Going Pheasant hunting tomorrow for the first time.

[jeepasaurusrex]

I got invited today to head up to Ferndale and go Pheasant hunting with a friend. I've never hunted for them before. This is going to be more of a good friends getting together hunt rather than serious hunting, but still... Any day getting skunked hunting is better than a day at work...


Tools I'm taking along: Remington 870 12ga, box of 2¾" #7, some comfy boots and an orange vest..... 

[NW-GSP]

Make sure that you have steel shot!

[Sportfury]

Yep steel shot required on all west side release sites

[singleshot12]

#7's is really too small for phez..4's backed up with 2's folds them much better

[RadSav]

We use 7.5 Heavy Shot with great success.  On the Mayville reserve we can use lead and use the Kent Fast Lead 7.5 with equally good results.  #6 is my favorite, but we compromise with the 7.5 so the wife has a few more BB's The stuff really reaches out and puts a hurt on them! If using cheaper rounds the Kent #4 steel does ok.  Tears up the breasts a bit more, but range is acceptable. 

Pheasant aren't any where near as tough as a duck or goose.  And with a good dog shots are almost too close, especially on a release site.  If you are new to pheasant hunting I'd go no larger than #4.  And since you will rarely need more than a few rounds on a release site I highly recommend heavy shot in 7.5 or 6.  Until you get the hang of it having the extra BB count usually helps.  Also with Heavy Shot a new hunter can open up on chokes shooting Skeet or Improved pattern and still get the range required.

Good luck.  First day of shooting birds each year is always a good time!

[wildweeds]

You'll be within a mile of my house in the war zone,I personally think hevi shot in 6's are the best.I'm foregoing the zoo and headed to seattle trap and skeet to shoot sporting clays.It may be a touch late for this message but  the warden was hanging out  in the parking lot yesterday checking licenses/plugs/and shells.

[jeepasaurusrex]

We ended up hunting on BP property at a release site in the morning (over by the weather trailer,) then headed over to Lake Terrell after that. We never got a shot off (while tracking a hen, noticed a hunter way in the distance and elected to not squeeze the trigger.) We ended up using #4 shot.
My friend Chris brought along his Black Lab that he got from the pound, she did pretty good for her first time ever. She just needs to know what she is supposed to be doing. Maybe next time we will bring a friend along that has a couple of good dogs so she can learn from them...
Overall, it was a great day. I got to hang out with my friend that I have not seen in 4yrs, we covered a lot of ground. Any day getting skunked while hunting is better than any day at work! Looks like he will be joining us at Modern Deer camp as well.

[RadSav]

Wow!  That's one beautiful pound puppy

We have had a number of people ask if they could hunt a few hours with our dogs.  Usually only takes one or two birds for them to see what the game is.  Once they realize there is a game to be played instead of just a fun walk in the park everything changes! 

Once took a neighbor out whose dog was a carpet queen.  She got out of the truck and wanted back in because the grass was wet.  She walked behind us and cried for the first 15 minutes until we busted the first rooster.  We let her hold the rooster and praised her really well.  That was enough for her to quit crying and start working out in front.  Second rooster came up between her and my little Sandy River dog.  I thought she was going to run back to the truck as the scary bird cackled and rose straight above her.  Though unsure and a little scared she held her ground.  And when the rooster fell within yards of her Mother Nature flipped the switch in her head...she was now a bird dog!!! And a darn good one too

[T-Bone]

I lived in Ferndale for 6 years…I hunted the BP property many times; give the Intalco site, West of the Lake Terrell W.A. a try.

#4 steel is a good choice, but I preferred #3 in my pheasant release hunts.

Beautiful dog; in my dog training experience, dogs don't "learn from other dogs" (other than horse play and domination). Nothing substitutes for time spent in dog training and exposure to birds.

[bracer40]

Um, I may be mistaken here, but isn't the only pheasant season open in September for youth (& maybe seniors) only?

From the pics I saw, neither looked like youths or seniors.

Just curious.

[RadSav]

Western Washington
Sept. 20 & 21 (youth only a) 2 either sex 4 either sex
Sept. 22-26 (hunters 65 years or
older only) 2 either sex 10 either sex

Western Washington
Regular Season
8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sept. 27 - Nov. 30 2 either sex 15 either sex

[BiggLuke]

lol.....  I typed this in right when he did.   

Western Washington
Regular Season
8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sept. 27 - Nov. 30 2 either sex 15 either sex

[NW-GSP]

Jeepasaurusrex I hint the release sites closer to where we live, I go on Fridays and your welcome to come with. I have two dogs.

[jeepasaurusrex]

I'm slammed at work right now, and even more so once they figured I'd be taking a week off to go deer hunting...

I'd love to hit some more places!

[dustysags]

I hunt the lake terrel sites almost everyday, if you see a red lab and a guy behind him missing shots left and right feel free to say hi.