Birds in bunches and late season tactics

S

sas

Member
I think it would be fun to get some opinions on two subjects. Is it an advantage or disadvantage when the birds get in big flocks instead of being split up? And what are a couple of your late season tips for trying to bag a few birds?

Personally I would rather find the birds a few at a time instead of those 50-100 flocks. It is certainly impressive to see the sky full but never very productive for me. At this time of the season I think in pays off to sometimes reverse the route you normally take in walking the cover. This seems to confuse the birds since their normal escape route is cut off. Also need to get the blockers in place before you ever enter the field. Last time out we had them flushing 1/4 mile in front of the drivers. Run SILENT as possible. I'm working on my dogs responding to my tone collar. Work on my partners next.

Let's hear some feed back. Sounds like our weather next week may bring us some white stuff.
 
I usually hunt by myself and when I get outa the truck I park as far away as possible and don't slam any doors or anything. Hunt with the wind in my face and be as quiet as possible. My dog will turn and look at me when I whistle with my mouth and make a quail sound. Sounds funny I know but thats what I have hime doing. When he turns to look at me I can give him hand signal on which way to go if I wanna change directions or have him hunt a particular area. Believe me there was no special training involved in this he just kinda picked it up on his own.

But I just try to be as quiet as possible.
 
Stealth and hunting in numbers seems to work out pretty good for me. Stop before you get close to the field, get your dogs and guns ready and have the blockers get in place. Pull up, get out quickly yet quietly and proceed through the field walking slow but stopping every 50 yds or so for a while. It has always seemed to work for our group so hopefully it will work for you.
 
I do all of the other stuff suggested here, but this being my first year to live in/near pheasant country - the hardest part for me is finding more than one or two of us who can get together to hunt at the same time...I do like hunting by myself SOMETIMES & earlier in the season, and most other times I would prefer to keep the group-hunting on the small side with 2-4 guys & several dogs - but this late in the year when the roosters are so high-strung W-I-L-D & wily, I know of several places that it sure would be nice to have about 6-8 guys - all taking their turns at half quietly working the dogs thru the cover & the other half all pre-set-up in their places to block/post both sides & the end!

With the right number & quality-sportsmen/safety-minded kind of guys (who would not come back & bring all their buddies to hunt my first-year hard-earned private behind my back & not me vice-versa either--everybody knock on your own doors) - it would still be an absolute "duck-shoot" in several of my hot-spots that I know inside-out right now!!! :D

But alas, I can hardly even manage to find two of us and a couple dogs to work together & the most people I have hunted with all year long is three guys & three dogs on one occasion!...Once the birds are well-educated & juiced-up & without conducive weather on the hunter's side (and not the birds) - in many rooster-filled places it becomes almost impossible for one or two guys & a couple dogs to corral/contain the little psyco Tasmanian devils from blowing out ahead on the sides & ends!!! :eek: Hence my "e-harmony" attempts on this forum (Ha-Ha) to try to assemble a few guys who are all on the same page & ready to do some serious teamwork! Oh well, maybe next year... :cheers:
 
Silent Hunting

Hunting in silence -- no voice, no whistle -- should help stalk jumpy late season birds. With my new Dogtra collar that has a vibrate button, I am now able to communicate with the dog without whistling or voice inputs. He at least alters his course or stops when I vibrate and usually looks at me. I give him the "come" hand signal usually because I am vibrating because he is out too far or has gone in the wrong direction.
 
As we all know here, follow the dog. I hunt with just one friend, we both have one dog and when we are in large fields of CRP our motto is follow the dog. Even if we have to split up, the dog can smell the birds better than I can. I have hunted with guys who want there dog to hunt only in front of them and have called there dogs off many a bird. If the dog is birdy put your running shoes on and go get em.

zeepo
 
Zeepo, agreed! This is the first full year I have had a hunting dog and after all the time and work I put into him I owe it to myself to let him do what he was trained to do and find the birds. It only took one time for me to learn...I was calling him to come and he wouldn't budge. I went over to the dog fully intending to let him know who was the boss and when I got with 5 feet a rooster busted up in front of us. From then on I just followed my dog. Oddly enough I have gotten more birds this year than in any previous year.

:cheers:
 
I know how you felt because I have been there. When I do hunt with rookies with no dogs my only advise to them is never take your eyes off the dogs. The worst time I ever felt was my german wirehair who pointed a rooster that got up and I shot it. It went out and retrieved it and then stopped about 20 ft in front of me and was just looking at me with the rooster in its mouth. I was hollering and cussing at him and did just what you were going to do, show him whose boss. When I got about 5 ft from him out busted another rooster. Which I missed because I was being such a butthead. On the way home I stopped at McDonalds for 2 quater pounders for the dog. Never made that mistake again. Its amazing what you can learn from a dog. Sometimes I wonder who's training who.

zeepo
 
dog

Zeepo said:
I know how you felt because I have been there. When I do hunt with rookies with no dogs my only advise to them is never take your eyes off the dogs. The worst time I ever felt was my german wirehair who pointed a rooster that got up and I shot it. It went out and retrieved it and then stopped about 20 ft in front of me and was just looking at me with the rooster in its mouth. I was hollering and cussing at him and did just what you were going to do, show him whose boss. When I got about 5 ft from him out busted another rooster. Which I missed because I was being such a butthead. On the way home I stopped at McDonalds for 2 quater pounders for the dog. Never made that mistake again. Its amazing what you can learn from a dog. Sometimes I wonder who's training who.

zeepo
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My dog gets excited when we are coming back from hunting and sees the golden arches...I have to take the pickles off the burgers or she leaves them in the crack of the seat. The dog's nose knows...
 
I didn't read everything so I don't know if anyone else has said this but, Cold or not I like to go on realy windy days, and early in the morning. They stick tight in the heavy cover here, and they can't hear you coming. I also size down my spots and hit more of em.
 
sas said:
I think it would be fun to get some opinions on two subjects. Is it an advantage or disadvantage when the birds get in big flocks instead of being split up? And what are a couple of your late season tips for trying to bag a few birds?

Personally I would rather find the birds a few at a time instead of those 50-100 flocks. It is certainly impressive to see the sky full but never very productive for me. At this time of the season I think in pays off to sometimes reverse the route you normally take in walking the cover. This seems to confuse the birds since their normal escape route is cut off. Also need to get the blockers in place before you ever enter the field. Last time out we had them flushing 1/4 mile in front of the drivers. Run SILENT as possible. I'm working on my dogs responding to my tone collar. Work on my partners next.

Let's hear some feed back. Sounds like our weather next week may bring us some white stuff.
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Hey Big Guy, I'd rather flush onezies and twozies to hope for a quality shot. When that big flock is out there you just need one "nervous Nelly" to take flight and the sky is filled with pheasants. Unfortunately, this all happens out of gun range this time of year but it is fun to watch. Then, I can just about promise you some good exercise and no shots.
 
We've had our best & most consistent luck all year long scratchin' around thru the big/deep stuff for stragglers (some beautiful textbook flushes too I might add)! :thumbsup: ...Other than really early in the season, those big groups this late in the year with way too many eyes & ears have spelled nothing for me but unmanageable t-r-o-u-b-l-e!!! :eek:
 
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