Birds tougher as the season progresses?

chadsbritt

chadsbritt

New member
Do you guys think pheasants get tougher as the season progresses? I mean, do you think there plummage gets thicker? It just seems like they are harder to take down later in the year. I saw a bird get hit twice this past week, did summer-salts in mid air, hit the ground running, was shot again, and then took off flying! Are you kidding me!?!?!? And other birds we've been shooting lately just don't seem to go down as easy as they did earlier in the season. I've noticed this in past years too.
 
If you are using Lead shot it is a proven fact that lead gets softer as the temperature decreases,which could explain your problem.

-Cliff Clavin.
 
For sure, as the birds mature and all the pin feathers grow out with the Winter plumage the shot will have a harder time penetrating.
 
I am using lead. That is interesting. I've never heard that it gets softer when temps get colder. That may be part of the problem, but last time I hunted, it just wasn't that cold.
 
Purely non-scientific thought

Pheasants add a tremendous amount of that yellow fat underneath their outer skin layer. If you clean a bird on opening weekend they usually don't have much if any of that "chicken fat" but as the season wears on and their feedbag is on almost every day I start to see larger and larger amount of that stuff.
 
I do think birds get tougher as the season gets later and the weather is colder. Wild roosters are pretty tough...and of course longer shots make a difference too. Stands to reason that their plumage is thicker, etc!

regarding copper....I think you mean copper plated lead shot. It is supposed to maintain its shape better than lead and therefore it patterns better. I think most pheasant hunters in the Dakotas use the good copper plated Federal pheasant load that packs a wallop at 1500 fps!! Lots of time you are shooting at a bird that is flying away from you...so you want a load that will penetrate into the vitals and give you a clean kill.

Hope the pheasants are finding shelter and some food. They are resourceful. Our family in SD said where they live the snow has not been as bad as earlier predicted!

100% guarantee of pheasant hunting next fall!
 
DennyJ said:
If you are using Lead shot it is a proven fact that lead gets softer as the temperature decreases,which could explain your problem.

-Cliff Clavin.
Click to expand...

Denny J, O.K. I will bite. Does referencing Cliff Clavin mean something cryptic? If your serious, please elaborate because what you said is not intuitive.
 
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Denny J, thanks for responding, the jokes on me.;) I was searching the net for the Rockwell scale of lead and it dawned me that I might be shot size and pellet energy a little to seriously.
 
As the roosters get older and tougher as the season goes, I use only 4 lead.
Not unusual to give them 2 doses.:thumbsup:
 
Great stuff guys. Yeah, I only try to use copper plated Federal Premium that flies at 1550 FPS, and size 4 is my size of choice. And I'll be sure to aim for the corn entry point, not hte exit point. :D
 
mnmthunting said:
As the roosters get older and tougher as the season goes, I use only 4 lead.
Not unusual to give them 2 doses.:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I'm a big believer in that line of thinking as well. In fact I start using #4 half way into the season. With the right choke, a good plated #4 will anchor birds out to 40 + yards.

My favorite load if I can find it is the Federal Premium Wingshok 1-3/8 oz of # 4 at 1500 fps.
 
^I would buy a crap load of shells at the end of the year if I knew I was going to use them the following season!

Back on topic, I shoot Federal 2-3/4" Wingshok 5 shot, lead 1550 FPS, Magnum load (for the A-5 of course) all year 'round. Never had a better shell IMO. Gotta shoot the "magnum" so the A-5 will eject properly.
 
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