Preferences?

[uplandgameadventures]

Let's say you are hunting with 3 or more in your hunting party with a couple dogs. A rooster flushes wild well out of range. You watch it land 1/4 mile away away from the course you are walking. You are walking into the wind currently.

a) do you continue your course and hope to pick that bird up on the way back (with the wind at your back now)?

or

b) do you get your hunting party to stray off course and chase that bird so you still have the wind to your advantage?

Here is a little more info to go along with it to help. The field was 160 acres of CRP with scattered cattails scattered all over. This was the first time hunting this field.

I'm just looking for feed back and would like to hear what other tactics fellow hunters prefer.
If I were alone or one other guy, I'd stray off course and go after it I think. It's kind of like that old fishing saying..."why leave fish to go find fish".

What we did was continued our course because of some spots ahead that looked full of potential. (nothing panned out). Then when we got to the end, our perspective had changed of where exactly it could have landed and we saw more potential spots. By the end of that, tiredness was setting in and I regretted it even more not going after it.

Had I seen 4 or more birds go in the general direction, I would have insisted we all go after them. Even in the back of my mind, I know pheasants are never at where you see them land. They cover a lot of ground on the run.

Just would like to hear your thoughts...

uplandgameadventures

 

[kansasbrittany]

In my experience, chasing down one lone rooster isn't worth the time in cover like that. If he flew into a thicket or hedgerow w/ no escape cover nearby, I'd probably chase him down. Additionally, when hunting w/ a group that small, our plan is to follow the dog. Forget the course, follow the dog.

 

[cheesy]

I agree with KB on that. I've tried the game of following a bird that landed in a patch, only to get there and the dog not respond to any scent, beat the bushes and work it back and forth and not get anything up. The bird lands, and immediately takes off running is my theory.

 

[tOlzon]

I'd say it depends where you are hunting. Some places I hunt, I may only see 1 or 2 roosters in a day. If that were the case, I would definitely take the dog over to see if he could get on any scent and try to put that bird in the air.

If I were in an area with higher bird numbers, I don't think I would bother chasing down a single.

 

[kansasbrittany]

I'd say it depends where you are hunting. Some places I hunt, I may only see 1 or 2 roosters in a day. If that were the case, I would definitely take the dog over to see if he could get on any scent and try to put that bird in the air.
QUOTE]

Good point! If I were quail hunting on this side of KS I'd probably try to run him down......out west, wouldn't even consider it.