2024/2025 Pheasant Hunting Videos

I'll have my 11 month old Lab out for the first hunt with his big "brother" next week. Interesting to see your pup in the field with Sage.
 
Don't shoot young birds, and say some command when you knock a bird down,so your dog knows a bird is down.Dead bird,fetch, eureka, some kind of command.
 
That was great. I loved watching the pup. I watched it on my phone and thought was that a bonus sharptail it seemed too dark. I know a lot of elk hunters who say any bull is a good bull. That goes for roosters also. Keep the videos coming.
 
Bob Peters said:
Clips from MN opener weekend. I think solo hunts make for better watching. This video has a little of both. I wonder if Roxy is part pointer?
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Solo hunts make for better hunting and watching. I know you mentioned the mowed paths, but seeing some of the roosters flying back at you, are you sure you weren't hunting at the WCoT Flare Nare Preserve? ;)

On another note, some of that grass looks like foxtail. Not sure which variety, but just something to be aware of. I could be wrong, too.
 
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I think the old flyback rooster happened because the whole group hunting deal. A real wierd one was I heard a cackle, saw a rooster take flight and fly towards my buddy, and land 20 yards in front of him on the fenceline. Then the rooster crows and flushes again heading towards my buddy and off to his left. He whiffed 3 times. I've missed my share, but that was a good one for sure😆. We weren't sure if maybe it was a wounded bird, and the dog had gotten past him and flushed him back. Or could have just been a 1st year bird doing funny things.

Is foxtail a "mean seed"? The field we were in was a new planting by the dnr as last year it was a bean field.
 
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Bob Peters said:
Is foxtail a "mean seed"? The field we were in was a new planting by the dnr as last year it was a bean field.
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Yes. And last time I looked into it, the Pheasants Forever seed mixes include it (which is where the DNR may be getting it). I think I read that there was some mandate from the federal government to include it, but I don't know the details. I won't say more other than I'm not happy about it.

If I am wrong, please let me know. I would love to be wrong about this.
 
Bob Peters said:
I think the old flyback rooster happened because the whole group hunting deal. A real wierd one was I heard a cackle, saw a rooster take flight and fly towards my buddy, and land 20 yards in front of him on the fenceline. Then the rooster crows and flushes again heading towards my buddy and off to his left. He whiffed 3 times. I've missed my share, but that was a good one for sure😆. We weren't sure if maybe is was a wounded bird, and the dog had gotten past him and flushed him back. Or could have just been a 1st year bird doing funny things.

Is foxtail a "mean seed"? The field we were in was a new planting by the dnr as last year it was a bean field.
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Young birds are pretty dumb sometimes.

Foxtail is a mean seed. When Sage got a hole in her lung a few years back, that is what the vets assumed was the cause. Last year, we got into a spot with some and that night, I'll bet I picked a dozen seed heads out of Sage's fur. The mothertrucking things burrow their way in to the fur and can get into the skin, or can be inhaled. Foxtail might be good for pheasants, but it's deadly for dogs.
 
Golden Hour said:
Young birds are pretty dumb sometimes.

Foxtail is a mean seed. When Sage got a hole in her lung a few years back, that is what the vets assumed was the cause. Last year, we got into a spot with some and that night, I'll bet I picked a dozen seed heads out of Sage's fur. The mothertrucking things burrow their way in to the fur and can get into the skin, or can be inhaled. Foxtail might be good for pheasants, but it's deadly for dogs.
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What symptoms manifested to lead you to discovering Sage had a holein her lung?
 
Bob Peters said:
Is foxtail a "mean seed"? The field we were in was a new planting by the dnr as last year it was a bean field.
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Bob, what I saw in your most recent video is Canada wild rye. Definitely a mean seed. Maybe the video doesn't tell the whole story, but I really didn't see tons of it where you were hunting. If everywhere we see any we avoid hunting, we'd practically have to stop hunting public land. I usually don't get terribly alarmed unless it's one of the more dominant grasses in a field. I've seen (& know I've hunted before I got educated) fields full of it. They put it in some seed mixes, because it establishes itself quickly, but then dies out as other grasses take hold. Except it doesn't usually seem to die out as quickly as some "experts" say it will. See the "Grass Awns - Deadly for Your Dog" thread in this forum section.
 
gps4 said:
What symptoms manifested to lead you to discovering Sage had a holein her lung?
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We hunted one afternoon (quick limit, Sage was her normal self) and when I got home, I struggled to get her out of the truck. That night, she laid downstairs (which was weird) and shivered really hard. The next day, she was fine and I didn't think much more about it, but then she developed a cough. A couple days later, we went hunting again and same thing, fine while hunting, shivering and out of sorts afterward. Took her to the vet and she had so much air in her chest cavity that it was putting pressure on her heart. Vet drained off the air a handful of times, took her in for a CT scan, and somehow whatever caused the hole healed itself and a month later she was hunting again. Both vets that saw her figured it was an awn that got inhaled, migrated through her lung and ended up somewhere on her side and her body sealed it off.
 
I think, as GH said, coughing, sneezing and or a lethargic dog. Plus any unusual pain which might signify an infection. Fever usually accompanied an infection too. I had a black lab who was 6 or so who developed a hard time getting up. Painful. Took him to the vet and they found an infection near his lung and ended up lancing it and putting a drain in for several days. Lots of antibiotics too. Turned out ok but was scary at the time. Not sure it was an awn, but looking back on it that would be my guess.
 
Finally got a video put together. Starting video season with our 4th hunt (5th including a youth outing), as it was freshest in my mind & arguably the best footage. Fun to be back at the laptop, but incredibly fantastic to be back hunting pheasants! (although the 8+ month off season seems to pass faster every year)

Also, if you guys are able to watch YouTube on your TV, THAT'S how you should be watching these! It's sooo much more enjoyable than a computer or a dumb little phone. Make sure the resolution setting is high. At least 1080, if not 2k or 4k. Your device doesn't necessarily choose the best setting for you automatically.

 
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