Thoughts on the season and the gear we use

U

uplandokie

New member
Season is winding down. Today is last day for pheasant season here. We do have a couple weeks of quail season left though. I might go 1 more time. Here's my thoughts on some gear that worked and didn't work. How'd your gear treat you?

Pros

Dog boxes--had a diamond plated double with vents and lockable top storage compartment given to me Real nice. Also bought a easyloader triple that will fit under bed cover and only ways 30 something lbs.

Dog collars--added a garmin alpha300 and 3 tt25 dollars. Expensive but great for old dogs that hunt lots of cover and young dogs that get lost.

Guns--started with a new ethos field 20/26. Decided I wanted higher rib and sold ethos to friend. I bought a 20/28 ethos supersport. I'm very pleased.

Ammo--mid season I tried some Migra 6/8 stacked loads. I expected overpriced gimmicky shells. They really work well on mixed bag hunts.

Land access/hunts--about 20 days in the field. Killed birds in 7 counties in 2 states on private, public and walkin land. Picked up limited access(with landowner or only a couple times/year) to a couple thousand acres of good upland ground.

Cons

Boots--I really like the comfort and support of Keen targhee high but they stitching coming loose after about 20 hunts. Glue broke down on soles after 1 season on the last pair.

Vest--I like vests with zippered vertical shell pockets. I've been using a gamehide for a couple years. It is fine but I lost about 20 lbs and wanted a tighter fitting vest. Ordered a amazon special for about $40. It lasted 4 hunts and zippers failed. They sent me a new one and I've tried to not overload pockets. Game pocket is hard to access than gamehide.


Other

Dogs get an A+. 10.5 F gsp, 2.5 F gsp, .5 M gsp, 4 M lab. Old dog still gritty and young dogs improving. No injuries and no plans to change roster.

Truck--thinking about switching from diesel back to gas. Don't love the emissions stuff but haven't any issues other than a DEF tank heater replacement on a SD trip in 2024.
 
Shoot!! Keen were on the short list for next year. Got the Crispi Idahos about 15 months ago and they were good but not great, Worn out now with stitching coming loose after about 90 days in field. GREAT year with a tough 4 birds today for my son and I. Ill do a season report soon. Thanks for sharing yours.
 
I like gear threads. My wife doesn’t…

There’s an active one in the gear forum with pages of responses.

Keep'er Movin

Thread '2025 gear review...what worked and what didn't?'

Started one of these last year but later in the season. Thought this may be helpful for folks looking to purchase items for the holidays.

What worked:

Fleet Farm markets and sells a gear tote that I used this season. Three removable compartments that held vests, first aid kit, bumpers, leashes, check cords, all my Garmin electronics. Very handy with side and front pockets and interior lid pockets. Was easy to throw in the truck knowing I didn't leave anything behind this year. Pics below.

Browning Maxus II Black Gold. Was 100% reliable and the only gun that I was able to shoot...
  • Like
 
Boss gloves. That is all I know as my son bought them somewhere. I wore them most of January and was only cold that -23° windchill afternoon.

I also wear them breasting birds out as I always let the birds cool down before cleaning. 10° out and working with cold birds your hands get wet and cold in a hurry without gloves.
 
My new go-to glove setup is the white cotton liner type glove you can buy at Menards for about 8.99 a 10 pack. A pair of these and a couple handwarmers on palm side and can double up if to cold worked well for me even in the sub zero January temps this year. I also use one on left hand when cleaning cold birds.
 
My best new gear. I bought a pair of old school Irish Setters. Love them, the Crispis, and Mendals will sit in the closet. Sure they do not look fancy, and do not have a bunch of techy sounding words in their description, but they were comfortable, dry, and seem to wear good.

Bob Allen shooting gloves have been my go to for a long time. On cold days I always used hand warmers in my palms, a buddy said put the hand warmer on top to warm the blood in the veins. What the heck it worked better.
 
I just got pair of keens 2 weeks ago comfortable right out of the box. My redwings sole flipped off from front to back
Filson sweater was best investment
 
I found the best way to regulate my temp was a buff/ neck gator. Thin cheap stretchable and made of polyester.
Stretchable allows it to be lifted and cover your ears when wearing a hat. Lift it off your neck when you are hot. Face mask for mouth and nose if real cold. Wet it if too hot. I think i wore one every day i hunted
My daughters even use them for hair bonnets
Thick ones keep me too hot and are not useful on mild days
and remember-- start out cold, you will heat up as you bust cover!
 
I have had some issues with plantar fasciitis and THESE have been a godsend! I've tried many other insoles and aids and most of them maybe helped a little but these really made the difference and they are very reasonably priced.

For the last 45 or so years I've been a small bore advocate. I've shot 20 and 16 ga for upland since 1979 when I bought a 20 ga Remington 870. In those years I've killed 100's of quail and roosters! I've always used high quality ammo, not high velocity but stuff with quality hard shot and not the promo stuff! Since then the only time I've used a 12 ga has been for waterfowl.
Early this year I was in a slump and really struggled with my Rizzini Aurum Light and Caesar Guerini Tempio Light 20 gauges. I wounded and lost several roosters and I really despise losing wounded birds. This happened in Iowa, South Dakota and here in Nebraska. I shot Remington Express Long Range and Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads of 2 3/4" 1 ounce loads of #5's and 6's and those are decent shells!
Halfway through the season I switched to a 12 ga O/U and my wounded and lost pheasants were done! I shot some Remington Express Long Range 1 1/4 ounce 6's and some Kent Fast Lead #5's at1330 FPS.

For years I have preached that all you need is a 20 or a 16 gauge for upland 'but I think a lot more pheasants would end up in the game bag rather than being coyote bait if everyone shot a 12 gauge. My 12 ga O/U weighs 6 pounds even, less than some of my 16 gauges and only 8 ounces more than my Tempio Light 20 gauge! I don't think I will go back!
 
airmedic1 said:
I have had some issues with plantar fasciitis and THESE have been a godsend! I've tried many other insoles and aids and most of them maybe helped a little but these really made the difference and they are very reasonably priced.

For the last 45 or so years I've been a small bore advocate. I've shot 20 and 16 ga for upland since 1979 when I bought a 20 ga Remington 870. In those years I've killed 100's of quail and roosters! I've always used high quality ammo, not high velocity but stuff with quality hard shot and not the promo stuff! Since then the only time I've used a 12 ga has been for waterfowl.
Early this year I was in a slump and really struggled with my Rizzini Aurum Light and Caesar Guerini Tempio Light 20 gauges. I wounded and lost several roosters and I really despise losing wounded birds. This happened in Iowa, South Dakota and here in Nebraska. I shot Remington Express Long Range and Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads of 2 3/4" 1 ounce loads of #5's and 6's and those are decent shells!
Halfway through the season I switched to a 12 ga O/U and my wounded and lost pheasants were done! I shot some Remington Express Long Range 1 1/4 ounce 6's and some Kent Fast Lead #5's at1330 FPS.

For years I have preached that all you need is a 20 or a 16 gauge for upland 'but I think a lot more pheasants would end up in the game bag rather than being coyote bait if everyone shot a 12 gauge. My 12 ga O/U weighs 6 pounds even, less than some of my 16 gauges and only 8 ounces more than my Tempio Light 20 gauge! I don't think I will go back!
Click to expand...
I agree you just need to keep hammering those birds with the 12 gauge. Those 20s are junk and you should sell them real cheap. My phone number is …. 🤣🤣🤣
 
Confidence is everything, IMO…good plan. Over the past 33 seasons I’ve primarily used 12 gauges, mostly shooting 1 1/4 oz of #5 lead, 1250-1330 fps, normally out of IC barrel, or IC/Mod if a double. I’m pretty happy to recover 95% of what I knock down. Over the years I’ve shot 20 gauge and 16 gauge a lot, but not nearly as much as 12 gauge. My 16 gauge loads are 1 1/8 oz loads of #5 lead, and I had about 6 boxes of old lead shells, #4’s, 1 1/8 oz. My 20 gauge loads are an ounce of #5 lead, occasionally #4 lead. My 12 gauge is 6 lb, a benelli ultralight…shoot it great!!!! As I’ve mentioned here 1000 times, I’ve shot 15 roosters over the past 2 seasons with a 28 gauge using an ounce of #5 lead, 1250 fps…recovered them all…my 28’s are tighter choked than my 12, 16, 20 gauges. I hosted 20 guys this fall, some came 2,3 times, many just once. I think everyone I hosted shot 12 gauges…mostly using lead, #5, some #6, some #4…mostly IC & M choked guns. I spend lots of time searching for cripples…I usually have 2 dogs on the ground, I’ll wander to where the bird hopefully is, and help with the recovery. And I have plenty of my own, too. My groups knocked down north of 425-435 roosters, recovered over 400. I don’t do it enough personally, but proper shot placement is the key, be it 170 pellets, 190 pellets, or 215 pellets (#5 shot, roughly 1 oz, 1 1/8 oz, 1 1/4 oz). For me, confidence is everything. I only shot 12’s and 28’s this year. Lost my share with my 12, but I shot markedly north of 100. Over the years, my cousin has been the best shot I’ve hunted with…40-50 trips over the 20+ seasons…he shoots a 20 a lot. He shoots sporting clays competitively, it’s what he and his wife do. An ounce out of a 20 gauge does a very nice job, but he does his part very well…but I recall 2 seasons ago, on opener, helping him recover 2 that he shot in a WPA in some heavy cover…happens to him occasionally. Certainly some extra pellets don’t hurt…I’m a fan of using guns that fit and that I shoot well…and if one is lighter, I’ll choose that one over another that’s 8, 12, 16 oz heavier…for sure! I think we get on birds quicker with lighter guns, especially late season, all bundled up, tired from the snow, etc. I watched my 2 buddies hunt a bit my last trip a week and a half ago…they hardly ever had guns in the ready position…tougher position to be in…no real point here, you’re a very experienced hunter, you know what works for you. I think the weight of that gun plays a role in your success with it, and it must fit well. And, being a 12, it certainly helps, not hurts, throwing more pellets.
 
Last edited:
Oh, I did shoot 12 gauge #4 lead on my last trip…marked difference vs #5 lead. Like I said earlier, I shot a good # with #4 lead out of my 16 gauge doubles 7,8,9 years ago…killed very well. I personally never shoot 6’s…#5 typically, but gonna shift to #4 lead earlier in the upcoming season…#5 is fine out of any gauge I shoot for crossers, incoming shots, etc, but straight aways, for me, do require more…especially out further (duh). Not telling anybody anything they don’t know. I really love lighter guns!!! I’ve shot a good # with my beretta AL 391 20 gauge, IC, 1 oz #5 lead, 1250-1300 fps…some pretty long shots…but straight aways, even with 12 gauges and #5 lead, are a different deal…for me, at least. On at least 30 occasions this fall a rooster goes down and the shooter declares “hard hit”, “DOA!”, “dead bird”, blah, blah, blah…you know the rest. Some were recovered. I shot a bird while hunting solo with one dog about 2weeks ago…flushed close, heading straight away, kind of taking evasive action to fly erratically…knocked it down with the 12 gauge, #5 shot…dog wasn’t nearby, watched that bird running through the grass, which I could see moving…dog never really got on scent trail. Came back next day, 3 dogs, found it very alive with a broken wing 3/8 mile away, different part of the field…it hadn’t been hunted for 10 days, 99% sure it was the bird I shot 18 hours earlier. I didn’t do my job properly. Confidence is everything, sounds like you have it in spades with that light 12 O/U…that’s awesome!
 
You mentioned a couple of things that make sense to me and I already do.
1. Being ready to shoot. When I’m just walking my barrel will be pointed straight down carried in one hand or the other or over my right shoulder barrel up. When my dog is acting birdy my gun goes to more of a port arm hold so I’m ready to shoot.
2. If the bird doesn’t fall, I watch it until it lands or goes out of sight. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve shot a rooster that kept flying only to see it fall from the air and pile up stone dead a couple hundred yards out.
3. When I knock down a rooster,I walk straight to where I saw it fall. I never take my eyes of the last spot I saw it until I get there. I reload my gun while walking, I don’t need to look to do that.

A couple years ago I shot a rooster in CRP that came down with his head up. I knew he was going to be a runner but we looked and looked in that area. The dogs and I finished the field and were walking back when Gibby went on point and then jumped into a clump of grass. She came out with a wounded rooster and it had to be the one I shot earlier since I was the only one that had permission to be there. It was almost 1/2 mile from where I shot it!
 
Great points….it’s frickin amazing how fast and far a cripple can move in 10, 30, 60 seconds…I bring my dogs to the last spot I saw the bird in the air, and position them into the wind, and that’s all..,no handling…they know better than me where the bird went…
 
I’m a M guy all season. Went out knocked down two birds and didn’t find them. Put in a full choke for the first time ever, and didn’t lose any bird after that
 
I shoot 50-65% of my birds under 30 yards, maybe more…IC is great…there are times LM or M would be helpful, or IM, or LF…but not enough of my shots are at those distances…might be good for others’ experience afield…even IC doesn’t open up until a bird gets out aways…a double gun shines for these situations…IC/IM? I’m not a good enough shot to shoot a really tight choke consistently. I think of all the flushes I get coming to the end, or the edge, of a cover…or just stopping in the middle of some cattails, or heavy cover, based on what a dog is doing…super birdy, or pointing, like 2 of my labs do if a bird is holding…tons of flushes well under 20 yards, many under 15 yards, 10 yards, etc…ymmv. But I agree with what many guys say…better to get a clean miss or a very solid hit…something to that, for sure. If I changed chokes I’d go LM…but I’d do some patterning, too.
 
Last edited:
benelli-banger said:
I shoot 50-65% of my birds under 30 yards, maybe more…IC is great…there are times LM or M would be helpful, or IM, or LF…but not enough of my shots are at those distances…might be good for others’ experience afield…even IC doesn’t open up until a bird gets out aways…a double gun shines for these situations…IC/IM? I’m not a good enough shot to shoot a really tight choke consistently. I think of all the flushes I get coming to the end, or the edge, of a cover…or just stopping in the middle of some cattails, or heavy cover, based on what a dog is doing…super birdy, or pointing, like 2 of my labs do if a bird is holding…tons of flushes well under 20 yards, many under 15 yards, 10 yards, etc…ymmv. But I agree with what many guys say…better to get a clean miss or a very solid hit…something to that, for sure. If I changed chokes I’d go LM…but I’d do some patterning, too.
Click to expand...
Although I don't own a double trigger 12, I do have some sub gauges. They are the absolute best at deciding what choke you need and using it on the way to your shoulder. I don't care for the feel or weight of a sxs 12 so mute subject for pheasants for me. But flare nares or quail they work great. A light weight 12 with IC. and Full would be about perfect. They do take some practice though. As far as gear, I bought 2 pair of boots this year. A pair of LL beans and a pair of Crispies. But after a few outings, my 3-year-old Irish setter Terrain's got the nod unless I needed insulation. My old Beretta 686 ultralight did a great job again. Full and extra full and yes, I shot some birds close that were not very pretty when cleaned. But also dropped a few 40 yards + dead. Also bought a new pair of heavy-duty poultry shears on Amazon. Gerior brand, Wow, so far great.
 
airmedic1 said:
I have had some issues with plantar fasciitis and THESE have been a godsend! I've tried many other insoles and aids and most of them maybe helped a little but these really made the difference and they are very reasonably priced.

For the last 45 or so years I've been a small bore advocate. I've shot 20 and 16 ga for upland since 1979 when I bought a 20 ga Remington 870. In those years I've killed 100's of quail and roosters! I've always used high quality ammo, not high velocity but stuff with quality hard shot and not the promo stuff! Since then the only time I've used a 12 ga has been for waterfowl.
Early this year I was in a slump and really struggled with my Rizzini Aurum Light and Caesar Guerini Tempio Light 20 gauges. I wounded and lost several roosters and I really despise losing wounded birds. This happened in Iowa, South Dakota and here in Nebraska. I shot Remington Express Long Range and Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads of 2 3/4" 1 ounce loads of #5's and 6's and those are decent shells!
Halfway through the season I switched to a 12 ga O/U and my wounded and lost pheasants were done! I shot some Remington Express Long Range 1 1/4 ounce 6's and some Kent Fast Lead #5's at1330 FPS.

For years I have preached that all you need is a 20 or a 16 gauge for upland 'but I think a lot more pheasants would end up in the game bag rather than being coyote bait if everyone shot a 12 gauge. My 12 ga O/U weighs 6 pounds even, less than some of my 16 gauges and only 8 ounces more than my Tempio Light 20 gauge! I don't think I will go back!
Click to expand...
What 12 gauge do you speak of?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top