Hey guys,
New member, and new hunter here. Been an avid shooter for years now, finally took the plunge into hunting with my first hunt being for pheasants on opening day.
A co-worker and friend of mine took me out and showed me the ropes. He is a casual hunter and I think all he hunts now are pheasants, although he has hunted a range of animals for most of his life.
Anyway, we decided to try Washington county as it is closest to both of us and he has had luck their before. I have three little girls, work 50-60hrs a week, and have several other hobbies, so an entire weekend trip will probably only happen once maybe twice this season. We met up in Last Chance around 4:50am loaded up and headed North to try our luck in the wheat and corn fields off 71.
I'm a pretty calm guy, but I gotta admit, I was pretty jacked up! I have gone shooting plenty, but I neither open or conceal carry (I mean I live in Boulder County, whats the worst that could happen? A hippie hold me up with a water gun full of Patchouli:laugh
So the idea of walking on open land, shotgun in hand was fairly new and exciting to me.
We started in on a wheat field at the crack of dawn. My friend had told me there would be alot of people out, which in my head I was thinking droves of cars. But when I realized where we were and that even seeing 2-4 other people per field was actually kind of a lot. The cold, the brush, smell, the dog hopping and sniffing, the sun just peaking out behind me, it was all very surreal and exciting.
We walked for probably 3 miles circling the field. Nothing. I heard cooing, and got excited when the dog flushed a couple tiny birds, but no sight of any birds at all. We decided to try the corn/wheat field to the east. Walked another 3 miles or so, Corn is not easy to walk through haha. Again Nothing. Although we heard our first shot from our neighbors which gave me great encouragement. By the end of this it was 930 or 10 so we sat and ate a sandwich.
We decided that since we weren't having luck with the wheat and corn we would go north on 71 into morgan county and hit some of the "other" Fields see if we couldn't find some cover they would be hiding in. We found a decent grass field with some nice trees lining it. We went off the beaten path this time, thought we had found a field to our own, but by the time we started there were 4 other people at the same field. Another 1 or 2 miles and NOTHING. Not even a single rabbit.
Frustrated but not deterred we backtracked an hit a huge grass field off 36. It was mid day so we figured if nothing else we would flush a couple rabbits and head home with dinner. This field was full of thorn bushes and heavy tall grass. Walked for another 2 miles. NO SIGN OF LIFE. At this point we had been walking in mostly silence for the good part of the morning so I struck up conversation as we walked because at this point I was all but sure life could not be found in this area of CO.
As we walked I became distracted by an odd looking plant, when I hear my serbian freind shout CHOOT CHOOT! I whip around shoulder my shotun just in time to see the dog get entirely too close to the jackrabbit to shoot. Awwww my first animal ousted by my lack of attention. At this point its late afternoon and I got a 2hr drive home. We call it a day and head out.
Well, I cant say that it was the best start, but I certainly had fun. I still have yet to see a live pheasant. I mean we didn't even see them from the road, nothing. I would love to be out there today and lookin some more. I can't stop, I won't stop, till I bag me a pheasant!
Good luck out there guys
:cheers:
New member, and new hunter here. Been an avid shooter for years now, finally took the plunge into hunting with my first hunt being for pheasants on opening day.
A co-worker and friend of mine took me out and showed me the ropes. He is a casual hunter and I think all he hunts now are pheasants, although he has hunted a range of animals for most of his life.
Anyway, we decided to try Washington county as it is closest to both of us and he has had luck their before. I have three little girls, work 50-60hrs a week, and have several other hobbies, so an entire weekend trip will probably only happen once maybe twice this season. We met up in Last Chance around 4:50am loaded up and headed North to try our luck in the wheat and corn fields off 71.
I'm a pretty calm guy, but I gotta admit, I was pretty jacked up! I have gone shooting plenty, but I neither open or conceal carry (I mean I live in Boulder County, whats the worst that could happen? A hippie hold me up with a water gun full of Patchouli:laugh
So the idea of walking on open land, shotgun in hand was fairly new and exciting to me.We started in on a wheat field at the crack of dawn. My friend had told me there would be alot of people out, which in my head I was thinking droves of cars. But when I realized where we were and that even seeing 2-4 other people per field was actually kind of a lot. The cold, the brush, smell, the dog hopping and sniffing, the sun just peaking out behind me, it was all very surreal and exciting.
We walked for probably 3 miles circling the field. Nothing. I heard cooing, and got excited when the dog flushed a couple tiny birds, but no sight of any birds at all. We decided to try the corn/wheat field to the east. Walked another 3 miles or so, Corn is not easy to walk through haha. Again Nothing. Although we heard our first shot from our neighbors which gave me great encouragement. By the end of this it was 930 or 10 so we sat and ate a sandwich.
We decided that since we weren't having luck with the wheat and corn we would go north on 71 into morgan county and hit some of the "other" Fields see if we couldn't find some cover they would be hiding in. We found a decent grass field with some nice trees lining it. We went off the beaten path this time, thought we had found a field to our own, but by the time we started there were 4 other people at the same field. Another 1 or 2 miles and NOTHING. Not even a single rabbit.
Frustrated but not deterred we backtracked an hit a huge grass field off 36. It was mid day so we figured if nothing else we would flush a couple rabbits and head home with dinner. This field was full of thorn bushes and heavy tall grass. Walked for another 2 miles. NO SIGN OF LIFE. At this point we had been walking in mostly silence for the good part of the morning so I struck up conversation as we walked because at this point I was all but sure life could not be found in this area of CO.
As we walked I became distracted by an odd looking plant, when I hear my serbian freind shout CHOOT CHOOT! I whip around shoulder my shotun just in time to see the dog get entirely too close to the jackrabbit to shoot. Awwww my first animal ousted by my lack of attention. At this point its late afternoon and I got a 2hr drive home. We call it a day and head out.
Well, I cant say that it was the best start, but I certainly had fun. I still have yet to see a live pheasant. I mean we didn't even see them from the road, nothing. I would love to be out there today and lookin some more. I can't stop, I won't stop, till I bag me a pheasant!
Good luck out there guys
:cheers:
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