bcvd45

Ok, so i have been watching pheasent hunting all year on outdoor channel and finally i just lost it and decided i need to go. Only one problem. All the show teaches you is that you have to shoot a rooster and you need dogs. But what else do I need? What size shot? What choke tube? Do you know of any guides in Missouri? (don't have my own dogs) This is something I really wanna do but I am in college and dont have the time to train my own dogs right now nor the money to afford one. But it just looks too fun to pass up. If there is anything you can teach me, tell me, correct me, or anything....please tell me. No thought is too basic to tell me seeing as I know.....absolutely nothing. Thanks a lot!

rimjob_rob

Well you don't need a dog, although they are very helpful. Hunting without a dog, I would stick with small patches of cover, thicker stuff if possible. Walk into the wind so they don't hear you crunching through the weeds, and walk in a zig zag pattern so they can't double back on you as easy. A lot of times they will run ahead of you and hold at the end of the cover, so be ready when you get to the end. It is quite the rush when a rooster flushes at your feet. If you are shooting a 12 guage, I would go with 5 shot or maybe 6 as my first shell, and then 4 or 5 shot for second and third shell. Some people use 7 1/2 shot, but you won't find me in the field with that here in South Dakota. IC is probably your best choice for choke tube, I even use a modified towards the end of the season. Good Luck and let us know how it goes for ya!

bcvd45

Thanks a lot! I will be sure to let you know. I just gotta figure out where to go now.

SouthDakotaHunter

Shot size depends on if you are using steel or lead. If it's steel I would lean towards 4 or 5 shot. If lead - 6 shot is great.

I've used7 1/2 (lead) with good luck before, but that's generally only early season (the 1st or 2ndweekend)...

If you haven't done a lot of wingshooting before, you may want to shoot some clays before you go - just kinda gets you in the flow....

I believe I shoot modified most of the time.

Vizsla Vince

If you're looking for a place to go, try Missouri's DNR website, & look for hunting preserves. There you can hire a guide, & get yourself started. Watch out, though... I went pheasant hunting with my father-in-law (he has a dog) about 5 years ago for the first time... Now, I have a dog of my own ($$$$) several different shotguns ($$$) brush pants, hunting jacket, hats, etc ($$$)! Wouldn't look back for an instant, though!!

bowhuntn87

i'm not sure if missouri has good pheasant hunting, but if you can travel, get to kansas or nebraska. if you want to roadtrip i recommend s.d. lots of pheasants. i live in northwest iowa and we have ton out here, but nothing like the 100-200 bird flushes sometimes found in s.d. gun wise any 12 gauge should work, i use number 5 shot... six leaves them wounded and four leaves them too torn up. depends on the cover anda lot of different things, but improved cylinder works well for most of the season. good luck!

RLoving1

Double barrel gun with mod/full chokes and selective trigger gun is great! Shoot 6's in both barrels and gives you some flexibilty.If you have a choice of directions with wind hunt into it and go slow with zig zagging.Brushy corners and fences can be more productive if you only have 2-3 people than stompin stubble...and most important is if your hunting wild(native birds is be silent...tv is just that TV,they have to toot their own horn and plug the sponsors and carry on conversations...silence is golden when hunting ditch chickens! If you see one running then just maintain you slow pace and maybe he will find cover and hold up...if you give chase you may walk past others and have them blow out behind you.2 people can hunt a tail water pond and do well...been there done it.! person block a area where it necks down and other person start other end and zigzag slowly entire area toward blocker...even if you don't flush them the eantire walk just block and stay low as possible till about 25 yards separate the 2 of you...then it could get exciting!I'm no expert but I have hunted wild birds in Texas late in season after all the locals have road educated them...after opening weekend you are hunting older veteran birds! Also look for patches or ditches with iron weed gowing about head tall or out of the way places with tall grass of weeds...they will hide from hawks and hunters there!If you need more ideas pm me and we can talk!

fastetti

I wouldn't worry about not having a dog for pheasants. If def. helps, but not a necessity. Ive been huting since I could walk and was never able to have a dog due to allergies. I went to college to the state to the west of you and hunted all the time without a dog and still do it at the public land around Chicago. Rob had some good points. Personally, I use 5's or 6's. Without a dog, you want to make sure you put the bird down.A wounded bird is HARD to find without a dog, so unless you shoot a bird over thin grass, you may be in trouble if you wound it, they will try to find the THICKEST area possible once they are wounded.

The type of terrain I like it fence rows or taller grass with some thick spots mixed in. Work all of the terrain over real well, but make sure to kick the spots that stick out real well, whether it be a clump of thcker grass, a couple old fence polls or a tree or two isolated in a field. Birds love that as cover. When you watch these pheasant shows, take notes in your mind where these birds are flushing out of and you can start to get an idea where they like to hide. Go slow and really kick the grass hard. My buddy and I are both over 6'6" and when we work an area, we work it hard and find the thick stuff and really kick it. Use your ears as well, birds like to run and sometimes you can hear them trying to escape.

It will take some work to find them hunting public land, but once you get one, you'll be hooked. Plus, when your hunting pheasant there are many thing other things you can shoot for. I used to get rabbits all the time and quail here and there, plus a few bonus doves. Good luck, my first day trip to public land in Illinois is November 7th, I can't wait!

bcvd45

thanks a lot to all of you. This will be invaluable to me over the next month or so. I cant wait and I hope i get lucky.

mongorunner

where at in Texas?