Off to decent start

[kyle78]

Deer hunting sucked so I went out to one of my favorite pheasant spots today and ended up with two. They where the only birds I saw but better then nothing. Sorry no pics had the camera in wifes truck. Dog did great and chased down an injured runner that I shot. Using steel really sucks. Neither bird was a clean kill and I was using 3" number 4s. Hope the rest of season is good.

[Forrestrover]

2 pheasants in a day is good! Sounds like you have a good dog. As far as steel goes, I've had good luck with #2 for pheasant.

[birdaddict]

yeah #2 is the way to go they are equal to #5 or #6 in lead. Or go with heavy shot. Good job though. I saw a couple guys that said they shot 4 roosters and only found one. They had 3 dogs too. What a waist.

[birdaddict]

I had a decent day. Didn't see a lot of birds because all of the corn around here is still up. It took all day but but I ended up with a decent bag.

[kyle78]

Corn in quincy is still up. I didn't see many quail, but I don't usually in that spot. I hate losing birds. I lost one last year that I tracked through snow for an hour with the dog but never could find it. My dog doesn't give up so I'm glad to have him. I only saw the two birds that I got.

[PNWsportsman]

Pretty scant over here on the Palouse...hunted my butt off for 4 birds this weekend.  I think Im going to take up chukkar hunting.

[birdaddict]

I know kyle I can't stand giving up on a downed bird had to do it once last year but we looked for about over an hr.

[Ellensburg]

You guys are lucky to be able to get 1 or 2 birds a day. Eburg area sucks for pheasant these days.

[birdaddict]

That's too bad about E-burg. I spent years getting skunked or only one bird out of public spots in Moses Lake and Quincy now I'm lucky enough to have a connection to hunt on private land. 

[Savage Hunter]

Have not been pheasant hunting in a few years, but based on your post, I guess the rumors are true, the administrative idiots in Olympia have once again rammed another hunting restriction down our throats with steel shot for upland birds. Glad you found both your birds, and deer hunting really was lousy this year. 

[OlyEightySix]

Having hunted mostly WPA's(Waterfowl Production Areas) in South Central Nebraska, I got used to using steel. So much so it's all I use for everything even on Private. I'm not against lead. It's just that way I don't to worry about getting caught with lead.12ga or 20ga  3" #4 steel for early season teal, pheasants, quail and rabbits.  Later in the season I switch mainly to 3" #2 steel for pheasants, bigger ducks, and sometimes geese. Early in the upland season I have the improved cylinder choke, gradually moving out to modified and full in the late season. In the early days it was Kent Fasteel and still is my go to shotsheel. I've been dabbling with BlackCloud (only for longer range shots) and will be trying the new BlindSide shells too.

[kyle78]

We can still use lead on non release sites, but on all the others it's all non toxic. Where I hunt it's public land next to a release site, so if I jump back and forth it is easier just to have non toxic to avoid the hassle. I've heard rumors in a few years it will all be non toxic no matter what, I know it's that way in California and we are just Cali junior.

[T-Bone]

Pretty scant over here on the Palouse...hunted my butt off for 4 birds this weekend.  I think Im going to take up chukkar hunting.

I agree about it being "Pretty Scant over here on the Palouse"; a short Sunday walk on a nearby farm yelded all of one hen flush by my young Springer. A trip yesterday to one of the State's Pheasant Release Sites along the Snake River resulted in very wild and long range seperate flushes by about three roosters (no shots taken) and at least six hens. The area was being pounded by hunters. I've never seen that kind of pressure at this somewhat remote site. In the positive, my now three year old Springer has matured into a fun hunting companion.   

[wildweeds]

Boy howdy is that dog working.

I had a decent day. Didn't see a lot of birds because all of the corn around here is still up. It took all day but but I ended up with a decent bag.