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Author Topic: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!  (Read 3173 times)

Offline 253shotgunner

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Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« on: November 17, 2019, 06:53:40 PM »
This is my third year hunting pheasants and I had never seen this before. My hunting partner shoots a hen (we were in western WA) and it drops like a rock. As we approach it, the bird's head pops up and it starts running away. Luckily, our dog saw this and held it until we came to pick it up. Does this happen often?
« Last Edit: November 17, 2019, 08:11:45 PM by 253shotgunner »
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Offline BLH69

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2019, 06:56:32 PM »
they are famous for it.

Offline jackelope

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2019, 06:59:55 PM »
Chicken with its head cut off ring a bell?
:fire.:

" In today's instant gratification society, more and more pressure revolves around success and the measurement of one's prowess as a hunter by inches on a score chart or field photos produced on social media. Don't fall into the trap. Hunting is-and always will be- about the hunt, the adventure, the views, and time spent with close friends and family. " Ryan Hatfield

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Offline bobcat

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2019, 07:06:44 PM »
That's because it probably was only hit in the wing. That's why it's so important to always use a dog when hunting pheasants.

Offline 253shotgunner

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2019, 07:17:36 PM »
That's because it probably was only hit in the wing. That's why it's so important to always use a dog when hunting pheasants.

Thank you. A wing shot explains that situation for me. The bird was very much alive when the dog got to it. I just had never seen that before as all the birds that i have shot were dead upon retrieval. That was a great lesson to learn for my future pheasant hunts!
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Offline CackleBird98

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2019, 07:26:34 PM »
Oh yeah!  If a pheasant isnt dead or have a broken leg when it hits the ground, without a good dog you can kiss him goodbye!
That's why I always try to hit em again on the way down if they still look alive

Offline Birdguy

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2019, 07:55:57 PM »
Using a better load of pellets can help with this a lot. Those Prairie Storm loads are great for folding what you hit. Some pay to play places require it to prevent cripples. Dogs are awesome tools in the bird fields, beside amazing to watch work will recover many birds that would be lost without them!

Offline 253shotgunner

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2019, 07:57:06 PM »
Yep, I would never hunt pheasant without a good bird dog. I use #2 steel (pheasant release site) and I have never had a runner. Hmmm I wonder what size shot my buddy was shooting? I will have to ask him!  :dunno:
« Last Edit: November 17, 2019, 08:10:14 PM by 253shotgunner »
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Offline Hilltop123

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2019, 08:48:03 PM »
Sooner birds, is what dad called them. Sooner run, than fly.

Offline DOUBLELUNG

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2019, 12:52:14 PM »
To quote a friend: "Run like a rabbit, die like a rabbit!"
As long as we have the habitat, we can argue forever about who gets to kill what and when.  No habitat = no game.

Offline Backstrap

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2019, 05:07:12 PM »
I watched my dog chase one down and catch it this weekend. Man those things can really bob and weave, circle back, and generally confuse the dog. This was an unwounded but obese bird that did not want to fly.
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Step once, look twice...

Offline Birdgetter

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2019, 05:49:55 PM »
Chukars do the same thing, they really get up and go especially down hill.

Offline Fletch

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Re: Is this common? Pheasant down then runs like heck!
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2019, 01:13:04 PM »
always down hill  :chuckle:

 


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