Pheasant hunting is often the first and best way to learn the fundamentals of upland wingshooting. Especially in the Midwest and the Northern Plains, pheasant hunting offers lifelong opportunities for excitement and exploration. If you are planning your first pheasant outing, or even if you are a rooster veteran, consider these pheasant hunting tips that I have learned over the years. They will make your next hunt successful.
Hunting with just one or two other people can be an effective strategy for new hunters to learn from more experienced hunters. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) Keep it Simple Just like any activity, the more variables you introduce, the harder it is to predict the outcome of a pheasant hunt. More people and more dogs sounds like more fun, but you’ll soon learn that there is a threshold where the fun factor diminishes for everyone.
If you are new to pheasant hunting, try going out with just one or two mentors, if you are lucky enough to find them. They will be able to give you better one-on-one instruction, and you will have more safe shooting opportunities than in a large hunting party.
Pheasant hunting alone will level up your game when it comes to reading good habitat, predicting bird behavior, and paying attention to your dog. While spending time with friends and family is rewarding, most of my memorable pheasant hunts have been solo walks squeezed in amongst weekend chores.
Spending time in the field with your dog is one of the great rewards of pheasant hunting. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) Make Pheasant Hunting About the Dog When you first get into pheasant hunting, the goal of shooting a limit of birds can be consuming. If you spend time with diehard rooster chasers, you’ll quickly notice that they care a lot more about time afield with their dog.
You can hunt behind flushing labs and spaniels, or pointing shorthairs and setters. Whatever dog strikes your fancy, they are bound to make pheasant hunting far more exciting—especially after the eagerness of the first few seasons fades. A good dog not only finds more birds for you to shoot at, but the anticipation of a birdy dog makes even the saltiest old hunter fall in love again on every single flush.
Building the hunt around your dog can be a healthy adjustment of priorities. Don’t forget, training your dog is essential. You can’t expect to bring a dog out once or twice a year unless you want nothing but frustration. Instead, put time into off-season sessions and give your dog the same grace they give your imperfect shooting.
If you don’t have a dog, go pheasant hunting anyway. Any dedicated hunter will enjoy some level of success, even without the advantage of a dog’s nose. If you have a chance, beg an invite from a dedicated bird-dogger. You’ll love the joy that a good dogbrings to the hunt, and you might just find yourself looking for one of your own.
Though pheasants are very visible in feeding areas, they are often easier to hunt in thicker cover. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) Find Shelter, not Food when Pheasant Hunting While pen-raised pheasants are found wherever they were released, you’ll need to put more thought into locating wiley wild ringnecks. Most novice hunters make the mistake of looking for food. Spilled grain along a cut corn field or a standing milo plot might be prime fodder for browsing pheasants, but what the birds really need is cover.
Old shelterbelt tree rows, river’s edge brush, and cattail sloughs offer concealment from aerial predators. As cold days get shorter, these covers also supply critical thermal protection. You’ll typically find good pheasant populations a stone’s throw from such habitat, even when there are no obvious food sources.
Pheasants are scrappy and opportunistic. They will eat everything from tree seeds to cow pies. I have even found pheasants in desert sagebrush miles from any sort of grain, but you will find the most productive hunts at the intersections of great cover and a variety of food options.
Small parcels of land with cover that sit next to farm fields are great for pheasants. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) Don’t Overlook the Little Pheasant Hunting Spots Especially when it comes to travel hunting, new pheasant hunters tend to look for the largest land parcels. Whether a hunting lease or public access, remember that quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.
Oftentimes, it’s easier to get permission to hunt a small rural homestead than a sprawling production farm. Likewise, an isolated 40-acre public access parcel might have more birds than the big thousand-acre block that draws all the hunters. It all comes down to the quality of the habitat. When in doubt, drive by and take a look for yourself. You might just find yourself bagging a limit on the spot every other hunter overlooks.
Having quality gear will make your hunt more comfortable, allowing you to stay in the field longer. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) Outfit Yourself for Success You will find gear snobs in any outdoor pursuit, and pheasant hunting is no exception. Rest assured, I’ve bagged more pheasants with nothing more than a few shells in my jeans than I have when fully outfitted with the best equipment.
Consider the products that will make your hunt more enjoyable, but don't be afraid to start with what you have. Find a gun that fits you reasonably well and put time in at the clays range. Confident pheasant shooting comes only through practice and familiarity with your gun.
Improved cylinder and modified chokes will cover most rooster flushes. Medium-velocity field loads are a great choice, as they provide ample knock-down power but limit recoil.
When it comes to clothing, focus on practical layers that keep you warm and dry. If you splurge on only one piece of your hunting kit, make it a good pair of boots.
Regardless of where you live there are probably hunting opportunities near you. (Photo courtesy of Josh Tatman) Keep Your Options Open It is easy to get caught up in what we think an experience should be. Visions of classic Midwest covers might dance in your head, but don’t ignore the options that are close to home. I’ve lost count of both novice and veteran pheasant hunters that have told me, “There’s no good pheasant hunting around here.”
Nevertheless, I have found both welcoming landowners and public access that can yield a longtail limit on any given day of the season. Not everywhere in North America offers wild pheasant hunting, but if you keep an open mind, you might find great hunting closer to home than you expect.
Plan your dream hunt in South Dakota or Montana , but if you put work into local habitat improvement and build relationships with land managers, you will be rewarded. If you do your part, you can enjoy the excitement of a wild rooster flush any time you go afield.
