Anyone pheasant hunt?

[Ridgerunner]

anybody on here pheasant hunt?  I love to but don't make the time for it enough.  What a rush though.

[jackelope]

Ridge...i'm in the same boat as you. i'd love to say i do, but i don't nearly enough.
it is high on my list of favorite things to hunt though.

[Fletch]

Ditto! I love to hunt them but rarely make the time anymore...Kids come along and the time narrows...I would rather hunt deer and elk so its one of those choices! I still bust one or two a year.

[sisu]

Hunted them for the very first time this year. We did a ton of walking and hard bushwacking, but shot birds while all the pointer and setter guys watched. I believe they thought we were crazy because we worked for so hard for the birds.

Hey are you guys from the east side? I live up around Long Lake in Stevens County and hunt north of Pomeroy a wee bit.

[bobcat]

I used to hunt pheasants a lot, but haven't even gone at all the last two seasons. My German Shorthair is 9 and I really would like to get him out this year; I don't know how many more years he's got left in him. I think he's got arthritis in his left shoulder, or something wrong with it, so actually I'm not even sure how he'll do if I go this year. It could be only a one day hunt and then he'll be done. Same thing as you said Fletch, I got married and now have a 15 month old girl, so I've chosen to hunt deer and elk with the time that I do have. It's also expensive driving to Pomeroy every weekend for two months like I used to do, especially when I can't ever talk anybody into going with me.

[billythekidrock]

I never have. I never knew anyone that did. Woud love to try it sometime.

[boneaddict]

I suppose I am in one of the pheasant hotspots in the state with the REZ just south of me.  We used to get a couple, when the ducks got slow down by Toppenish.  Its been awhile though.  Now I just feed them.  I plant a bunch of extra corn and they love to winter at my home.  They almost get tame sometimes as they know when I throw scratch to my birds, they just follow behind.

[Ironhead]

I still pheasant hunt 8 or 10 times a year. Either in the Dayton, Waitsburg area or down towards Clarkston. Usually get 20 to 30 a year. Other than big game, I really enjoy chasing upland birds. I have 2 Golden Retreivers that love to hunt as  much or more than I do.

[boneaddict]

THis guy for instance.  He was a released bird as he was banded, but he discovered my routine and spent all winter following me around.  Here he is waiting for me to get the corn scratch out of the bin to go feed the birds.

[boneaddict]

[boneaddict]

Here is a picture of my first pheasant and my first pheasant mount that I did.  I guess I should post this over in the taxidermy section.  The shed antler is from the Klickitat.

[T-Bone]

I grew up hunting pheasants in Iowa in the 1960's. I shot my first rooster at age 9 with a single shot 20ga. I been fortunate to hunt them in Illinois, North Dakota, Montana, and Washington, too.

These days I hunt them close to my home in Rockford with my 6 year old, female Chesapeake. They still outwit us most mornings, but I still have some success.  

[GOcougsHunter]

I get to upland bird hunt two or three times a year near Pullman.  Usually get to stuff a few ringnecks in the bag.  Back in college (WSU) I would hunt the areas in Whitman county 4 or 5 times a week.  Place is crawiling with Pheasants, huns, chuckars, and quail. 

[WAcoyotehunter]

I hunt them quite a bit around the area.  We have a few near the house, but mostly on public managed land.  My 2 yr old border collie has got the bird hunting figured out, I probably shot 100+ quail over her this year.  She even does water retrieves!

[Machias]

Nice photo, thanks for sharing that!

[WAcoueshunter]

That's a great pic!

I try to pheasant hunt a couple days each year, but it's become fewer and farther between as I try to hunt deer/elk more and more.  But I got a brittany this year (just dropped her off at the trainer today), so I'm sure she'll get me out more this year.  I've done most of my pheasant hunting between Lion's Ferry/Pomeroy/Dayton.

[Trashmonkey]

I tried hunting pheasant last year.  The area where I live has a release site and is over populated with hunters.  I literally had steel shot raining down on me.  It was like I was in the LZ again.  I have no dog, but I would love to find some open spaces and someone to hunt with.  Although getting shot at, it was fun.

[Hermit]

OH YEA! The Skagit flats are great on opening day. People are screaming, fighting each other, shooting each other, chasing each other across the field........I've got a 36 in. barrel for my 870, so sometimes I'd stand just south of the parking lot and take some of the long shots at the birds that made it behind the line of shoulder to shoulder hunters. But now I just watch............ Better entertainment than Disneyland.

[SpencerUSMC]

OH YEA! The Skagit flats are great on opening day. People are screaming, fighting each other, shooting each other, chasing each other across the field........I've got a 36 in. barrel for my 870, so sometimes I'd stand just south of the parking lot and take some of the long shots at the birds that made it behind the line of shoulder to shoulder hunters. But now I just watch............ Better entertainment than Disneyland.

your tellin me! that place is a zoo!  I grew up in Kansas, and let me tell you that these guys have no idea what pheasant hunting really is.  I got into it with a guy as I was walking back to my truck at 8:05.......he says "Where are you going this is great!"  as he is wearing his tennis shoe's and shorts........I just said this not hunting and those guys are nuts, I got peppered two or three times in 10 minutes.  He went on about how great it was out there and I just laughed.  Then as I was walking back to the truck her comes this kid with his girlfriend walking behind him.....what a friggin joke!!

[SpencerUSMC]

She should have been at home getting dinner ready for him!!!!!   hhahahahahaha  Just kidding....it was like a frikin park!  jus taking a walk not really paying attention where they are going or shooting! It was ridiculous!  Very Very Unsafe......and I would never consider that pheasant hunting

[Ridgerunner]

I don't go as much as I would like to, one of my dream trips is to head to the DAkotas on a pheasant trip, one day I will.  It will be a grand time.

[tlbradford]

I do a lot of pheasant hunting in Spokane and Whitman Counties, but I would much rather shoot quail.  More action, tougher shots, and in my opinion they taste a whole lot better.

Ironhead.  I thought I was the only one hunting upland birds with a golden retriever.  Great nose, but they don't cover much ground in the wheat stubble.  Of course, those birds flush about 900 yards ahead of you anyway.

[bobcat]

I hunted pheasants with my Golden Retriever for 13 years, until she died 2 years ago. She was an awesome pheasant dog! We spent most of our time in the SE part of the state.

[GoldTip]

My choco lab loves chasing the roosters, much better even than waterfowl.   It may be because he is so damn fast.  I also hunt Spokane and Whitman counties for the roosters and huns quite a bit, but not as much as I'd sometimes like.  Between hunting Idaho and Washington every year for deer and elk, with the occasional Montana big game tags added on, I'm probably not giving my dog a fair shake at hunting.  He does go deer hunting with me when I am just chasin mulie does in eastern Montana.

[Hermit]

I always use my girlfriend to retreive, she doesn't point well though.

[Choclab]

I always use my girlfriend to retreive, she doesn't point well though.

You need to turn up the E-collar!!!     

[Hermit]

I used your shotgun on doves  on the opener. Started out pretty bad but was making some good shots by tuesday. Nice gun, thanks. Lots of ducks around, I noticed.

[Choclab]

I think I still have that Full Choke here. PM me your addy and I will mail it out to you....or I can just use that as an excuse to take you out on the skagit and do a little scouting in the boat

[Hermit]

Hold on to it. I won't always be this busy. I just spent $18,000 on that "camping spot" in Brewster. So now I want to shoot something there. I scouted out some good Quail and Duck spots and theres supposed to be a lot of Grouse across the road in the canyon, and of course theres a lot of deer around. Your boat would be perfect for Lake Pateros. I'll drag my 17' travel trailer over there a couple days before season opens and stay for two weeks. Your welcome anytime. I'll give ya easy directions, and I'll be alone since everyone I know is working. I had 2 swing arm gates built and I'm going to run them over there this Sat. morning then come back. If not we'll definatly hit the Skagit. I was just mailed my Snow Goose card.

[Choclab]

Sounds sweet! I will def. bring the boat and dekes down.

[Intruder]

I luv it.  Truth be known if I were forced to choose I'd probably give up alot of my other hunting to hunt upland birds... love the dogs the time of year the excitement.  It's great!  Hunt all over... WA. ID, MT, SD. 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm going to do some this year for sure, haven't the last two years but my golden retriever absolutely loves it and with my deer season not looking to good I'm going to be looking to get out and do some hunting anyway.