Pheasant strategies for solo pheasant hunts

SetterNut

SetterNut

New member
Just interested to hear how some of you hunt pheasants when it is just one or two guys and a dog or two.

What areas do you focus on, big areas, small ones. If it is a bigger area how do you attack it.

I hunt buy myself a fair amount or with one or two other guys. I really don't care for the big groups where you put out blockers.

I hunt with a Setter (looking forward to hunting with two of them next season) and am really just shooting birds that are pointed. Being mostly a quail hunter, I don't focus on pheasants very often.

But I will head west into some better pheasant ground a few times a season.

One of the strategies that I will use at times in a bigger field is to try to drive them into heavier grass. If I have a field that is pretty big, I will look at it and see if there is some decent cover in part of the field that doesn't have an easy escape route. I will take the dog on a line that will try to force the birds to move into that area. If there is a obvious escape path, I may start there and more into the field, from the escape path.

I then work the dog into the wind in the best cover after I have driven some of them into it.

When possible later in the season, I try to see what pattern other people have likely hunted a field, and do something different. It may mean that I have to walk a long way before getting into the field, but it disrupts the birds from their normal escape methods.

What are some of your methods?
 
Sure sounds like you got it all covered. I always wonder if most of us hunt in small groups of one, two, or three, if we all practice the same contrarian tactics, like entering the field from the unexpected direction, does that then become the "expected" tactic??? ;). So did I in fact go to a lot of work and succeed in fooling myself? Ah the mysteries of life. Only thing I have found to add, is I would hit the heavy CRP roost cover, or marsh areas right before dark. Those areas can be empty all day and fill up in the last hour of shooting time. Truthfully, I have had my best success limiting on pheasants while focusing on quail, with blundering into pheasants along the way. Following this example I have hunted literally three days in a stretch and shot maybe 1pheasant a day in a good pheasant area, 4th day everybody shoots a 4 bird limit over points. Who knows why!
 
Great idea for a thread.

I like to circle a patch of cover 2 or 3 times, if they dont lose their cool I'll then just cut straight across it at a pretty good clip, usually unhinges something.

I often hunt with a guest that has no dog. I use him as a "pivot point with some maneuvers. For some reason birds usually bump into him escaping me and the dog. Haven't exactly figured out what goes on with that but it works.

If theres no sense to any of it when I llok- I just turn the dog loose and follow her lead....
 
I should have added the big cover can be real good for a methodical approach. As you guys are saying with a couple of guys on a 160@ parcel of CRP, object should be to cut the property up,using available holding cover and choke points, always pushing the birds to a place where they either fly or sit. I would definitely enter the final push point cover from an alternate direction from the one pushed, even if with the wind, let the dogs go deep and point back at you from the other side, on the birds who elect to sit. Some guys are intimidated by big rough cover, just attack it like it's a bunch of smaller pieces, and work in sequence to a big payoff. Mostly I hunt for recreation, quail hunting is like a nice relaxing walk, puncuated by excitement. Pheasant hunting is tactics and manuevers, no daydreams, or slacking allowed. Have to channel your inner General Patton, for me it's frequently my inner General Custer, with me at the butt of pheasant jokes.
 
One of the things that I have found in the last season, is that the roosters will sometimes end up in areas that I have already walked, in heavily hunted areas. I assume that they are circling around. I have found this to be the case in one field in particular. I go through and put up some hens, then circle around and come back through again, and often find a couple of roosters, close to where I walked in.
 
Corner Trap

I like to set up on a CRP patch and cut off the corner say go about 75 to 100 yards up each side and then walk directly at each other cutting the corner off and then work a good zig-zag to the point of the corner, seems to trap some birds.:)
 
SDJIM said:
I like to set up on a CRP patch and cut off the corner say go about 75 to 100 yards up each side and then walk directly at each other cutting the corner off and then work a good zig-zag to the point of the corner, seems to trap some birds.:)
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That works :thumbsup:
 
SDJIM said:
I like to set up on a CRP patch and cut off the corner say go about 75 to 100 yards up each side and then walk directly at each other cutting the corner off and then work a good zig-zag to the point of the corner, seems to trap some birds.:)
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This method is especially good when not much cover or a road on the adjoining property. If you cut all four corners of a field like this, many times birds will push to the center. I have hunted large tracts like this with 1,2 or 3 hunters with good success. Heavier the cover, slower I work.
 
Steve, this is how I hunt most of the time. I think a lot of "how" is hard to articulate because it is a "learned" thing where often your feet take you to birds. Knowing where those big red rebels are at a given time of day is essential. Putting you and your dog in a position to take advantage of them there is the key. If you miss the correct line, you will get the opportunity to watch those birds sail into the adjoining private land out of reach. Reading the dogs is also seriously important. Working as a team you can be much more successful than the folks that insist upon walking in straight lines and "guiding" the dog through cover. It all start with how you approach the patch. Being alone, you can be quieter, approach undetected, and get a position of advantage. You want to use the wind, but you can also topography, vegetation, distance, and even distractions. Topography may be as insignificant as a terrace channel or erosion cut. It might be a hill that will mask your parking and entering the field. Distance may mean starting 2 sides from the 1 you want to hunt. It may even mean healing the dog for 1/2-1 mile to not "ruin" the pot of gold by tripping over sentries getting there. Sometimes, breaking up big groups of birds is necessary in order to make them more manageable/approachable. One general rule is: don't follow them-go around. How many times have you followed a rooster you've flushed only to run a long track or never show the bird again. If you're down to working on individual birds, go around and make him think you're two groups. You can also do this with birds you've tracked a long ways but can't seem to catch up to. Pull off, loop around, and cut them off. Always remember that their best defense is their ears. The more ears you are dealing with, the harder your job is. I have had days I've had to take my nylon chaps off in order to get close to the birds. The swish of the nylon on the weeds and grass was enough to put them up at 100 yards. Trust the dogs! They are telling you things and you have to stay alert to read what that is. Often it is like herding sheep. Let the dog follow the direct route and you flank out and keep them from cutting around. Later in the year is when you want more dogs on the ground. When those birds think they have learned the game, make them run into more talented noses to prove it.
 
carptom1 said:
This method is especially good when not much cover or a road on the adjoining property. If you cut all four corners of a field like this, many times birds will push to the center. I have hunted large tracts like this with 1,2 or 3 hunters with good success. Heavier the cover, slower I work.
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Stopping to take a leak is a sure fired method to getting a wild flush :D
 
I have done well solo in big CRP fields by being super quiet (hand signals, beeper of collar). Usually start by walking the edges and then hit the middle.
Make sure the dog is working into the wind in the best parts.
 
SetterNut said:
Stopping to take a leak is a sure fired method to getting a wild flush :D
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yea i had that happen again this year while in south dakota. Was peeing on road waiting to start in field. Big rooster flushed about 20 yards over fence. Has happened more than once.
 
carptom1 said:
yea i had that happen again this year while in south dakota. Was peeing on road waiting to start in field. Big rooster flushed about 20 yards over fence. Has happened more than once.
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So did you shoot the bird? That would be one for the highlight reel!!!:thumbsup:
 
Very rarely do I hunt with more than one other person. I've a great hunting buddy, with a dog of his own and like me, vacation to burn. More often than not it's just the four of us afield (2 guys, 2 dogs). I'd say it's just me and "Gunner" (my dog) one out of every three times out, with an average of three hunts per week.

I've journaled every hunt of mine for the past 8-10 years or so. I track: date, time span afield, weather, temperature, wind speed and direction, location, number of hens and roosters seen, number of roosters bagged, whether the land owner desired a bird or two (I clean for them), and general journal entry in paragraph form. I try to capture 'the story' in the latter, inclusive of miles walked, dog work, misses, crafty rooster escapes, bird roosting locations, behavior, and so on. I used to video all hunts via the Hat Cam too, but haven't done much of that as of late. Each day is closed with a snapped picture for the archives.

Having all of this information in hand, built over years and years of experience in the same 50+ fields, has certainly helped me become more successful. That said, every day is different, weather conditions vary, and bird behavior over similar conditions is more often than not inconsistent.

Each day I step into the field I remind myself of six things: expect the unexpected, have fun, base safe, TRUST THE DOG, TRUST THE DOG, and TRUST THE DOG.
 
Great thread and posts. Will be hunting solo this weekend and plan to use some of these tactics.
 
I hunt solo 90% of the time and also hunt flushers which means the dog is limited to hunting within 20 yards either side of and/or in front of where I can or am willing to walk.

Because of these limitations my general preference is to put the dog down in transitional cover. Areas where food transitions to loafing cover. Where roosting cover transitions to heavier shelter cover. Roosting cover near grit etc etc. I usually figure if I can find at least two different types of cover or a combination of usuable cover and daily survival needs in close proximity I increase my odds of running into a rooster quite a bit.

As said above good roosting cover rules during the Golden Hour. Especially if it is near food or grit. Heavy shelter cover can rule on windy days or the morning after some snow, rain or ice. Correctly reasoning out the variables for time of day, cover type and weather is usually right there with good dog work in terms of having a successful hunt.

As for hunting heavily pressured WIA's or WMA's I usually look for secondary cover options. Especially when hunting mid-day. If a 1/4 section WIA has 40 Acres of CRP, 40 Acres of slough and 80 acres of crop field with scattered weed patches & a brushy waterway I'm hunting the corn stubble, weed patches and waterway. Usually not very concerned about which direction I approach it from either. Just going under the assumption that 95% of the hunters who step into that field are going to make a beeline for the CRP or the cattail slough and whatever roosters are still using that ground have learned that if they hang in the thinner stuff during the day they have easy access to food and generally get left alone.

Mid-season is by far my favorite time to hunt. The crops are out or coming out but the weather is still good enough to allow the birds all options when it comes to habitat use. Makes the hunts more interesting for me strategically and the birds are educated enough that the dogs have to be on their game too.

DB
 
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berettadouble said:
For some reason birds usually bump into him escaping me and the dog. Haven't exactly figured out what goes on with that but it works.
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I've noticed that too and have been on both sides of it. Before I had a dog I loved flanking just outside the range the dog was working. Now that I have one my buddy is the one getting birds flushing out closer to him more often than when we were both dog-less.
 
The best advice that has already given in this thread is to TRUST THE DOG. I always tell people that hunt with me and have not learned this valuable lesson that when they can smell and point a rooster for me I will listen to them. I often have a talk with the dog before we go afield in these situations and tell him to lead the way I will just follow (laugh but it works:)). I always hunt CRP and hunt the Field edges early and the heavy cover later in the day. Also like others have said have to be totally silent and work the field slow so the dog can work, the smart ones like to try and double back behind you. I think the best method is to get into the field and just go, you will subconciously become a better pheasant hunter. Just like our dogs we learn from the reward of getting a bird and before you know it you will be putting yourself on birds without even thinking about it.
 
I have a couple of thoughts on this:

1. I love to hunt alone for the simple fact that my dog listens to me and I make as little noise as humanly possible. It starts with not slamming the car door, and continues through not yelling at my dog. We all know pheasants are leery and love to run and flush wild. They can't smell you but they can sure hear you. Silence is key. I never use a dog whistle beepers, bells etc for that reason alone.

2. Use the wind for 2 reasons, see #1, and the second reason is to help the dog wind birds. To be honest, when I hunt big crp fields, I put complete trust in my dog, and I simply goes where he goes. I don't really have any rhyme or reason other than using the wind to our advantage.

In a perfect world, I stick to smaller cover when available, but don't be intimidated by big cover, my old man has a saying. Pheasants are where they are....
 
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