Today's Canada in the Rough -- Hullet

[Jixer]

Today's show is Pheasant hunting at Hullett. I've spent a couple hours trekking around the property. lol OK mayby more than a couple.
Should be interesting.

http://www.canadaintherough.com/h_episode_summary_s3e12.html

[Spear]

I have done a fair bit of tromping around Hullett myself and I have to say that the Canada in Rough crew must have planted a few birds there for the sake of the show. They made it seem as if the birds were all over the place waiting to be shot. Last year was a bad year for me at Hullett as it was with other people I have met. I still love the place though. I would say that if you want action like that seen on the show, go to a game farm or go out west.

[Jixer]

I did hear that there were a few birds released in one of the smaller areas before the show. Wouldn't be much of a bird hunting show without birds. lol

Last year their was a bit of a shortage of birds. The racoon problem in the cages didn't help much.:doh: There were birds there, they were just fewer, and farther in between. Spear, I had better luck down in your neck of the woods. The last week of pheasant season, I got 6 points from my dog at Fingal in one day. Too bad that place gets so crowded.

[be2man]

I did see that episode and it made me wonder if maybe they had special permission to go out after the regular season for the sake of promotion of Hullet. When the MNR ran it they used to have a hunt for the MNR Bigwigs after the regular season with lots of birds out specifically for them. There seemed to be a fair bit of snow. For 2 guys to limit out 2 days in a row and not run across any other hunters isn't my typical hunting experience there. There aren't alot of birds left in the pens after the second deer hunt up there and I don't think they're stocking much in December.
Sort of like the show they did up at Luther,hunting released birds in the dog test area, late season snow on the ground and lots of birds around. One could have been led to believe that that was pheasant hunting in Ontario now thanks to "Pheasants Forever". Still a ways to go.

[Sharon]

Considering the many hours i have walked through Hullett and not seen a bird, I also thought the show made it all look too easy. But that's what 30 minute shows do. You see the nicely wrapped package not the practise runs.

I was surprised at how closely the dogs worked to the road/trail and to the handlers.

[warren]

Sharon,
they did admit to having to run to keep up with the dogs at one point.

[Spear]

Sounds like all us Hullett hunters were a bit jealous to see this less than accurate depiction of what it is like to hunt Hullett. I understand the need to do this for the show, I have no problems with that. I also love to hunt at Hullett, the friends of Hullett do a great job there. The release of 100 birds a week is not much in the grand scheme of things however. Do the math on that and I guess you would be doing well to get a few birds in a day. If I want a day of walking around with my dog and don't have the cash to buy the birds this is a great place to go. If I have less time and some money I love to go to a game farm, a little more predictable.

[Maverick]

Rather then doing the stocked birds at Hullet, I would love to see them do a wild bird hunt out west in Saskatchewan or Alberta. Do a hunt for Huns or Sharptails and maybe finnish off with some wild pheasants.

Mav.....

[Huntingonthebrain]

what is the cost of hunting at Hullet for pheasants??? What about waterfowl as well??

[Maverick]

You just need your small game licence. They do hope you will join the friends of Hullet and their is a place to leave a donation as well.

Mav.......

[Sportdog]

I think you will find that the birds were planted for the camera as the show takes money and time. I could be wrong but we did a show 20 years ago and all the birds were planted to get the right angles for cameras. There is nothing wrong with it if they did plant the birds as it is creating interest in Hullet. Trying to get all the shots in one day of shooting and then spending the rest of the week in post editing and the final editing room takes time. We did three weeks of shooting for a biography on CBC for a one hour show then still had to go back and shoot more as the editing called for it. It always looks good on television but the time put into the final production is tiresome.
Sportdog

[Maverick]

I understand why they did it SportDog, I would just rather see them out west on some good strong wild birds. I know there is no shortage of them out there from the folks I know that live out there.
I would sure be nice to see a few more wild upland hunts on TV, that for sure.

Mav.....

[Sportdog]

I agree there should be alot more bird hunting episodes, I hunt deer, geese ducks as well and the upland bird hunting is on the short list LOL
Sportdog