First few hours in the field

AtTheMurph

AtTheMurph

Well-known member
Well I couldn't make it out for the opener last Saturday but I did manage to sneak out for a couple of hours this afternoon in Iroquois Co today.

Had my two dogs and a nice little ditch that takes me 2 hours to walk. Hadn't had a chance to get out and scout at all and was worried by the effects of the drought this summer. I expected some changes but was surprised at how sparse the grass was. Not much cover except deep in the ditch. Couple of spots were thick enough but places that usually are waist high are ankle deep.

Managed to kick up 5 cocks, no hens (?). Didn't shoot at any, just wanted to get dog work. One cock was a beauty with a very long tail. Holding a shot on it was tough!

My honey hole that is close by has almost no cover.... The farmer did get some milo into it and there are some strips that provide some cover but generally little to hold birds.

I got a feeling it's going to be a run and chase kind of year!

Hitting the Indiana opener Fri in Benton/Newton Counties. Hoping these farmers have some thicker cover.
 
I haven't had a chance to hit IL pheasants either Murph:( Maybe tomorrow:confused:


Let me know how you do with Indy roosters.


Here's a nice video of wild IL pheasants that was just posted on YouTube. Some nice wild birds in here.:thumbsup: I suppose we can live through other. lol

http://youtu.be/kyPYZMXoDyY
 
I did the Indiana opener on Friday. Was invited to join a group of guys in Benton County (just east of Iroquois). The group turned out to be 13 guys and 7 dogs, more like a small army and far too many for me to feel comfortable but I was out with the dogs and it was a beautiful day!

The first ditch we hunted looked like it had everything I like to see except a single bird!

The second spot was a dried out swampy area with willows and reeds and some grass that I knew had to contain some birds. It did - two big cocks and I got the first one over a nice point from my Vizsla and had an easy shot at the second but one of the other hunters was too close for comfort. Someone else popped it but I could tell how it went down it was going to run.

I got to the spot within 15 seconds and got three of the other dogs on it right away but they couldn't find it. My dogs were looking for the bird I dropped so I didn't call them off. Vizsla found it.

Next hunted a spot that adjoins one of the Indiana reserved pheasant hunt properties. Three lucky people were hunting it and they each filled their limits and had kicked up a covey of quail of 20+ birds. We worked two separate ditches that run into and out of that property. Saw approx 10 birds in one and 15 in the other. Mostly cocks.

Last place we went was a farm about 1 mile from the state line that has a nice piece of CRP on it about 15 acres. Kicked at least 25 birds out of it and then worked a long ditch where we put up another 10-15 birds.

In all we bagged 13 cocks and saw 50-70 birds (I usually count but didn't). I also found an android app that I have been using that tracks distance walked and elevation changes etc but I forgot to turn it on. Did it on a grouse hunt 2 weeks ago and it is very cool - google tracks I think it's called.

I am getting to hunt one of those Indiana reserve hunt properties this Wed that can't be more than 1/2 mile from the state line. I was told that one is crappy so we have a few other places lined up. Still looking to get over to Iroquois Co soon. Might not be until after THNKSGVG.
 
Murph, that's a great story;). You've made my day:thumbsup: At this point I'm still "pheasant hunting" through other peoples stories, photos, and video.

Sounds like a great day afield, fantastic dog work and lots of wild roosters and to top it off there's word of Bobwhites:cheers:


Thanks for sharing.:)
 
I did that Indiana reserve hunt ground last Wed. It can't be more than 1/2 mile from the IL state line.

I had been told by one of the guys on the IN opener that the property my buddy got chosen to hunt sucked. No birds, only deer is what he said. It's 60 acres and showed signs of the drought but had some cover that should have been good enough.

We kicked 4 birds out of it - 1 cock and 3 hens. Did also kick 6 deer out and 4 rabbits. I had an easy shot at the cock but let it go towards my buddy who had invited me. Thought it was the least I could do. He unloaded and didn't ruffle a feather. :rolleyes:

Did a couple of other places and saw a few birds and a monster buck! Again less than 1 mile from the state line. Bagged one cock and flushed some hens.

Later my new dog saw something in the grass and took off hell bent after it. He dove into the ditch, which is at least 10 feet deep and came up the other side. I thought for sure it would be a running cock but he shot out of the grass right on a coyote's butt. My dog got in a good bite on it, and dropped the sucker to the ground. Yote tried to bite dog and my guy gave up and came back.

Coyote ran down the ditch at my blocker who dropped it.
 
I was able to get out in Iroquois again last weekend. Hit it Sat for a quick run through and it was weather that I love - damp, light wind, overcast.

My young dog got the first bird action. He pinned down a hen about 20 feet out into the corn stubble and made a nice point. Both dogs pointed another hen at the end of the side of the ditch I was working.

Got to the other side and walked almost the entire side with no action and I was really getting discouraged when I saw a cock sneak out of the grass and high tail it out to the corn. Dogs were awfully birdy when a cock flushed just to my left and gave me an easy shot as he crossed right in front of me about 20 yards out but I let him go.

Then the hens started to boil. 7 flew up as the dogs started getting closer to a thick little patch of that stuff we call section weed. Two more cocks, each of which I could have shot at (and probably gotten) jumped out but I let them go too. I was hoping to pin one down with a point but suckers were skittish.

Made my way across the ditch and worked the last half mile I have permission to hunt and my old dog had a beautiful point on a hen (and I knew it was a hen before it flushed by the slight tail wag my Vizsla gives sometimes on hens). Braque pointed another hen a little ways down. Then my Vizsla went on point again down on the edge of the creek and Braque went on point about 20 feet away.

Decisions, decisions!

Didn't matter, both were hens and 4 more flushed after those two pointed birds went up. All in all a nice day of action, 4 cocks and about 16 hens or so. Didn't take one shot which I am sure disappointed the dogs. Looks like I won't be able to get out in IL until after Xmas. :(
 
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Some of the last Illinois pheasants of the year.

These were from Friday before New Years day weekend. Saw about 50 birds this day and we sucked! Only bagged one cock.

Went out again Thurs afterward and saw about 50 more and shot 5 cocks between the three of us. Almost a limit. After the terrible shooting I did this year that was a miracle.

The second pic was a double point on two cocks. I was shocked and figured there was only one bird that had moved. My non-hunting buddy got off 2 shots at the first to flush and as I turned to watch that bird fly off unscathed a second flushed and scared the crap out of me. I shot twice but knew I was not going to get him and I didn't even nick him! SOB flew at least 2 miles downwind in a heavy breeze.
 
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Thanks for sharing your pictures Murph. I guess that's that for the season isn't it?

I got out the day after Christmas. Dog flushed a nice rooster but there was a house in the background. Wasn't comfortable with the shot so I let him go.

That's just been the theme of the 2012 pheasant season for me. It was just an off-year. Nothing flowed! Still made some nice memories though. Saw some nice birds out there. Hopefully they'll be breeding in the spring:thumbsup:

Sounds like you had some frustration of your own with shooting. That's hunting though right?:) It's the challenge of bagging those wild pheasants that makes it so much fun!

Til next season:cheers:
 
I hunted IL a 3 times, along with Indiana 3 times. I think I took a total of 9 or 10 shots.

Had some really great days in the field when I didn't get to take any or very few shots. One day I saw 14 birds (In Indiana) and the others were all around 40-60.

Not terrific numbers but decent amounts. Losing lots of cover around where I hunt which is the most disappointing thing. Without cover we won't have birds.

What has been really frustrating is the quail hunting. My bud has been out in the afternoons after work and sees coveys every time. We go back in the mornings and have found one in 4 tries!? WTF? Out feeding? Gone? He was seeing starlings? What?
 
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