You need to lobby your game department to release pheasant the day before the actual hunt. In WA, hunting times are 8am to 4pm. They release birds Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 4pm so no one gets to hunt them directly after release.
As to how to find birds, I usually find them in places where no one else is willing to go including in waist deep water. I have been thinking of getting a pheasant call but someone actually used one this past season. Very effective as after a few calls, he called in three roosters. He went chasing two and snuck in a got the third.
Binoculars worked well as I used them in open area. WA gets wet and pheasants can be found in open areas to dry. I may want to change to an IR scope if birds show up as little red dots?