Chester
Yes a Chesapeake can hunt pheasants. I have had a Chesapeake for my dog for a long time now. The Chesapeake motto - equal ability on land and water . So do you have access to land where you can put out birds yourself ? Pheasants are at the top of the price list , maybe chukar. I have used pigeons to teach a dog to quarter and get started. Pheasant hunting involves a lot of types of cover. Eastern Colorado/Western Nebraska small grains and thin cover are not the best for a hard charging flushing dog. Take that same dog to South Dakota with cattails and thicker grasses and things are great . Have you heard of Hunting Retriever Club . Check the website , there are three clubs located in Fl. That would be a good start for training. Any other Chesapeakes in your area , there are some really good ones in the Pensacola area.
It's really fun to see a Chesapeake on a morning pheasant hunt and the sun hits the waves in the fur on the rib cage as it's nose is working and tail is moving at high speed.