I spent the first six yrs. of my pheasant hunting days without a dog, did a lot of road hunting till I'd spot birds. Then one person would drive to the other side of the field and block while the others would try to push the birds to the end of the field, where the action usually occured.
Also, would cruise the ditches, streams, canals, etc. anything holding brushy areas that could hold birds, kicking and throwing dirt clods, etc. into the bush in hopes of flushing a bird.
Nowadays, I been hunting with the help a dogs, I've got two good friends with their dogs and mine, we've hit the fields with as many as seven between us. I will hunt till the day I die with my dogs, its the only way to FLY! I prefer pointing dogs, but flushers, just may be the better of the two specificaly for pheasants. The tendency to RUN, can fool the pointing breeds, but that was my first, and I'll stick with what works for me, plus the pump of a rock solid point is TOO MUCH!
Where are you intending to start pheasant hunting? I'm in Cal. and have to travel at least 3 hrs. to get into pheasant central. Northern Cal. has more birds, but that's a 4-6 hr. drive, but usually well worth it. The Sacramento Valley the best, San Jaoquin Valley and Imperial Valleys okay. Its getting harder to get on property now, but I still manage. Hunted Oregon a couple of times, really good up there, and been fantasizing about the mid-west for some time now, I'll get there before I die! Pheasant huntng 's the best, good luck and many years of "keeping your eyes peeled for COCK". You can be cruising a field and all of a sudden, a big o; rooster will pop his head up and give himself away!