Well I guess you do have a ways to drive to find pheasants. The shortest trip for you might be to go to Kansas, but Nebraska and SD also are good choices. The cost of traveling to NE or SD would be quite substantial. Kansas has a lot of public ground available for hunting, more than NE has, I believe it is right around 800,000 acres of public land. Some people will be able to take any dog out and work for them, but most ground anymore can hide a dog very easily. My German shorthair could easily be lost if I don't keep a close eye on her. Kansas would be the state for you to visit, because of the distance and price. Kansas is cheaper than SD, but about $15 more than NE. Kansas also has the highest bag limit per day I believe as well, 4/day and 16 in possession. Look on all the state's websites. Nebraska's is www.ngpc.state.ne.us to get you started.

Good luck and happy hunting.