70 M.P.H. Pheasant

BritChaser

Well-known member
On the way back from SD, I was in NE NE with the cruise control set at 65. A cock pheasant flushed from the left side of the highway and began flying beside me about four feet off the ground. He stayed right beside me for a couple of seconds, then gained speed, overtaking my vehicle, and flying across the road directly in front at a shallow angle. He landed in the ditch on the right about 40 feet ahead of the vehicle. That's alot of speed. No wonder those English SxSs used for driven hunts are choked full and full.
 
Thanks for sharing your story Brit.:)

One of the many highlights of my last trip to SD was a "rooster rocket" like you described. He did the same thing when coming into the roost. Flew up next to our truck with wings flapping much faster than I've seen on most roosters.

Saw the same thing with one rooster in 2010, and have one on a pheasant hunting video that does it too. Quiet literately the bird flushes at foot and within a "split second" the bird is long-gone-out-of-range. No wind pushing the bird, just raw speed. It seems some smaller, streamline, wild roosters have more strength and ability to beat their wings much faster than pace than other wild pheasants.:confused:

Heck of a target to hit:eek:
 
Those birds can move. I once had a group of pigeons keep up with me for about 5mi on the highway with the cruise set at 80 but I think they had a tail wind.
 
Glad you're okay. On a lighter note, it's good you were in a non-tox/steel vehicle . . .
 
If any of you have the video by Stoney-Wolf Productions UPLAND BIRD HUNTING with Tom Huggler you can see one these "70 mph" roosters in flight.:thumbsup:


Forward to 25min/21 sec (25:21) in the pheasant section of the video.

P.S.--this is a great video with basic pheasant, grouse, and quail hunting information for those of you who are just getting started and want to know a few basics for hunting these birds. There's also some nice video of the Stauchi/Sichuan pheasant. Also, section 50:38 shows a pen raised Strauchi/Sichuan rooster taking to flight. Notice how fast this bird flushes. He explodes into the air. No coyote or fox would have a chance at grabbing this bird. Tremendously fast for a pen raised bird! In other sections you'll notice this breed constantly moving his head up and down looking for predators. Right out of the pen these birds were wild like!

Just note; that this video was made in the mid-90's so harvest numbers are not what they are in Illinois and a few other states they mention.;):)
 
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If any of you have the video by Stoney-Wolf Productions UPLAND BIRD HUNTING with Tom Huggler you can see one these "70 mph" roosters in flight.:thumbsup:


Forward to 25min/21 sec (25:21) in the pheasant section of the video.

P.S.--this is a great video with basic pheasant, grouse, and quail hunting information for those of you who are just getting started and want to know a few basics for hunting these birds. There's also some nice video of the Stauchi/Sichuan pheasant. Also, section 50:38 shows a pen raised Strauchi/Sichuan rooster taking to flight. Notice how fast this bird flushes. He explodes into the air. No coyote or fox would have a chance at grabbing this bird. Tremendously fast for a pen raised bird! In other sections you'll notice this breed constantly moving his head up and down looking for predators. Right out of the pen these birds were wild like!

Just note; that this video was made in the mid-90's so harvest numbers are not what they are in Illinois and a few other states they mention.;):)

I have this video! It is tradition to watch it a day before the opener.
"Sage old jungle cocks"!
 
Had no luck finding the Huggler video on YouTube.
 
Is this the video where he is hunting in Kansas and giving hunting tips?
 
To me it seems like the pheasants down in Kansas are slimmer and faster fliers and runners than the birds we have up north.
 
To me it seems like the pheasants down in Kansas are slimmer and faster fliers and runners than the birds we have up north.

They vary from state to state, and even within the state. That's a good thing. Keeps genetic diversity going.

straying a bit:) ;This past fall I hunting a multiple sections of SD. Each section had a different bird. Color, size, speed, eye color, ring size, some barley had any ring at all in one area.
 
Is this the video where he is hunting in Kansas and giving hunting tips?


No, but I think I know of the video you're speaking of. That's the video where he hunts with English Pointers? I have that one hiding somewhere. Don't remember the name of it off hand.:confused:
 
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