mauser06

do you think its worth my time??i want to do some pheasant and rabbit hunting tomarow after i turkey hunt..i have the whole day off....but i have no dog...ive hunted behind a dog and after all the people are out it seems we find alot back in the thick stuff like sapling thickets....like where youd find grouse...and im solo tomarow...so that kinda stinks...but when i put one up its all mine if i do my part...but i plan to just bust the crap out of the thickets looking for ringnecks and rabbits....they are stocked pheasants but been hunted since last week and some are probally going to be put out tomarow or yesterday or today for the big " weekend" hunt..thats how our state usually does it.....do you think its worth it?? i mean i might have to walk long and hard but you think ill have a decint chance? i know where they usually are...i know hte guys will hit the fields early with their dogs so i think the edges ect will be good....what do you think?? i might be back tomarow around lunch to read this if i have to turkey hunt long...if my turkey hunt goes how i should i will be home to switch guns and change...but u know the turks..they do what they want....lol.....anyone?? thanx alot

seattlesetters

mauser06 - Anytime we are lucky enough to be out in the country pursuing game, it is worth it. Sure, it would be easier and more fun with a dog, but developing your skills and a love for upland hunting is priceless. Good luck!!

jerseyhunter

I' ve hunted my whole life without a dog and bagged quit a few. Some days they co-operate some days they don' t, but it still beats being anywhere else.

mauser06

hunting definently beats the heck out of anything else....the weather isnt to nice out...cloudy and raining in some spots once in a while....just sprikles...i havent got wet in 5 hours i was turkey hunting....i think im going to grab my vest and my other gun and go....why the heck not.....why sit here and do nothing?? who knows...i might get there and nobody else was there all day and i have a field full of ringnecks.....ill let you know how i did......thanx

mauser06

well i just got back.....i was going down to the state game lands road looking for a good looking spot and i had to stop for 2 ringnecks crossing the road!!!!! i couldnt believe it!! they walked from a pine thicket right into someones yard!! so i drive down and find a spot that looks like it might hold some birds..kinda thick with jagur tangles and such and trees and shrubs ect...i walk up over the hill and find it turns into more of a field....a cliff on one side and oaks on the other and trees chrubs jagurs a pine thicket ect all in this kinda like...crater...or bowl...well down in the bottom of it is he cliff...pretty high...and all kinds of trees fell down there and alot of tangle and such...great looking spot i think...about 5 mins into it starts raining.....no biggie...the birds arent going anywhere...and i drove half an hour neither am i....i didnt see anyone else so that was good......im walking kicking some downed grape vines ect and i come to a big patch of thick stuff and shrubs and all kinds of mess in a small area..i thought there had to be a bird or bunny in there...i kicked it a few times(WAY to thick to think about going in...) and i remember i read somewhere to wait by the brush if you think theres something in there because it will get nervous and flush...so i did and all the sudden CACKCACKACKAKCAK out bust a big ole rooster.....i about crapped my pants and thought to much about the shot and im out of practice...3 shots and he kept flying.....im ashamed....i went to where he landed in the pine thicket and i couldnt put him up again....no biggie if theres one there might be more so i follow the ravine back to where he was and i kicked something out..i thought it was a pheasant running and i got ready for it to pop up then i noticed it was a bunny! BAM! it quit running but i couldnt see it...went to look for it..nothing...so i bust some of hte brush and i could here a rabbit in distress...it was him...he made it a few yards but was down....it was a pretty big rabbit...i hunt 2 more of them craters(i think maybe it was old strip mines) and dont produce nothing...its raining harder and harder and the fields are looking worse and worse...so i turn around and work the top edge..nothing...get to the car..get a drink...and i remember i hunted theer before and there were corn fields and stuff like that so i went there..nothing.....you could tell it was hunted hard all week...i hunted that for a while..then the wood edges and all around(im soaked by the way head to toe and sweating at that) then i was finally giving in becuase i got 2 hours of sleep last night and theres always other days so i was heading out on a cut trail....i looked up on another cut trail and seen a ringneck sneaking across....man was he heading into some thick stuff....i decide to jump in after him...went all threw it and didnt flush him...didnt hear him running or anything....i go out onto the trail he crossed but about 50 yards higher and i hear one take off....he ran to the top of this little hill and used it as a runway to get a good flight....way out of range....i was going to go up there too but it opend up i figured he was in the REALLY thick stuff i couldnt get in....i went to where i thought he went down and i coudlnt flush him again...too thick....all in all i hada great day.....them birds meant alot more to me then when im behind i dog doing all the work.....i mean i love watching the dogs work but you know when your close to one and when hes going to come up.....i had no idea.....i about crapped when the first one came up......im normally a good wing shooter...but i havent shot for a while and never had on come out unexpectedly like that cackling and flying crazy......i think monday ill go back out.....it was a blast.......thanx alot guys....i would probally stayed home without you guys....or chased turkeys that were nowhere to be found.....i was surprised at the lack of other hunters......very few cars...very few shots...and a few guys were bow hunting...maybe ill find a friend to go with me next time....it would help keep the birds from being able to run like they probally did all day.....

PABowhntr

Great story mauser. Thank you for sharing it.


I would be curious to hear of any suggestions that you gents might have for someone attempting to pheasant hunt without a dog. Tips, techniques, etc?

Thanks.

Grizzlybear

mauser-

Haha! Welcome to the world of the " unexpected flush!" Gets yer adrenaline going, huh? That' s a lot of the fun of it without a dog.

PA, I' d say that mauser illustrated some of the big points in his story. You have to be aware of the cover that holds birds, and methodically work your way through it, inspecting anything that might hold a bird. And be ready at all times for that rooster to go up.

I' m curious to hear other' s input on this one, since I am by myself most times as well!

Jorgy

Here in Colorado my group never brings a dog. Every once in a while someone new will bring theres along but it is more work with a dog in tow. Cactus, stickers, needly thingies, you spend more time mending your dog than hunting. I hunt normally in smaller groups 4-6. We just push weed patches either towards each other or to a natural barrier/open field where they won' t run. Not many pheasants in the corn fields around here normally where I hunt.

Dogs sure do come in handy when you knock on down though

Canonoch

I remember reading in a mag. years ago about hunting pheasant with no dog and some of the things I remember the article saying. On the ethics side after you shoot a bird down retreive that bird before shooting another. A tip I remember it saying was to watch where your bird goes down at. Goto that area and circle outwards until you find your down bird. I plan on going out Pheasant hunting soon and will not have a dog with me. If I do go wish me luck.

young_gun

a dog is a luxery for me, ive only hunted over a dog about 5 times, most of the time its either my bymyself of me and a friend or two. just wathc where it goes down. i read a article in f&s today that you should grab a few rocks and tape some orage conveyers tape to it and when a bird goes down that you should throw that to the area that you last saw it go down, i personally wouldnt remember to throw them. we ussually just watch and then listen.