Brit-- I'll attempt to address your original post. Pay no attention to the naysayers who decry lodges/outfitters. Sometimes, in some circumstances (like yours) they have their place. Before I begin, let me say my son and I hunted hard for 4 days in late October, on private land (NOT a preserve) and were rewarded with limits for each of us each day, on some very wild birds. That's my preference...BUT if time is short and you want to hunt, there are alternatives.
1. We've recently hunted in NW Iowa, on a private farm that is a "preserve". Shooting is certain, but a limit is not. I assure you, the birds flew wild and we could miss them there just as easily as wild ones. We hunted CRP-like grass, sorghum and milo strips, brushy ditches, etc. The price/day was $350 and that included a "guide" (the owner) who did NOT carry a gun, and a dog (we had our own so his stayed home) and the owner would provide a bird cleaning area. The price also included lodging in a remodeled farmhouse with satellite TV, modern appliances and a kitchen where we did our own cooking. Bedrooms were clean and spacious. For $350/day/gun, this seemed pretty reasonable.
2. We've hunted in a preserve (most of these places tell you there is good enough habitat that wild birds mix in with the preserve birds); that may/may not be true. We were "day hunters" at a cost of $325/gun. They provided lunch but lodging and other meals were on us. They offered large grass field, standing corn, short cedar/pine habitat, milo etc. they took us to the fields in a short bus. We used our own dog who is a hell of a lot better than theirs, at least when we were there. Once or twice, another guy hunted with us--no big deal. You are of course expected to tip the "guide". They provide bird cleaning facilities. They also have 3 day hunts where all is furnished and you stay in their "lodge"-basically a bunk house.
3. About 150 miles from my home, there is a preserve which offers day hunting but also has sleeping facilities. This is basically a decent place and a good place to give your dog some work without the 700 mile drive west. (BUT I would greatly prefer the West if time/finances/etc. permits!) They'll put out 6 birds for $225 and you can use their guide and dog. I use neither. The people are friendly; they offer a "free" lunch--burgers, chips, beans, beer/cokes, etc. They have a dozen or so large fields and it is not a lead-pipe cinch you'll find all the birds. Mostly, they are hard flyers--occasionally your dog will catch them on the ground. Part of the reason I hunt there is that we have a friend 2 miles away from the preserve with private land and wild birds and we hunt there for free. The preserve also offers sporting clays, group shoots, and a Club you can join which gets you a modest discount on the above. I clean our own birds but they'll do it for you for $6/bird. Advantage to the above is that obviously you could hit this place 3-4 times/Fall for the cost of 1 trip to SoDak.
The above is just a taste of what's out there--none of it gourmet. You can have that if you want to spend $4-5,000, example Brown's Lodge at Gettysburg SD or 6X Outfitters in Montana. For a real good overview of the current state of US pheasant hunting, I recommend Steve Smith's book "America's Bird-The Many Faces of Pheasant Hunting". Get your dog on some birds--and good luck.
