard lead #5 if nontoxic isn’t needed. I see the colorful boxes of high-velocity, 2 3/4” or 3” mags, usually $25-40/box, and cringe. My 12 gauge, 1 1/4 oz #5’s at 1200 fps, and about $11/box are great for me…usually IC or LM, even in late January. I get lots of close flushes that time of year in snowy cattails, or, foodplots. I used to use skeet all season…worked well…IC does, too. I have my LM with in case I’m running into long shots…
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Wait, what ? You have a choice of chokes ? I’d have to bring a box of barrels for the old Savage in order to change chokes.

Full chokes for me, I either drop ‘em or miss them completely. I really hate seeing a bird get hit and continue flying.

I do have one shotgun with a modified choke if I have to use steel. Then it’s number 2s, drop them or miss, not much in between.


Edit to say: I don’t have the pleasure of hunting with a pointer, I imagine that would change my views on equipment. Most of my shots seem to be on the longer side. I also don’t shoot if it looks even slightly out of my range.
 
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McFarmer said:
Wait, what ? You have a choice of chokes ? I’d have to bring a box of barrels for the old Savage in order to change chokes.

Full chokes for me, I either drop ‘em or miss them completely. I really hate seeing a bird get hit and continue flying.

I do have one shotgun with a modified choke if I have to use steel. Then it’s number 2s, drop them or miss, not much in between.
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Yeah I use an old brownie A5 that is fixed full.1955.
 
Shooting hens story: out in the cattails, late season cold and deep snow. Rooster gets up to the side and flies left to right, medium range shot. I fixate on him, lead and pull the trigger. He drops and a split second later a hen flying further away and behind him drops like a rock.

Would that be a double ?

Never saw her until she dropped, she had to have been a good ten yards behind him and 20 yards further away.

I have a friend with DNR enforcement, asked him and he said these things happen, if I left it lay nothing would be said.
 
Gim, I have a picture in my head of you....in moccasins with a tennis racket in lush green shin height grass, pheasant hunting silently. If you make your way south, look me up and we can talk and shoot some pheasants...at the same time.
 
McFarmer said:
Shooting hens story: out in the cattails, late season cold and deep snow. Rooster gets up to the side and flies left to right, medium range shot. I fixate on him, lead and pull the trigger. He drops and a split second later a hen flying further away and behind him drops like a rock.

Would that be a double ?

Never saw her until she dropped, she had to have been a good ten yards behind him and 20 yards further away.

I have a friend with DNR enforcement, asked him and he said these things happen, if I left it lay nothing would be said.
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I know of that happening…haven’t had it happen personally, but I did with sharpies about 5 years ago…never saw the 2nd bird til it was falling! It was slightly lower in elevation but flying in an identical formation with the one I shot at…I was above them, they were crossing shots…
 
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