Lessons Learned

W

Wing Shooter

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My biggest mistake was not shouldering my shotgun while wearing a down jacket and a vest before leaving. I've hunted a lot of upland game...in So Cal. During coldest parts of upland seasons, a light jacket was warm enough. Often, I hunted in a t-shirt and blaze orange vest. A 13 1/2 LOP would have been perfect for cold Kansas mornings.

My guide, who was of the highest echelon of pheasant savvy, looked over my arsenal of 12 gauge shells. He carefully examined every box of factory ammo. I anticipated his choosing #5. Nope. He handed me a box of #6 high base and told me to use them. They worked.

I never hunted upland game in below-freezing temperatures.

I saw a ton of 20 gauge shells scattered on the field of pheasants. I hunted with hunters who used 12 gauge shotguns. Benelli was the most popular shotgun.

Keeping in mind that I have only one sub-freezing pheasant hunt under my belt, the following is what I learned, not to be confused with knowledge:

1. A lightweight, fast-handling 20 gauge shotgun with a 26" would be perfect.
2. Practice shouldering the shotgun you'll use with clothes you'll wear before you go.
3. An O/U or SxS would be a perfect pheasant gun.
4. Kill pheasants on the flush. If the first shot doesn't fold 'em, a second shot might. The third shot is a wasted shell.
5. A long barrel isn't necessary to kill flushed pheasants. A 24" barrel might be ideal for killing flushed birds.
6. Shotgun and ammo are nowhere as important as getting your gun's muzzle on a flushed bird ASAP.
7. Always know where your guide, other hunters, and dogs are before shouldering a shotgun.

Reference #7, my guide told me a story of a pheasant hunter who was shot in the back at close range by another hunter. By an act of God, the shotgun-shot victim lived. I'm sure he spent quite a spell in hospital. My guess is cold weather clothing probably saved his life.

Since I haven't attained prairie pheasant hunter status, I welcome input.
 
Wing Shooter said:
My biggest mistake was not shouldering my shotgun while wearing a down jacket and a vest before leaving. I've hunted a lot of upland game...in So Cal. During coldest parts of upland seasons, a light jacket was warm enough. Often, I hunted in a t-shirt and blaze orange vest. A 13 1/2 LOP would have been perfect for cold Kansas mornings.

My guide, who was of the highest echelon of pheasant savvy, looked over my arsenal of 12 gauge shells. He carefully examined every box of factory ammo. I anticipated his choosing #5. Nope. He handed me a box of #6 high base and told me to use them. They worked.

I never hunted upland game in below-freezing temperatures.

I saw a ton of 20 gauge shells scattered on the field of pheasants. I hunted with hunters who used 12 gauge shotguns. Benelli was the most popular shotgun.

Keeping in mind that I have only one sub-freezing pheasant hunt under my belt, the following is what I learned, not to be confused with knowledge:

1. A lightweight, fast-handling 20 gauge shotgun with a 26" would be perfect.
2. Practice shouldering the shotgun you'll use with clothes you'll wear before you go.
3. An O/U or SxS would be a perfect pheasant gun.
4. Kill pheasants on the flush. If the first shot doesn't fold 'em, a second shot might. The third shot is a wasted shell.
5. A long barrel isn't necessary to kill flushed pheasants. A 24" barrel might be ideal for killing flushed birds.
6. Shotgun and ammo are nowhere as important as getting your gun's muzzle on a flushed bird ASAP.
7. Always know where your guide, other hunters, and dogs are before shouldering a shotgun.

Reference #7, my guide told me a story of a pheasant hunter who was shot in the back at close range by another hunter. By an act of God, the shotgun-shot victim lived. I'm sure he spent quite a spell in hospital. My guess is cold weather clothing probably saved his life.

Since I haven't attained prairie pheasant hunter status, I welcome input.
Click to expand...
Guide? LOL.
 
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#2 Once you are hunting throw the gun to your shoulder and simulate a discharge. Do this every 10 minutes to restore "shooting muscle memory".
Your kill percentage will improve. We become distracted easily without constant action. I'll even swing on hens or tweetie birds to practice a smooth gun mount. Try it.
 
You would be amazed how many birds are killed on the 3rd shot. Also more capacity when you flush a group of birds, as birds are flushing your rushing to reload your double. I always have one of each.
 
Carry the end bead at eye level, minimize barrel movement and quicker to mount. Yes I hunt with a flusher!
I second wind Rivers thought on mounting regularly. Muscle memory and practicing focusing on target for sure, but also to stay loose. I was hunting in pretty severe wind chills one day (-20) and didn't mount for a while, bird got up and I ripped every muscle known to anatomy books in my shoulder. So know I pretend I am athletic and keep loose.
 
Personally, the biggest thing that I find as a hinderance in colder weather is the gloves and or cold/numb fingers. I click the safety off on the flush, so if I can't feel it, that is a handicap for sure!

#7 Seems to like it should have been employed in any type of upland hunting.
#6 Is the biggest thing on the list. Do that and things get a lot easier!

Not to do with cooler weather, but a couple things that some don't do and why they don't shoot many birds; always watch the dog and always be ready to shoulder the gun.

It takes some experience to get things put together.
 
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remy3424 said:
Personally, the biggest thing that I find as a hinderance in colder weather is the gloves and or cold/numb fingers. I click the safety off on the flush, so if I can't feel it, that is a handicap for sure!

#7 Seems to like it should have been employed in any type of upland hunting.
#6 Is the biggest thing on the list. Do that and things get a lot easier!

Not to do with cooler weather, but a couple things that some don't do and why they don't shoot many birds; always watch the dog and always be ready to shoulder the gun.

It takes some experience to get things put together.
Click to expand...
I use MLB batting gloves.
 
The temps must not have been too much below freezing or Major League Baseball Batting gloves are not what I think they are....or you have some tough hands with great circulation, of which I am extremely jealous! Funny how once you start getting some shooting in, your fingers seem to stay much warmer!
 
I use batting gloves for early season prairie birds or sporting clays. Heavier leather for Ruffed grouse and doodles. Need more insulation as the temps drop. I find heavier cross country ski gloves a good compromise for warmth and dexterity. No trouble at 0 degrees. One set of gloves can't cover it all for my hands.
 
At zero I will have trouble with anything that I could operate my safety with! I have always struggled with my hands staying warm, used to struggle with my feet but better socks helps a lot there, and keeping them dry. The chemical reaction heaters help a bunch.
 
Pheasants & a Lab said:
Carry the end bead at eye level, minimize barrel movement and quicker to mount. Yes I hunt with a flusher!
I second wind Rivers thought on mounting regularly. Muscle memory and practicing focusing on target for sure, but also to stay loose. I was hunting in pretty severe wind chills one day (-20) and didn't mount for a while, bird got up and I ripped every muscle known to anatomy books in my shoulder. So know I pretend I am athletic and keep loose.
Click to expand...
I use a golf glove on my
left hand, I shoot right
 
Learn to know when the dog gets "birdy." nine times out of ten the dog knows a bird is in the area before you do. That extra time because you are already alert to the potential of a bird in the area gives you the time you need to be better prepared for the flush. In the end I still miss my fair share, that is why they call it hunting and not killing. Remember the guy who brags about his dog and his shooting ability before the hunt and the guy who lets his results speak for themselves are two very different people!
 
remy3424 said:
At zero I will have trouble with anything that I could operate my safety with! I have always struggled with my hands staying warm, used to struggle with my feet but better socks helps a lot there, and keeping them dry. The chemical reaction heaters help a bunch.
Click to expand...
I spent a C note on a pair of Sitka Gunner gloves a couple years ago and they've been one of my best investments. When it gets really cold (less than 5 and/or super windy cold days, I put a big glove on my left hand and put a small "hot hands" in the palm of both hands. Seems to help. Plus, lots of finger wiggling, putting the gloves on the defrost vent in the truck to warm them up and then putting them on about 5 minutes before I reach my hunting spot is good practice, too, at least for me.
 
Pheasants & a Lab said:
Carry the end bead at eye level, minimize barrel movement and quicker to mount. Yes I hunt with a flusher!
I second wind Rivers thought on mounting regularly. Muscle memory and practicing focusing on target for sure, but also to stay loose. I was hunting in pretty severe wind chills one day (-20) and didn't mount for a while, bird got up and I ripped every muscle known to anatomy books in my shoulder. So know I pretend I am athletic and keep loose.
Click to expand...
Fantastic tip about the bead/barrel movement. I'm usually port arms or have the butt of the gun in my right hip with my right hand on the pistol grip. Like you said, a lot of shots happen quickly and the time it takes to shoulder the gun ought not be wasted with unnecessary movement.
 
My post with the exception of #7 was anecdotal. It was my first prairie pheasant hunt. At best, they were observations, not knowledge with the exception of #7.

#7: safe gun handling is a no-brainer.

I'd probably have to be institutionalized if I negligently shot another hunter.
 
These are the best cold weather gloves I have ever owned. I bought them for snowmobiling Yellowstone. At snowmobile speed in sub-freezing temperatures, my fingers and hands stayed warm. They would work in sub-freezing stand hunting. I would never shoot with them on. I know that I wouldn't be able to feel a trigger pull.

Based on my experience, a good pair of leather MLB batting gloves are hard to beat. A MLB player has to be in complete control of his bat. MLB batting gloves have worked best for me while hunting.

NFL receiver gloves might be as good as MLB leather bathing gloves.
 
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