West Side Pheasant

[birdwacker]

If people wouldn't shoot at low flying birds it wouldn't matter how crowded it was. Always be sure of your target and what's behind it!

[CP]

If people wouldn't shoot at low flying birds it wouldn't matter how crowded it was. Always be sure of your target and what's behind it!

Half the birds can't get out of there own way, they're half grown, all pecked up and their wings are usually wet.  Small wonder that they can't get enough altitude to get off a safe shot at them.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I still have a pellet in my nose from a moron at carnation who shot a rooster that was flying head level right at me. Don't waste your time without a dog.

  How long has it been in there 

About 15 years, one hit the back of my left hand and I thought the one that hit my nose just creased it until after a few years the small bump I felt worked it's way to the surface and I have this gray spot on the tip of my nose #4 steel I think. Thought about having it cut out but the scar might look worse than the small gray spot I have now.

OMG!!!  Dude!!!  We NEED a picture of this one!!!   PLEASE???    Here ya go.

:yike:Thats crazy .. but then again to be a wetside pheasant release site hunter you have to be crazy 

[Stilly bay]

I can vouch for that.

[singleshot12]

Dang...Makes me nervous to hear about things like that...Some people have no muzzle awareness  Glad you came out of it OK..so to speak.

Has nothing to do with muzzle awareness.
There are something like 50 shotguns in a 1 mile area at 8am.
There are likely going to be 20 birds flushed in the first 10 minutes.
The guys on the other side of the blackberry line, 75 yards away are completely invisible to the shooter.
I wear big Oakley eyeshields and they're not to make a fashion statement.

I disagree, Typically a pheasant release site is around 300 acres, typically around 30 birds are released and volunteers usually spread the birds in differant areas. It's all about muzzle control. Accidents could totally be avoided if hunters spread out and didn't shoot through brush or towards another hunter within a hundred yards or so. Most hunters are careful and responsible but there's always that one say out of ten with tunnel vision or just plain crazy. Stay away from the cluster *censored*s and you should be fine

[SpringerFan]

Went to one on Sunday with the new pup. Arrived at 11:00. About 5 cars/trucks in the lot. Only two of the vehicles were hunting (based on a few bike racks).

Spent about an out there to get the dog out and scenting more than pigeons. About 25 minutes in to it, bam!!! Up came a hen that flushed straight up. Bird down.

Have to agree though. Never go early. I let all the runners get their limit........then let the dogs actually work.

[thinkingman]

Dang...Makes me nervous to hear about things like that...Some people have no muzzle awareness  Glad you came out of it OK..so to speak.

Has nothing to do with muzzle awareness.
There are something like 50 shotguns in a 1 mile area at 8am.
There are likely going to be 20 birds flushed in the first 10 minutes.
The guys on the other side of the blackberry line, 75 yards away are completely invisible to the shooter.
I wear big Oakley eyeshields and they're not to make a fashion statement.

I disagree, Typically a pheasant release site is around 300 acres, typically around 30 birds are released and volunteers usually spread the birds in differant areas. It's all about muzzle control. Accidents could totally be avoided if hunters spread out and didn't shoot through brush or towards another hunter within a hundred yards or so. Most hunters are careful and responsible but there's always that one say out of ten with tunnel vision or just plain crazy. Stay away from the cluster *censored*s and you should be fine

The hunters that follow the rules don't advance past the safe zone until 8am.
They certainly aren't spread out over 300 acres at 8am.
I talked to a volunteer who said 60 birds planted the night before.  The coyotes and hawks leave about 45 of those for the hunters.
I have been there enough to know what it's like for the first 20 minutes of a weekend hunt.

[Stickerbush]

Just hunted a release site today. Got there a little late at about 8:30 the lots were PACKED!!! But thank God I had missed the revolutionary war style march at 8am. Walked out and everyone seemed pretty spread out, foggy. One thing I would suggest is to always have a orange or bright colored hat on. Sometimes with the tall grass you can barely see anything so it really helps to have bright headgear. Also I think I'm going to be using a whistle more with my dog, good communication and lets other hunters know where you are. A time or two I heard shots and I could hear the pellets hit the trees above me , that can be pretty sketchy. Anyway this was my first time hunting release sites over here (besides the youth hunt with my little brother). And it worked out ok for me today, you just have to figure out how to hunt them. Most of the people were gone by 10am either with limits or just bored and not willing to work for it.

Ended up shooting my first pheasant today, dogs first year legitimately pheasant hunting, lot of firsts today. Walked around and ended up getting this rooster around 12:45, dropped it on one shot with a Praire Storm load. 

[Stilly bay]

Dang...Makes me nervous to hear about things like that...Some people have no muzzle awareness  Glad you came out of it OK..so to speak.

Has nothing to do with muzzle awareness.
There are something like 50 shotguns in a 1 mile area at 8am.
There are likely going to be 20 birds flushed in the first 10 minutes.
The guys on the other side of the blackberry line, 75 yards away are completely invisible to the shooter.
I wear big Oakley eyeshields and they're not to make a fashion statement.

I disagree, Typically a pheasant release site is around 300 acres, typically around 30 birds are released and volunteers usually spread the birds in differant areas. It's all about muzzle control. Accidents could totally be avoided if hunters spread out and didn't shoot through brush or towards another hunter within a hundred yards or so. Most hunters are careful and responsible but there's always that one say out of ten with tunnel vision or just plain crazy. Stay away from the cluster *censored*s and you should be fine

The hunters that follow the rules don't advance past the safe zone until 8am.
They certainly aren't spread out over 300 acres at 8am.
I talked to a volunteer who said 60 birds planted the night before.  The coyotes and hawks leave about 45 of those for the hunters.
I have been there enough to know what it's like for the first 20 minutes of a weekend hunt.

if you don't understand the basics muzzle control don't come out. its especially important when duck season starts and you have highly concealed hunters mixed with highly visible. if you only shoot at birds with sky behind them you are doing your part.

that being said those pellets still have to come down, no matter how high in the sky you aim. when you get pellets raining on you slow your roll and try not to take it personal. there is nothing worse than the dick out there screaming bloody murder because he thinks people are shooting low or even at him when in reality its just pellets losing velocity and falling down.

the more you are at release site the better your odds of getting dusted by pellets.  safety glasses should be as mandatory as steel shot on release sites. if your not wearing them you get a ticket or sent home just like if your weren't wearing enough orange.

and for PHUXACHE why can't people figure out how to hand signal one another out in the field to show which way they are going  instead of playing chicken with you? I lost count of how many times people have pushed me off my course by just barging straight ahead, or cutting me off.

[CP]

  safety glasses should be as mandatory as steel shot on release sites. if your not wearing them you get a ticket or sent home just like if your weren't wearing enough orange.

No, we don't need any more nanny rules from big brother.  Wear glasses if you want, or not, they're your eyes.

[Stilly bay]

  safety glasses should be as mandatory as steel shot on release sites. if your not wearing them you get a ticket or sent home just like if your weren't wearing enough orange.

No, we don't need any more nanny rules from big brother.  Wear glasses if you want, or not, they're your eyes.

CP if I am not wearing glasses and your errant shot rains down and blinds me, not only will I sue you and win, but you will probably lose your hunting rights. sure it might have been a bad Idea on my part not wear glasses but someone has to pay for the Dr. bills and my pain and suffering.

[CP]

Have at it, if I shoot you, you should sue.  Good to know lawyers and politicians have no unemployment problems.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Dang...Makes me nervous to hear about things like that...Some people have no muzzle awareness  Glad you came out of it OK..so to speak.

Has nothing to do with muzzle awareness.
There are something like 50 shotguns in a 1 mile area at 8am.
There are likely going to be 20 birds flushed in the first 10 minutes.
The guys on the other side of the blackberry line, 75 yards away are completely invisible to the shooter.
I wear big Oakley eyeshields and they're not to make a fashion statement.

I disagree, Typically a pheasant release site is around 300 acres, typically around 30 birds are released and volunteers usually spread the birds in differant areas. It's all about muzzle control. Accidents could totally be avoided if hunters spread out and didn't shoot through brush or towards another hunter within a hundred yards or so. Most hunters are careful and responsible but there's always that one say out of ten with tunnel vision or just plain crazy. Stay away from the cluster *censored*s and you should be fine

Single12 ..If your from up North I know where your hunting  You can avoid the crowds if you have access to private land where alot of birds end up up there  I have hunted around there years ago , even built a house for some people and used to take an hour for lunch and turn my dog lose in there back field and sometimes he caught more than I shot 

[Curly]

What I find silly, is that at Scatter Creek, they won't let you walk just inside the fence and spread out a bit before 8 am.

Seems like it would work a lot better if guys could go in before 8 am and get set on a line to start walking and spread out at least 60 yards apart.   (You know, just get inside the fenceline a bit and wait until 8.  Instead everyone gets funneled through the openings at the parking lot.........  I stopped hunting there at 8 am after the first time I went.........it was crazy. 

[Stilly bay]

Have at it, if I shoot you, you should sue.

Meh, I would rather just have an anecdote  about how wearing shooting glasses saved my vision.