Post by: mr user on October 31, 2012, 06:25:47 PM
Post by: Stilly bay on October 31, 2012, 06:44:12 PM
your idea of walking in large circles is great, it really confuses the heck out of them. go with the terrain, sometimes walking in a tightening spiral works well. take a few steps and stop and the tight holding birds will lose their cool and flush.
I wouldn't waste my time in the stubble or wheat unless there was thick cover close by, and even then I wouldn't waste my time in the wheat.
as a dogless hunter you have to pick your battles and only hunt areas that you CAN hunt effectively, like hedge rows and thicks stuff or creek bottoms. leave the wide open spaces to the guys with dogs.
another good trick is to get a portable radio. set it on a good talk station and leave it on one end of the field; hop in your car and drive to the opposite end, get out of your vehicle quickly and quietly and hunt towards the radio. the birds will be high tailing it towards you. this tactic works best if your hunting a thin strip and the birds can only escape one way.
Post by: Johnb317 on October 31, 2012, 07:05:33 PM
Can't tell you how many times a bird has jumped after I stopped for a moment or two.
Hunt near water and good cover and make sure you whack that bird cause once you drop one finding him especially if you just broke a wing can be near impossible without a good dog. Good luck and enjoy.
Post by: Stilly bay on October 31, 2012, 07:24:40 PM
make sure you whack that bird cause once you drop one finding him especially if you just broke a wing can be near impossible without a good dog.
:yeah:
and if it hits the ground with its head up, or hits the ground running thump it again!
Post by: Shannon on October 31, 2012, 08:00:20 PM
Post by: mr user on October 31, 2012, 08:15:16 PM
IMO if you don't have a dog your odds of getting wild pheasant on private land or semi private land are dramatically better than at a pheasant release site.Thank you guys for the info! I would prefer to get out into some other terrain other than stubble, but I don't really know any other hunting areas in the Walla Walla area at all so I guess I'm kinda stuck in the wheat stubble :dunno: Is it even worth it to hunt the stubble?
your idea of walking in large circles is great, it really confuses the heck out of them. go with the terrain, sometimes walking in a tightening spiral works well. take a few steps and stop and the tight holding birds will lose their cool and flush.
I wouldn't waste my time in the stubble or wheat unless there was thick cover close by, and even then I wouldn't waste my time in the wheat.
as a dogless hunter you have to pick your battles and only hunt areas that you CAN hunt effectively, like hedge rows and thicks stuff or creek bottoms. leave the wide open spaces to the guys with dogs.
another good trick is to get a portable radio. set it on a good talk station and leave it on one end of the field; hop in your car and drive to the opposite end, get out of your vehicle quickly and quietly and hunt towards the radio. the birds will be high tailing it towards you. this tactic works best if your hunting a thin strip and the birds can only escape one way.
Post by: Cougar125 on October 31, 2012, 08:21:32 PM
Post by: Stilly bay on October 31, 2012, 08:27:10 PM
I personally would hunt something else. Pheasant would be the hardest bird there is to hunt without a dog. Even if you do flush one, getting a cripple without a dog is like finding a needle in a hay stack. Even if you do find it, you won't be able to track it down on foot 99% of the time. Go find some Huns or chukar. You'll have better odds and won't be wasting game.
dogs make it more efficient and a lot more fun, but millions of ditch parrots have been killed without dogs.
Post by: lokidog on October 31, 2012, 08:35:51 PM
Post by: bobcat on October 31, 2012, 08:38:16 PM
I personally would hunt something else. Pheasant would be the hardest bird there is to hunt without a dog. Even if you do flush one, getting a cripple without a dog is like finding a needle in a hay stack. Even if you do find it, you won't be able to track it down on foot 99% of the time. Go find some Huns or chukar. You'll have better odds and won't be wasting game.
:yeah:
If I were going to hunt birds without a dog, I would try to go for chukar. You actually have a decent chance with them. Pheasants are really tough, even with a dog.
Post by: mr user on October 31, 2012, 08:46:13 PM
If chukar taste good I'd hunt them. Problem is, I'm leaving tommorow and don't have any time to learn about them! Do they utilize the same type of habitat as pheasants?I personally would hunt something else. Pheasant would be the hardest bird there is to hunt without a dog. Even if you do flush one, getting a cripple without a dog is like finding a needle in a hay stack. Even if you do find it, you won't be able to track it down on foot 99% of the time. Go find some Huns or chukar. You'll have better odds and won't be wasting game.
:yeah:
If I were going to hunt birds without a dog, I would try to go for chukar. You actually have a decent chance with them. Pheasants are really tough, even with a dog.
Post by: bobcat on October 31, 2012, 08:49:00 PM
If chukar taste good I'd hunt them. Problem is, I'm leaving tommorow and don't have any time to learn about them! Do they utilize the same type of habitat as pheasants?
They taste great! But no, they usually be in rockier, steeper ground. Sometimes they're not too far away though. Chukar do like wheat stubble.
Post by: bobcat on October 31, 2012, 08:50:52 PM
http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/upland_birds/chukar.html (http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/upland_birds/chukar.html)
Post by: mr user on October 31, 2012, 08:54:45 PM
If chukar taste good I'd hunt them. Problem is, I'm leaving tommorow and don't have any time to learn about them! Do they utilize the same type of habitat as pheasants?
They taste great! But no, they usually be in rockier, steeper ground. Sometimes they're not too far away though. Chukar do like wheat stubble.
[/quote]
Thanks for the link! I figure I'll just get out there and give it a shot. Even if the chances of getting something are low, I'm not gonna get anything sitting on the couch!
Post by: wildweeds on October 31, 2012, 09:25:23 PM
Look for fences and where they come together in the corner,the corners always have inviting cover,when near the stubble,tromp around about 10 feet down in the cover and sidehill it using the go no go method.
Post by: Marcoramius on October 31, 2012, 09:42:54 PM
Prepare for longer shots. I flush a lot of roosters, but generally they flush just out of range.
I actually have pretty good luck in wheat or grass fields but the key is to move FAST (almost jogging speed) and don't travel in a straight line, but zig zag back and forth. Occasionally stop for 15-20 seconds but be very quiet when you do. If they can't locate or hear you anymore they will sometimes flush. Don't stop too much though, it just gives the birds more time to run further away from you.
Look for an area where you can work through that has a natural break or terrain change at the end that you can drive the birds towards and where they will be forced to make a decision to either run through a very exposed area or fly. The edge of a wheat field that abuts a stubble field, a creek or river, a fence line, some sort of terrain change. Drive the birds towards that break and get ready.
I also have pretty good luck hunting areas where I can sneak up on birds. A dirt road or path that runs through a field is a good example. You can slowly and VERY quietly walk that and can actually from time to time surprise them, especially if the road or path is above or overlooks a field.
Solo dog less pheasant hunting is probably the toughest hunting there is. I put in a lot of miles when I go, but am usually rewarded for that hard work. Hopefully you are in an area that holds other birds as well as I usually just pheasant hunt in the mornings and evenings, but go after quail and chukar during the day.
Good luck!!
Post by: Shoffy on November 01, 2012, 07:46:29 AM
Try that Millcreek area in Walla Walla the Army Corp of Engineers have. I've been by there, havent hunted it but I know they release birds there. Probably have quail and maybe Huns too.
Post by: Evil_EdwardO on November 01, 2012, 09:41:29 AM
Post by: mr user on November 01, 2012, 12:00:57 PM
Everyone here is not kidding. Wild pheasants are tough and smart birds. Before I had a dog I had a little luck solo dogless hunting pheasants by walking fence lines with built up cover. Try and find fields that neighbor food, like corn. They seem to like cat tails too. Like Stilly said, if you knock one down and he jumps up shoot him again on the ground. Last weekend in Yakima I clipped a rooster and he fell, I should have blasted him again but I wanted my young dog to grab him. The dog didn't get to him in time and he dissapeared in this thick tangle brush. Me and the dog spend almost an hr looking for him but he got away. Total bummer. The other thing is make sure you get a good lead on them. Take your time and try and get your bead on his beak.
Try that Millcreek area in Walla Walla the Army Corp of Engineers have. I've been by there, havent hunted it but I know they release birds there. Probably have quail and maybe Huns too.
Our Hotel is close to the Mill Creek release site so I was figuring I might give that a look too. However, the wdfw info on the specific site is kind of confusing and mentions safety zones? With the add in of safety zones the huntable area on the map seems to be incredibly small.
Post by: mr user on November 02, 2012, 04:56:55 PM
Post by: JLS on November 02, 2012, 05:03:15 PM
Post by: mr user on November 04, 2012, 02:40:18 PM
Good for you. I did a lot of solo bird hunting in college. I managed to kill a decent number of chukars, and the occasional pheasant. It sure is a lot more fun with a dog, but sometimes you do what you gotta do. :tup:Definitely gonna hit the westside release sites a couple times this month. I figure I can probably get a couple chances at birds.
Post by: Stilly bay on November 04, 2012, 08:02:06 PM
Good for you. I did a lot of solo bird hunting in college. I managed to kill a decent number of chukars, and the occasional pheasant. It sure is a lot more fun with a dog, but sometimes you do what you gotta do. :tup:Definitely gonna hit the westside release sites a couple times this month. I figure I can probably get a couple chances at birds.
not to be a debby downer but if hunting wild birds without a dog is tough - hunting release site birds without a dog is ten times harder. if only for the fact that wild birds will hear you coming and either run until they hit an obstacle and or flush when you get too close. pen raised pheasants are so stupid they will just sit tight and let you almost step on them before moving.
your best bet is to hook up with someone who has a dog. :twocents:
Post by: mr user on November 05, 2012, 02:48:01 PM
Damn. Ok, I got a new idea. Now I just need about 10 grand thermal camera....Good for you. I did a lot of solo bird hunting in college. I managed to kill a decent number of chukars, and the occasional pheasant. It sure is a lot more fun with a dog, but sometimes you do what you gotta do. :tup:Definitely gonna hit the westside release sites a couple times this month. I figure I can probably get a couple chances at birds.
not to be a debby downer but if hunting wild birds without a dog is tough - hunting release site birds without a dog is ten times harder. if only for the fact that wild birds will hear you coming and either run until they hit an obstacle and or flush when you get too close. pen raised pheasants are so stupid they will just sit tight and let you almost step on them before moving.
your best bet is to hook up with someone who has a dog. :twocents:
Post by: bracer40 on November 06, 2012, 02:17:02 PM
I've been going down to one of the West side release sites for the past few weeks and would be open to having you along. Last week I saw a Father and a couple of young boys out (only one boy with shotgun) but no dog. I called em over and they followed a little while until I guess they decided they'd rather follow the crowd (and yes, one can get lucky and shoot a bird the crowd misses. I think I let 2-3 fly unscathed over my head). They could easily have shot any of the other birds pointed that morning as well..................don't get me wrong, I still enjoying shooting birds, but love to watch my dog work even more.
So if your interested shoot me a pm.
Post by: Cascade_fisher on November 06, 2012, 06:44:22 PM