tips for a solo hunter and no dog

alan said:
What kind of tips/advise do you have for a solo hunter with NO dog??
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Concentrate on weed patches, weedy fence rows, grass and weed cover adjacent to stubble and stalks, and walk slow. Get to the field early and stay late listening for caws morning and evening. Go to the caw and shoot it.
 
I can't imagine hunting any upland bird without a dog, especially with the cover we deal with today. But if you have no choice, pick isolated cover, walk SLOOOW!, Move zig-zag, stop a lot, for several seconds at a time, did I say walk Slow!!!, Keep silent except when you stop, and are ready to shoot. Your only weapon is making the bird nervous, otherwise he will wait you out, or run out the end. Good luck, success is going to be hard earned, but it will make you a better hunter.
 
I used to do this before I got a dog. It was very hard, but not impossible. Biggest problem is you get no warning a bird is about to get up.

I was amazed at how many more birds the dogs nose could find once I got a dog.
 
I read this years ago, actually tried it a few times and believe it has some benefit.

Take a radio along and turn it on. Use this as a blocker and quietly work your way around to the far side. Work the field back to the radio.
 
I've just started Pheasant hunting and I also do not have a dog. I was out yesterday and managed to flush one in a pretty heavily hunted local spot. Couldn't take a shot because it was right in the sun and I wasn't 100% sure it was a rooster. But yea, the advice about walking slow and stopping often is what I did. Sure enough the bird flushed when I stopped for a couple seconds, just like Grouse do. I walked the edge of a grass field bordering very thick wooded cover. The bird flew into the thick cover and I just let him be...for now:D I think edges and isolated cover is really all us dog-less hunters can effectively hunt. Good luck!
 
Bad weather will benefit you !!! Pick smaller parcels with good cover. I use to hit snow fences that had tall weeds on the one side!! Snow will help with tracking and finding downed birds!!! It can be done, it is just a little harder!!:cheers:
 
I've hunted alone without a dog a lot and I can honestly say that while having a dog and other hunters helps, there are times when you can use your solitaries to your advantage and there is a certain feeling of accomplishment that is unmatched when you do manage to connect. As others have stated, concentrate on smaller areas and be VERY aggressive. If you see a bird land in a field while you're driving by, pull over, get your gun out and get after it!!
 
will road ditches be my better bet?? thats all i ever walk really. usuailly go mile to mile walk up to next road and keep going if ditches look good ive been known to cover 5 to 6 miles with just me
 
Try to walk ditches that had corn planted next to them not soybeans. Inch of snow and tracking will work good. Places that have cows always seem to have birds in the ditches to. Push ditches toward field lanes so they can't run around corner on you. Thick stuff stop and listen sometimes they get caught in there and can't fly. I got a couple with my bare hands that way. Ask to hunt groves when it gets colder. Is there much for public hunting around there.
 
yeah there is public hunting around here..one place is bout 6,000 acres but with out a dog or a couple guys i think it would be impossiable to hunt lots of cover and its thick and its big area to cover
 
See my second post on the subject on this thread: http://www.ultimatepheasanthunting.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4974.

And while small cover is easiest/best, don't be too afraid of larger fields, especially if they vary from thick to thin (hunt the thick or the border between the two). Also, going slow generally is best, but I have had great luck at times (especially in CRP) in running in 50-100 yard bursts, then stopping suddenly. Anybody watching thinks I'm nuts, but it definitely freaks out any birds that are nearby!

It can be great fun, and as Winchester said, a great sense of accomplishment if/when you get a few. Good luck!
 
Huntress

I'm new to the sight and pheasant hunting. Just yesterday I attended a DOW woman's pheasant hunt and fell in love with the sport! Don't have a dog but after reading the prior posts, I plan on going out and doing my best.
 
Yup. I've had some success hunting dogless when the conditions are right and you can use stealth to your advantage. When hunting the perimeter of corn or sunflower fields, particularly during the first and last hour of daylight, you can surprise birds feeding on the edges or a few rows in. But as someone else mentioned -- mark your birds well, and don't take low percentage shots because your chances of finding a wounded bird are slim to none. Good luck!
 
Last year I was in the same boat no dog but wanted to hunt, Walk slow stop often and be quiet it makes them get nervous and flush then all you need to do is be a good shot. Also focus on smaller plots, pivot corners etc Good luck
 
Recon said:
Last year I was in the same boat no dog but wanted to hunt, Walk slow stop often and be quiet it makes them get nervous and flush then all you need to do is be a good shot. Also focus on smaller plots, pivot corners etc Good luck
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I just read an article about a guy who does exactly that. He says when its quiet enough he can hear them rustling in the cover.
 
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