When, Where, and How did You Shoot Your First Pheasant?

oldandnew said:
Kansas , 1970, 16 years old west of Concordia,Ks. On my own with another high school kid, drove all night, slept in the station wagon. Hunted shelterbelts and plum thickets, shot my first bird from a plum thicket, started hunting ONLY plum thickets, had a big english setter, he'd point, we surround plum thicket, bird came out, we shot it. I believed for years that all plum thickets adjacent to crops had roosters, kinda like Santa Claus. In those days mostly they did!
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I shot mine in Republic County.
 
First pheasant

Odd; it was six years ago--today. I was 61 years old. My son-in-law had an acquaintance in Nebraska who said we could hunt his farm, so we flew out there, totally naive, didn't know a hen from a rooster except by pictures. The first day we tried to look for them in standing corn! :rolleyes: Got a shot at one at dusk, thought I had it; but unlike quail or doves, these boogers get up and run--never found him.
So the next day, mid morning, we were hunting down a 2-acre patch of sorghum, me in the middle; nothing, till we got to the very end; then suddenly (of course) this cackling monster leaps out from under my feet. I'm a 50-year quail hunter, we don't startle easily: I shot him at 20 feet, I guess; when he hit the ground, he rolled over--probably would have never moved a foot--but after the day before's disaster, I shot him again on the ground, and then ran, stumbling and lurching (busting up and ignoring a second rooster!) to get my hands on this rara avis. My son-in-law took this picture, while I was still trying to catch my breath. I was hooked...
Beach004


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[/url] Nebraska 029.jpg by beach004, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
The house covey

jsdriggs said:
That is one hilarious story!

Are you a professional writer by chance?
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No--only by desire. I'm a chemist/occupational health director/clinical trials regulator/church helper/chillun' raiser etc. etc. I write only angry letters to the editor, and a daily diary, two hundred words a day for over 50 years. If I ever can afford to retire (come back, Dow 14,000!), there's a book I'd like to write: "Memoir of a three-state amateur quail hunter" (needs a catchier title). I'd dedicate it to my wife, who saw only glimpses of me for 40 years, from the Saturday before Thanksgiving till the first of March. We joke that's why both our children were born in December.

The stories I could tell--like all of you... First dove, first quail, grouse, turkey...I would tell of Mrs. Funkhouser's house covey; Dad and I, a callow youth of 14, got out of the car in her farm yard, started towards the back 40, and a covey rose up right behind the chicken house! I blazed away, not really hearing the remonstrances of my father, something about you don't shoot the farmer's house covey. Fortunately the widow Funkhouser was nigh-deaf, and didn't notice, maybe didn't care, we'll never know. Now, half a century and more later, only Dad smiles knowingly, when I mention Mrs. Funkhouser; and he's 99 last month, and doesn't always remember...I need to write it down.

So do all of you. Before long, the way things are going, hunting will be as quaint and atavistic as jousting. Tell your story. Let your children know.
Beach004
 
First Pheasant

I was 13 years old ,hunting public in central Ks. We hunted as a family Mom Dad Brother and 2 family friends. Rooster was flushed by other hunters not in our party. I was down in a ravine with a split second window for a shot as the rooster passed. 1 shot from my 12ga. 870 Rem (8th Grade graduation present) folded him. I shot many many pheasants with that gun in several different states. My dad had it for several years before giving it to me. I don't shoot it anymore but will never part with it.
 
It was last Saturday, Nov 13, we were NE of Burlington, CO in a group of 4 walking a CRP field. The Rooster went up behind me at about the 8 o'clock position. I spun around and got it on the first shot, about 30 yds.
 
I got my first one this last saturday here in colorado. I was invited by my grandpa.The first field we hunted i scared 2 roosters up. Me and my brother both got our 1st one on our first shots at pheasants. It was reall y special for my grandpa and my dad to be there. They introduced me to waterfowl, big game, pheasants, and fishing. They were there for my first goose, duck, and now pheasant.
 
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pheasant20 said:
I got my first one this last saturday here in colorado. I was invited by my grandpa.The first field we hunted i scared 2 roosters up. Me and my brother both got our 1st one on our first shots at pheasants. It was reall y special for my grandpa and my dad to be there. They introduced me to waterfowl, big game, pheasants, and fishing. They were there for my first goose, duck, and now pheasant.
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Excellent stories all through this thread. Excellent thread!!
 
First pheasant

I hope to be able to add a story here for my daughter, after this week's trip to South Dakota.
 
Eneranch said:
It was last Saturday, Nov 13, we were NE of Burlington, CO in a group of 4 walking a CRP field. The Rooster went up behind me at about the 8 o'clock position. I spun around and got it on the first shot, about 30 yds.
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Natural born pheasant killer! Congratulations.
 
first bird

Great thread, a lot of good stories here’s mine. I was fortunate to grow up with a dad who hunted and raised GSP for a hobby. It was 1973 and I was 11 out with my dad hunting not far from where I live now in MN armed with a .410 bolt action. We were hunting a deep drainage ditch that ran through a picked plowed cornfield, him on one side and me on another. Our dog Heidi was running the grass. She went on point in front of me on the edge of the plowing. I walked up to her and hollered at dad that there was nothing there. He told me to kick the spot of grass about the size of a small football and up sprang the wily rooster up over my head behind me. After the amazement wore off I remembered to spin around shoot it. Heidi made the retrieve. It was a proud day for all. :10sign:
 
Great thread, I was 12, 410 single shot Stevens, Johnson county Wy. I was hunting with my dad, and his britts. Dog locked up, in cattails, Rooster flushed straight up Bang, my frist Pheasant.:)
 
Year was 1973. I was 15 years old living in the Riverton section of Portland, Maine. There was blinding snowstorm and a rooster that just hung in there behind our house. I had been doing a lot of grouse hunting but had never shot a pheasant. I kept looking at it and finally asked my mother if I could shoot it with my .22 knowing the shotgun would be too loud in the neighborhood and we were within city limits. Much to my surprise she agreed, so we opened the rear window in the dining room and I popped it with her looking over my shoulder. We cleaned it and cooked it together and it tasted terrible, but the memory will last forever. It's been 37 years and to this day I still can’t believe she let me do it.
 
I was about 10 years old. I was walking with my dad to check some slews for ducks. I was carrying a 410/22 O/U Savage, my dad his Browning A5 12ga. We just stated out of a Oak woods line into a tall grass area. In a rare occasion. I was in front of my dad. As I stepped into the tall grass and big Rooster took to flight. I instinctively cocked the hammer and threw the gun to my shoulder and fired. The rooster folded. My dad nearly knocked me down getting around me and running to where it fell. He smiled and said, you got him. We sat and picked the bird together in the oak woods, leaning against a tree. I'll never forget that day. :10sign:

36 years ago
 
Bama done come to town!!!

What a blast. First bird at 48. what a time. 12 ga. athena o/u behind short hair pointer on the public land. real challange. Thank you Kansas72.50 for thousands of acres.
Lodged at the public park. not a slaughter, kinda tuff for an old man. scenery was out of the world. no trees, flat hills , dorothys house , the storm cellars, how big those white tail, mule deer and groves of turkeys were, sun rise and sets, imagining my indian pony, or wagon train, the mules that pulled before all the machines.
A few famous qoutes from the 4 southerners. "That cow would starve to death at our house." "There's dorothys & toto's house" "at least 25o pounds" "ain't no bird there....coo coo ccooo...roooster" "We can hunt all that!" "No mam, sweet tea". What a beautiful state. I am proud to be an american. I am new to the sport. It was kinda tuff pulling up and seeing tire tracks beer cans and foot prints, but we jus went on to the next place and walked, and walked. Then the overlooked spot? blind hog syndrome? Hey We got some roosters and it was fine Please allow me to apologize now for all the stupid questions I will ask between now and the next time I come. Like is it better with snow on the ground, I dont' think i will like the big push hunt, Me and my gang seemed to do alright. We minded the rules, picked up the trash (even if it wasn't ours) and tried to respect yours and ours. We look forward to coming again. Thank you kansas for the hospitality. Roll tide Roll:10sign:
 
@BAMa - Sounds like somebody is some kind of excited & had a real good time! Good on ya!!! :thumbsup:

But one of my lifelong best-buds from Opelika would beg to differ with you - He says "War Eagle"!!! :D
 
roll tide roll

oh well roll tide anyway. I will stand with your opelika buddy and war eagle now. Long as I dont' have to here rocky top!
 
Digging up an old thread, brought back my memory like it happened yesterday. To think my brother and I bagged two wild roosters on our first real hunt! Might take me all next season to duplicate with this drought.

Lots of good stories to read here fellas. Does anyone have any more to share?
 
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