AtTheMurph
Well-known member
Did my first real pheasant hunt in Indiana 11/20. Hit two spots in Benton county and 1 in Newton. The first thing is noticed in all three is that the cover is far better this year than the last two seasons. Very encouraging!
We had 4 guys and 3 dogs. Weather was damp and dreary with little wind. Thought it would be a good day to be a bird dog. We kicked up 25 birds. They held very tight and the majority were cocks. Probably 5 to one. 20 cocks and 5 hens.
We also say 5 deer (one decent buck), a mink, and 3 coyotes. We bagged 6 birds, well we shot 5 and my dog caught a cock that was buried in cover so think he tried to run for a bit, then hit the edge of the cover took 2-3 flaps and got waylaid by a little Brittany. Dog did not want to release that bird which is unusual. I think because it was fighting so hard. I had to fight to get him to release and bird went about trying to tear my hand apart with spurs.
Finished on a little corner piece where we had one guy block in some thick stuff. I had to cross a bridge to get to where he was, and he walked away. I took dog over to where he had been standing and dog goes on point. Blocker wouldn't believe it. he had been standing within 2 feet of where dog was pointing. I started kicking around and nothing. But dog wouldn't leave. Kicked around and kicked around and finally a cock took off. I never saw or felt it until them. Bagged it! Cover is thick.
One of friends dogs got caught on a coyote set up. Dog had wondered off as we were loading up trucks. There is a lone tree an dog is near it making some odds noises. I thought maybe treed a squirrel or something. Dog would come so owner goes to see what's up. Can see he's on the ground doing something then screams. "I need HELP!" I got my fat old ass running about 150 yards to him carrying my vest (it has a wire cutter). Get there and he couldn't release the leg hold trap because when he tried his dog was biting the hell out of him and he couldn't do it one handed.
I hunt these spots every year and easily the most birds we have seen in 10 years. last few years we might have seen 7 -10 total and on one, zero.
We had 4 guys and 3 dogs. Weather was damp and dreary with little wind. Thought it would be a good day to be a bird dog. We kicked up 25 birds. They held very tight and the majority were cocks. Probably 5 to one. 20 cocks and 5 hens.
We also say 5 deer (one decent buck), a mink, and 3 coyotes. We bagged 6 birds, well we shot 5 and my dog caught a cock that was buried in cover so think he tried to run for a bit, then hit the edge of the cover took 2-3 flaps and got waylaid by a little Brittany. Dog did not want to release that bird which is unusual. I think because it was fighting so hard. I had to fight to get him to release and bird went about trying to tear my hand apart with spurs.
Finished on a little corner piece where we had one guy block in some thick stuff. I had to cross a bridge to get to where he was, and he walked away. I took dog over to where he had been standing and dog goes on point. Blocker wouldn't believe it. he had been standing within 2 feet of where dog was pointing. I started kicking around and nothing. But dog wouldn't leave. Kicked around and kicked around and finally a cock took off. I never saw or felt it until them. Bagged it! Cover is thick.
One of friends dogs got caught on a coyote set up. Dog had wondered off as we were loading up trucks. There is a lone tree an dog is near it making some odds noises. I thought maybe treed a squirrel or something. Dog would come so owner goes to see what's up. Can see he's on the ground doing something then screams. "I need HELP!" I got my fat old ass running about 150 yards to him carrying my vest (it has a wire cutter). Get there and he couldn't release the leg hold trap because when he tried his dog was biting the hell out of him and he couldn't do it one handed.
I hunt these spots every year and easily the most birds we have seen in 10 years. last few years we might have seen 7 -10 total and on one, zero.