How do I go about looking for pheasants

[Huntingonthebrain]

It seems to me that when I went out last week hunting, I should have found more pheasants. I really think that I don't know what I am doing or what I should be looking for. So when I get to one of the parking lots, how do I go about covering a field with the dog to effectively find pheasants? What cover do I look for? what is the methodology for covering a field. Is there certain things to be looking for in the field etc?? Thanks for all your help

[Spear]

Over the years, we have come early to hunt the birds as they are coming out for a bit to eat but as day light comes they go for cover. The middle of the day we hunt the thicker cover. The Pheasants are hiding from hunters, dogs and birds of prey during the day light hours. This was great when I had a lab but now I have a pointer and so it is more of a problem that way. I can't always go in to get the bird if he is pointing one. In the evening the pheasants start to venture out a bit more again. Hedgrows are good to hunt during the mid day. Having someone hunt both sides of a hedgrow is good. Work it from one end to the other and as you come to the end be ready for the birds to fly. As long as there is cover they are far less likely to fly but once they are exposed they take off or run like mad. Have fun.

[Huntingonthebrain]

So perhaps I just don't know where to go at Hullett then. I went again on sat, saw only 2 pheasants... one that 2 other guys were hunting... I didn't want to go after that one for obvious reasons. I saw one other that flushed well before my dog got to it. I am just not seeing a lot of birds. I would really like to get Mac on a few just so that he really knows what he is after.

[Sharon]

The birds at Hullett are hunted heavily. They've been driven back into thick cover where fewer people want to walk. You need to walk a lot before you find them. Park in the last parking lot (south side) on Conservation Road just before the old bridge. Take the road/trail up over the hill ( do the spruce hedge row up there just in case), keep walking south ( through the cover) until you're just past the Beaver Pond, turn West and keep going through the heavier cover until you almost reach the Highway , then head North/East back in the direction of your car. Takes an hour and a half on a walking horse so...

Another good hunt is along the creek on Zone B from Conservation Road to Summerhill Road.

Needless to say your dog has to be be hunting not more that 50 yards out and holding that point until you get there. If not, they'll be lots of birds but you won't see them.

Fingal Conservation Area pheasant opens Wed. Think thick spruce there.

[Spear]

It is a lot of work finding pheasant at Hullett. Like Case said, they are hunted hard. We tend to find them mostly in the thick stuff. A lot of walking, a lot of work and a few birds. As you hunt Hullet you will see how big it really is. They put out about 100 birds a week. Really that is not a lot of birds so you should not count on a flush every half hour or so. It is the guys willing to go into the thick areas that are going to get the birds. The good thing is your Brittany can run all day, the flip side.... can you?

[sterregold]

You've been getting good advice here--success at Hullet means getting into the thick stuff. We've been out there two weekends and taken birds both times, but Winter(retriever) and I both had to push into the thick stuff to make it happen; he's also got enough experience to push them towards the openings so that they'll flush, which helps. Put on your briar pants and a tough coat and push in there! Then trust your dog's nose!

[TK'S]

What we use to do is wait til the pointers went in the mornings at the parking lots then go in and hunt a 100 yards from the parking lots with our Labs and pick up our limit after duck hunting when the pointers would blow right by them . Terry

[Sharon]

grrrrrrrrr

[TK'S]

I thought that would do it Sharron. Terry

[Vindalbakken]

Are these released birds, or is there a sustaining wild pheasant population in Ontario?

[verno]

They are released birds.

[Big Bird]

If you want to re-establish the ring neck pheasant , get involved with the Pheasants Forever program....