Wild Illinois Pheasant Photos From Today

1pheas4

1pheas4

Moderator
I had an hour to work the dog this afternoon on some wild pheasants here in McHenry County. They're looking good coming out of this winter. The snow is starting to melt and expose some open ground too. Birds are pecking around exposed areas.

Below are 8 photos from this afternoon.

Wild Illinois hen pheasant


Winston locking down on a tight sitting rooster before the flush


Rooster!!! Look close. Can you see him flush? Winston almost caught this rooster. He managed to pull his two center tail feathers out.


There his goes! Center tails missing. I looked but couldn't find them.


Same rooster


If I was 10 yards to the left of this bird I would have had a great photo! This was an OLD bird and one (if hunting) I would have mounted for my wall. Heavy beat to his wings and a very long tail but not a great photo!
 
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Photo post #2--scroll up for the first post w/pics

Another wild Illinois hen pheasant


One last wild hen pheasant
 
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Great photos.

My hunting buddy has started taking ridiculously long shots. Once last year, I took a shot that may have been too long. I am thinking if you can routinely see a rooster at 40 yards, you can get used to a feature that identifies the range. I can see a pheasant's eye at 20 yards. Maybe seeing the beak means it is within 40 yards.

Putting a pheasant mount out in the yard does not seem to be a good idea. Unless I can find a small business that sells a life size, waterproof flying pheasant replica, I will use a photo.

Might ask you if I could use one of your photos. I assume you can get the image on a metal sign.
 
Crossing shot said:
Putting a pheasant mount out in the yard does not seem to be a good idea. Unless I can find a small business that sells a life size, waterproof flying pheasant replica, I will use a photo.

Might ask you if I could use one of your photos. I assume you can get the image on a metal sign.
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Crossing Shot, I may not be following you, sorry:eek: You need a life-size photo? I don't know if this would help but I have a plastic pheasant decoy. It's life-sized and made for the outdoors. Is that something you're looking for?

Nick
 
UplandHntr said:
Good stuff Nick! McHenry Co eh??
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Yeah, this time I was on the southern end of the county:). The section I worked was small. Maybe 6-7 acres. There were about a dozen birds in there. Used to be more, but for whatever reason the land owner didn't leave a food plot in for this winter. I have to talk to him to see what's going on with that.:confused:

Nick
 
1pheas4 said:
Crossing Shot, I may not be following you, sorry:eek: You need a life-size photo? I don't know if this would help but I have a plastic pheasant decoy. It's life-sized and made for the outdoors. Is that something you're looking for?

Nick
Click to expand...

Yes. Looking for a flying plastic rooster. Where did you get it?
 
Crossing shot said:
Yes. Looking for a flying plastic rooster. Where did you get it?
Click to expand...

You know, that's a good question. I Purchased it a few years ago but you can try to Google pheasant decoy and see what comes up. I know they're pretty common now. But again it's a standing decoy. What are you trying to accomplish with it? Nick
 
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My goal is to make good shots. That means not shooting birds over 40 yards away. I will use it for distance training. Know about standing rosters; Sportplast makes them.

It is similar to waterfowl subtending.
 
Great photo's ! I assume this was private property? Thanks for sharing!
 
FLDBRED said:
Great photo's ! I assume this was private property? Thanks for sharing!
Click to expand...

Yep:). A small slice of CRP. With all the snow melt I'm sure they've moved to higher/dryer ground by now.

Nick
 
Crossing shot said:
My goal is to make good shots. That means not shooting birds over 40 yards away. I will use it for distance training. Know about standing rosters; Sportplast makes them.

It is similar to waterfowl subtending.
Click to expand...

If you're just training your eye (not pulling the trigger on it) you can use a flying pheasant mount. You obviously can't leave a mount outside but I can install an adapter (like one for a broom handle) into a flying mount. That way you can connect a stake/broom handle to it and place it into the ground.

Just an idea;)

Nick
 
Thanks for your response. Subtending waterfowl is a bad idea. The process includes comparing the size of your bead to the size of the bird. For example, if the bead completely covers the bird, it is too far. Once I look at the bead, all is lost.

The only way I can think of to accurately judge range is to view the range often, like every day. When I am sitting on the back porch, I want to see a rooster forty yards away. When the sun illuminates a crossing rooster sixty yards away, I will not let the good look fool me into pulling the trigger. Leaving a wounded bird in the field ruins my day.

No manufacturer had a reason to market a life size rooster replica. I have two options, a Dokken dead pheasant or a photo. The Dokken needs a cradle and a more realistic painted head.

A photo would be more realistic when looking at it perpendicularly. However, it would be no use to circle the photo to see a going away shot.

Probably do both. The photo will just be the rooster's head.

I have talked to a manufacturer about this. Maybe next year I will have a perfect waterproof, flying rooster to see everyday.

I use a dove decoy to estimate the range of quail. I like it. Never noticed the sex of quail before the shot until I practiced looking at the bird's head everyday.
 
Crossing shot said:
Thanks for your response. Subtending waterfowl is a bad idea. The process includes comparing the size of your bead to the size of the bird. For example, if the bead completely covers the bird, it is too far. Once I look at the bead, all is lost.

The only way I can think of to accurately judge range is to view the range often, like every day. When I am sitting on the back porch, I want to see a rooster forty yards away. When the sun illuminates a crossing rooster sixty yards away, I will not let the good look fool me into pulling the trigger. Leaving a wounded bird in the field ruins my day.

No manufacturer had a reason to market a life size rooster replica. I have two options, a Dokken dead pheasant or a photo. The Dokken needs a cradle and a more realistic painted head.

A photo would be more realistic when looking at it perpendicularly. However, it would be no use to circle the photo to see a going away shot.

Probably do both. The photo will just be the rooster's head.

I have talked to a manufacturer about this. Maybe next year I will have a perfect waterproof, flying rooster to see everyday.

I use a dove decoy to estimate the range of quail. I like it. Never noticed the sex of quail before the shot until I practiced looking at the bird's head everyday.
Click to expand...

Got it. I had this decal on the back of my truck a few years back. If I remember correctly, it was about the size of a "real" pheasant's head http://www.lightningsignsuk.co.uk/pheasant-printed-vinyl-car-van-sticker-decals. Ebay usually has them for sale. Let me know if this won't work.
Nick
 
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This southern Illinois rooster has some markings of the Manchurian ringneck pheasant line (note the white dot just below the eye).
The photo was taken on April 4, 2014, somewhere in southern Illinois. The photographer is from Coulterville.
I hope this is a sign that wild ringneck pheasants are expanding their range southward. Photo below at bottom of page, click on photo to enlarge:
http://walkinwiththewildwoman.blogspot.com/2014/04/still-chasin-birds.html
 
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Thanks Bleu:). I had a friend text me a couple weeks back---he has a nice rooster with 3 hens hanging around his property. As soon as I get some free time I'm going to try to get some photos of the rooster with his spring wattle, trying to impress those hen's. Though at this point they're probably on the nest.:)

Preston, I have to be honest--when I drive through Southern Illinois and even parts of Kentucky I'm left wondering why pheasants haven't taken a strong-hold in those areas:confused:

As you've mentioned, they've taken root in parts of TX. Why not S. IL and Kentucky then:confused: Hopefully some day they'll populate such areas!

Nick
 
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