CO pheasant strategy help

PairOfLabs

PairOfLabs

Active member
I often hunt with just one partner and my two close working labs. For CO walk-in properties we try to target center pivot corners with good cover or smaller CRP plots, or cedar shelter belts or draws if we can find them. There are not very many small areas other than the center pivot corners. What's the best way for our small party to hunt a "corner". I try to take into consideration wind direction, sun direction-it's hard to see looking into the sun, what's on all three sides-roads, crops, bare fields, etc.

Does anyone have any tips on how to prioritize these factors? I would typically try to push the birds toward a barrier like a road or winter wheat so that they would be encouraged to fly, rather than just run into an adjacent crop field. For starters, should the two of us work side by side and hunt around the corner in a triangular fashion? If so, how should we pick which corner to start on? Should we each try to start in the opposite corner and work towards the center corner of the "L"? Should we have one guy block at the end of one side of the "L" and have the other guy and dogs work towards him and then repeat the process on the other side of the "L"? And then back across the diagonal? Should we make several up and back pases?

For those of you who have been getting birds and hunting WIA properties, at what times of the day are you hunting which types of property-CRP/cover fields, cut wheat, cut corn? Are there any practical methods for two guys and dogs to work a big CRP field or are we just wasting our time?

I've got five days of hunting in northeastern CO this season and have three birds to show for it so any tips would be appreciated.
 
If I were you i would work the fields the way your dogs have the best advantage, blockers later in the season early in the morning is needed as when you enter the field the birds are already wary and fly out, but if you work the field after the birds are done feeding and back in cover say around 11:00 then the birds have a habit to set alittle tighter, especially if there is a good wind. And now that the corn is almost out the midday and afternoon hunting IMO is the best.
Let your dogs be your guide go were they are heading not were you want to go, If one of my dog is on a bird, i will follow them, I can tell if they are on a rooster or a hen, they just dont get as excited with a hen and when they pick up a hen scent it is not a long walk to the bird, So when they get birdy make sure you have your tennys on,,,:p or blow a sit whistle.
 
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keskam said:
Let your dogs be your guide go were they are heading not were you want to go, ......So when they get birdy make sure you have your tennys on,,,
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These two points are the most important, IMO. The dog knows best.

We fit your mold pretty well - usually two guys and 1 or 2 dogs and prefer pivot corners and smaller pieces of cover.

In general with corners, obviously we prefer to start into the wind to give the dogs the best shot, and generally plan on making a triangle (one guy walks the "hypotenuse" of the long edge along the pivot field, goes to the opposite point, planning to turn back and over to the "middle" corner) the other stays about 10-20 yards in and walks to the middle then both converge on the 'corner' and circle back to the start point. That way you always have a "blocker" a few yards in from the edge.


But - if the pup is going nuts, get on your horse and follow wherever they're moving.
 
My two cents for whatever its worth. Get out of vehicle as quick as you can hit the area and move on. Only exception to this rule is a large tract of ground than not so important. Working corners just move through and get on with life. There is no sense of pounding it out. Good wind in the dogs noses is all i do hit it quick and go. Example I was baling cornstalks about 10 days ago the groups were non chelant on getting ready. The birds were already in the field with me over half a mile away.
 
Yep. We are fully prepped to drop into a field at any moment. Fully clothed and the guns are next to our legs in the truck with the shells waiting in our pockets. We drive past the corner or field we want by at least 100 yards, exit truck without slamming doors, load guns, try not to disrupt much gravel on the road while quickly walking up to it, and jump the field. Me and my hunting partner never spend more than 15 minutes in a corner.
 
keskam, cedahm, engpointerman, & wilsonchevy,
Thanks for the great pointers. I have definitely been guilty of scaring birds off by not getting into the field quickly enough or scaring them with the vehicle driving up. I'll put those changes into my next hunt this Wednesday-hopefully with a nice fresh coat of snow. I also ordered some PH hunting books on Amazon. Thanks again and good luck out there.
 
Trust your dog. Point them into the wind and watch for indications of them picking up a scent. Although in good cover, a bird can be holding anywhere, so be ready..
 
I'm might be new to the forum but I'm old to the hunt. My two cents: Work those corners into the wind if at all possible. Trust your dogs, their nose knows! Never walk in a straight line, you stand a better chance of kicking up birds if you zig-zag through the cover. Always stop about 10 yards before the edge of the cover and wait 2 minutes before you step out. I have seen guys walk right out of the cover only to have roosters rise up behind them. By stopping for two minutes you can sometimes make birds that are holding nervous and they'll explode right in front of you.
 
I second that one, Sig. I'm a big fan of the 10-yard rule. Walk 10 yards, wait one minute, walk another 10, etc etc. And definitely a longer wait just at the edge.

Can't tell you how many birds have popped up while I was motionless. If you're hunting with a dog, make sure he/she is motionless at the same time. The birds that were waiting for you to walk by will think "Oh, crap - they've found me!" and up they go.

One other tip, more often than not, a pheasant will fly downwind when they get up - they get more speed this way. It pays to stagger your approach so that you have one guy that's a bit downwind (usually the better shot) so if the first guy misses, you've got a safety.
 
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